ClutchPoints
The Seattle Seahawks underwent wholesale changes ahead of Mike Macdonald’s second year at the helm, but running back Kenneth Walker III is one of the lone survivors. However, ahead of the Seahawks’ 2025 training camp, Walker is still the top trade candidate on the team.
Walker, 24, has been the Seahawks’ starting running back since they selected him in the second round of the 2025 NFL Draft. However, after an impressive rookie year, his efficiency and production have dipped each season. Walker has yet to relinquish the starting role, but seems to fall further into a timeshare with Zach Charbonnet each week.
After posting 1,050 rushing yards as a rookie, Walker looked like one of the best running backs in the league early in his career. He added 905 yards in year two — a slight decrease, but still encouraging results. However, his efficiency dipped from 4.6 yards per carry in 2024 to just 4.1 in 2023. Everything fell apart in 2024, when Walker posted just 573 rushing yards on 3.7 yards per attempt.
In addition to his efficiency concerns, Walker missed five games in 2024 and has yet to play a full 17-game season. While he has only missed nine games in his three-year career, Walker has spent the majority of his brief professional tenure on the injury report. Injuries are practically guaranteed for running backs, but they appear to be a contributing factor in Walker’s gradual decline.
Still just four years into his career, Walker is still a starting running back on most teams. But with Seattle’s backfield continuing to grow, his importance to the team wanes. With training camp just around the corner, do not be surprised to see the Seahawks sell high on his value in the 2025 offseason trade market.
Aside from four games early in his rookie year, Walker has started every game he has played. He continues to be ahead of Charbonnet on the depth chart, but his grip on the role has gradually weakened. Fans view Walker as the Seahawks’ clear-cut starter, but he has played more than 60 percent of Seattle’s offensive snaps in just 10 of his 27 games since Charbonnet joined the team in 2023.
Conversely, Charbonnet’s snaps have increased over time, leading to a career-high 569 rushing yards in 2024. Charbonnet actually played 51 percent of the Seahawks’ offensive snaps in 2024, as opposed to Walker’s 42 percent. Whenever Walker sits, Charbonnet’s snap share skyrockets to over 80 percent.
As Macdonald continues to settle into his new job, he is evidently a coach keen on slowly integrating “his guys” onto the team. Macdonald had no direct connection to Charbonnet before accepting the job. However, his close relationship with the Harbaugh brothers is worth noting, considering Charbonnet played for Jim Harbaugh for two years at Michigan. It is not a big factor, but the way Macdonald uses his running backs is similar to his former boss’ smashmouth offensive system.
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