Months after lifting the Lombardi Trophy, the Seahawks are searching for answers, and one former head coach thinks he knows where the slide began. Kenneth Walker III was the engine of Seattle’s ground game, a back who turned tough carries into steady gains, and still the team let him leave in free agency.
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“He’s certainly a good player,” Former Bills HC Sean McDermott said on The Rich Eisen Show. “I think any team would miss his ability and his contribution. I mean, you know, you watched it; I watched it last year in particular, the last couple of games of their season, the NFC Championship Game, and then into the Super Bowl, and what he was able to do.
“And now you watch him with Kansas City. That’s a real component and a good point. You know, again, any team that becomes one-dimensional is easier to defend than a team that is a true two-dimensional team. What I’m talking about is having the ability to run the football and not be a legitimate threat and also play action off of it.”
It’s hard to argue with that when you look at how Kenneth Walker III’s story played out. He was a huge part of Seattle’s Super Bowl run, yet the Seahawks let him go this offseason. He landed with the Kansas City Chiefs on a three-year deal worth up to $45 million.
Walker piled up 313 rushing yards and four touchdowns over three playoff games. He won Super Bowl MVP with 135 rushing yards and 26 receiving yards.
Seattle’s plan was to move on with rookie Jadarian Price and veteran Emanuel Wilson. Six weeks into the season, that plan has gone badly. The Seahawks’ running backs have combined for 539 yards in six games.
Former NFL defensive tackle Breiden Fehoko didn’t hold back.
“Why did the Seahawks not pay Kenneth Walker? They have no run game. Absolutely zero,” he said.
Walker has 537 rushing yards in only four games for the Chiefs, leading the NFL at 6.2 yards per carry.
Walker is enjoying the ride, too.
“It’s super fun,” he said of playing with Mahomes. “We’re able to, I guess, freestyle it. If somebody is open or if the play breaks down, he’s able to make a play. It’s great to play with him.”
The Chiefs are coming off a Week 5 bye and face the Chargers on Sunday. Walker probably welcomed the rest, since he has already handled 99 touches in four games while averaging 134.3 rushing yards per game.
Walker has run for at least 170 yards twice, and he has reached 175 yards from scrimmage in three of four games. He has also scored two or more touchdowns in three of those four, helping Kansas City open the season 4-0.
Did head coach Andy Reid see this coming? Not really, he told reporters on Monday.
“Yeah, I would tell you not really because we thought he did well, especially when [the Seahawks] had to turn everything over to him during the playoffs,” Reid said. “So, we saw his whole game there, and now we’re just seeing it on an extended basis where he comes in, and he’s been able to showcase all that.”
Fans get a chance to see the reunion play out on October 25, when the Chiefs visit the Seahawks on Sunday Night Football. All eyes will be on Walker. He hasn’t said anything bad about Seattle, but it’s easy to picture him wanting to prove a point to the front office.