Kenneth Walker III returning to his old stomping grounds might be the most anticipated free agent or traded player going back to his old team this season. For Walker, that becomes reality this weekend when he and his new team, the Kansas City Chiefs, travel to face the Seattle Seahawks.
The kind of tear that Walker has been on this season only heightens the return hype, even if the player himself isn't really interested. Walker comes into Seattle leading the league in rushing yards (665) and six touchdowns (tied with D'Andre Swift and James Cook). No one expected this level of production from Walker, the Seahawks likely most of all.
On Sunday, they'll get a taste of what Walker has been dealing out to the other teams he's faced this season, but if you asked him about his return to Seattle, there isn't any talk of it, only what he and the Chiefs are focused on. His head coach, on the other hand, said a little more and anticipates another big game from his running back.
Kenneth Walker III has his attention on Chiefs' mistake rather than facing the Seattle Seahawks
At 3-3, it would be natural for the Seahawks to be secretly wishing they hadn't let Walker leave in free agency. Reporting out of Seattle suggests they aren't regretting the decision, but there would be no blame if they were. Of course, getting someone from the front office or coaching staff to admit it would be next to impossible.
Whether anyone in the Seahawks organization—player, coach, executive—wishes they could have a Walker do-over, the players are about to realize life without their Super Bowl MVP on the field for the first time. It can go two ways. One, the Seahawks defence knows their former teammate too well. Two, Walker shows his old teammates a version of himself they saw for only a few games last year.
In any case, this matchup should make for an exciting 3 hours. That said, Walker isn't giving anyone any bulletin board material, or anything, really, as far as reactions or expectations go -- just his own team.
“I’m just focused on critiquing the mistakes we made,” Walker said per Seattle Sports. “Once we get to that point, we’ll see.”
Walker kept it short, compared to what Reid said this week when asked about Walker's return to Seattle.
“He’s wired to do it,” Reid said of Walker’s return to Seattle. “When you’re on a team, everybody knows your strengths and weaknesses and quirks and everything. I think the boys there will try to get after him a little bit. But he’s a pretty level-headed guy. The way he plays, you’re going to get a good rep when he gets the ball in his hands. He kind of has one speed: He’s coming at you. It doesn’t matter who he’s playing or where he’s playing.”
The Seahawks' advantage against Walker is that the defence knows him, as Reid mentioned. The thing is, did Mike Macdonald's defense ever face this version of Walker? The Chiefs' Walker is a 2.0 version compared to the Seahawks’ version. It's not that he wasn't a good rusher in Seattle, but he was never the main guy; he is now, and it looks as if he has been for several years.
At the end of the day, Walker's mindset is probably the correct one. Getting caught up in memories or hype can be as distracting as anything else. Walker is going to Seattle to reminisce, but to rush for 120 yards and two touchdowns, and most importantly, a sixth win for the Chiefs. The Seahawks—well, they're playing to avoid going below .500.
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