Kenneth Walker III is out for Week 17's matchup versus the Chicago Bears. Seattle Seahawks fans know this already. The running back will miss his fifth game of the season. He is the team's most explosive running back when healthy, but we have not seen much of that this year. Walker's leg injuries have taken a toll.
Strangely, though, in a must-win game for Seattle, the Seahawks not having Walker could be a good thing. That is meant as no disrespect to the running back.
Seattle is 8-7 this season, but in the game's Walker plays, the Seahawks are only 5-6. This seems partly due to offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb not knowing how to use Walker against better teams. For instance, RB1 got just eight carries in Week 16 against the Minnesota Vikings. While one might assume this is because Walker was dealing with ankle and calf issues then how to explain he also got eight targets in the passing game.
Kenneth Walker III will not play for the Seattle Seahawks in Week 17
One problem with Walker's running style is that he hesitates a bit more than does backup Zach Charbonnet after getting the handoff. He resembles another player who played college at Michigan State, Le'Veon Bell. Both wait a tick before approaching the line, looking for a hole to run through in hopes of a splash play.
If a team has a good offensive line, the style works because holes will develop. The Seahawks have a terrible run-blocking offensive line, however, so any hesitation only creates more runs that go for losses. Walker is averaging just 3.7 yards per carry in 2024. Charbonnet, a much more straight-ahead runner, is averaging 4.3 yards per rush.
In Charbonnet's four starts in place of Walker, he has run for 317 yards and averaged 5.1 yards a carry. He isn't a better running back than Walker, but he might be a better fit for the Seahawks this season because while Seattle's offensive line struggles in every aspect, they are especially atrocious when blocking for the run. Charbonnet is able to grind out a few more yards near the line than Walker is because of their styles.
The question is how much and how well Grubb will use Charbonnet, and RB3 Kenny McIntosh. Against good competition, Grubb seems to give up on the run early in games. The Bears have lost nine straight games, and certainly are nowhere near as good as the Green Bay Packers and Vikings, the teams Seattle has lost to in the last two weeks. Hopefully, Charbonnet gets at least 20 carries on Thursday Night Football.