The Seattle Seahawks finished with ten wins in 2024; however, they failed to make the postseason after losing an NFC West tiebreaker to the Los Angeles Rams. They entered the offseason with a clear plan as they revamped nearly the entire offense -- moving on from six of their top nine leaders in snaps played and offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb.
Seattle brought in Klint Kubiak to install a new offense, which already looks like a massive improvement from last season. The success of the group, particularly the offensive line, combined with a defense that has the potential to be elite, has led to several predictions that the Seahawks could be in line for a big season.
Kenneth Walker III did not play in the preseason, however, he will remain a pivotal piece of Seattle's offense. The fourth-year running back was recently tabbed as the X-factor for the Seahawks in 2025.
Kenneth Walker III labeled as Seahawks X-factor entering 2025
Walker III missed six games in 2024, finishing with 573 rushing yards and seven touchdowns on 153 carries, all of which were career lows. His 3.7 yards per carry and 52.1 yards per game were also career lows, suggesting that his season totals were not just the result of his absence.
The second-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft did thrive in the passing game as he set career-highs with 46 receptions for 299 yards and one touchdown. Ben Solak of ESPN labeled Walker III as Seattle's X-factor:
"New Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak's offenses have been friendly to running backs... Without question, Walker has the talent on the ground and through the air to benefit from Kubiak's offense. But Walker hasn't had a 1,000-yard season since his rookie year, as inconsistent vision and nagging injuries have limited his down-to-down success. Explosiveness is the name of Walker's game, and home runs will be there to hit if he trusts the blocking of the Seahawks' improved line. Seattle figures to be a defense-driven team either way, but that formula works way better if you trust your back to salt away close games and tight leads. Walker still needs to earn that trust."
Seattle's offensive line was among the worst in the league in 2024. They allowed 54 sacks, which was tied for the third-most in the NFL -- trailing only the Chicago Bears and Cleveland Browns, who finished with a combined eight wins. They also created very few holes in the running game as the Seahawks averaged just 95.7 rushing yards per game, which was the fifth-fewest in the league.
The group looked much better in the preseason as Seattle averaged 189.3 rushing yards per game. That production came without Walker III playing a single snap; however, if the 2022 Offensive Rookie of the Year runner-up is able to stay healthy, he could be in store for a big season.