During training camp and the preseason, Seattle Seahawks fans might have thought there needed to be a key change in the offseason. This had nothing to do with who should be QB1, as that was going to be Sam Darnold. Thank goodness for it, too, because he's been quite good for four games.
Instead, many might have logically thought that Zach Charbonnet should be the team's starting running back and not Kenneth Walker III. After all, Walker seemed to be an increasingly injured and ineffective running back. His average yards per rush had gone down every season, and he will be missing more games by the year.
Meanwhile, while Charbonnet wasn't as explosive as Walker, he appeared to be more powerful and consistently more available. If the Seahawks have shown us nothing else over four games, it is this: Seattle's coaching staff knew more than fans did when it came to KWIII.
Kenneth Walker III is the truth for the Seattle Seahawks through Week 4
While Charbonnet has missed time with a toe injury, Walker has been the healthy back in 2025 so far. He has also been by far the more productive. Through Week 4, Walker averaged 4.72 yards every time he touched the ball while Charbonnet averaged just 2.46 yards per touch.
Walker was also less hesitant at the line of scrimmage and was getting some of the dirty yards that Charbonnet appeared to be more capable of. Waiting a tick before attacking the line of scrimmage will always be a part of Walker's game because he is looking for the splash play, but he is doing a better job of not waiting this season.
While KWIII is 16th in the league in rushing yards through four weeks (244), his average yards per carry is up half a yard over last season. He is also sixth in rushing touchdowns with three. He is also third in the NFL with three runs of 20-plus yards.
Clearly, a lot of the season is left. Walker could get injured again and/or become less effective. Still, he looks fresher and is a great fit for new offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak's system. Walker has also succeeded, while the run blocking hasn't been terrific.
This implies that Kenneth Walker III could be even better as the season grows old for the Seattle Seahawks. The idea is that Seattle has sustained success running the ball, and that hasn't truly happened yet. In the second half of the season, however. Walker could be special.