Is Kenneth Walker III playing today? Full injury update for Seahawks RB

Even with the presence of Geno Smith at quarterback, the Seattle Seahawks have stated this team will primarily get their wins on the ground. Running back Kenneth Walker III looked every bit the star player Seattle thinks he could be in Week 1, as he was ripping off big gains left and right.

Walker carried the ball 20 times for 103 yards in the Seahawks' season-opening win against the Denver Broncos. In Week 2 against a New England Patriots defense that shut down Joe Burrow and the Bengals on the road, Walker's skills will be in high demand.

However, Walker is dealing with an oblique injury, and he was listed as doubtful heading into this game. The latest reports from those close to the Seahawks make it seem very unlikely that their foundational running back will be able to suit up as Mike Macdonald tries to win his first two games in charge.

Seahawks RB Kenneth Walker III doubtful to play vs. Patriots

After a slight regression last season, new offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb (who helped Dillon Johnson run for 16 touchdowns at Washington last season), is doing everything he can to get Walker performing at maximum efficiency. Unfortunately, injuries have already started to impede his progress.

The obvious candidate to eat up most of the carries without Walker is second-round pick Zach Charbonnet. The UCLA product has a very similar skillset to that of Walker, and he should be able to rip off some big runs against a defensive line that is missing some of their best players.

Behind Charbonnet, 2023 seventh-rounder Kenny McIntosh is waiting in the wings. Former Boise State back George Holani was also elevated to the active roster, giving Seattle a three-headed monster they can use to survive until Walker returns to his best physical state.

While the Seahawks need strong games from Walker if they want to do anything in the postseason, but the combination of Charbonnet and the backups (and a solid game from Smith) should be enough to help Seattle pull out a victory against a hot, motivated Patriots team.

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