The Seattle Seahawks made a tough but understandable business decision in the offseason. Just weeks after watching him go off and run away with Super Bowl MVP honors, they let Kenneth Walker III sign a multi-year deal with the Kansas City Chiefs.
While he was always expected to leave, the Seahawks had more than enough money to bring him back, and he had done plenty to earn the opportunity. Instead, the Seahawks turned to a committee and first-round pick Jadarian Pierce to replace him.
Fast forward to Week 3, and after watching Price fumble in consecutive weeks, all while Walker goes absolutely nuts in Missouri, general manager John Schneider must be having second thoughts about this call.
Did the Seattle Seahawks make a mistake by letting Kenneth Walker III go?
Let's start this argument by making it loud and clear that three games aren't a big enough sample size to jump to conclusions about any player, let alone a rookie. Also, Price looked explosive and elusive in limited touches in his debut.
But with the former Notre Dame backup hitting the doghouse after losing the ball deep in his own territory, one can't help but see what the former Seahawks star is up to. Once again, he looked like the hottest, most dangerous ball-carrier in the game, logging 70 rushing yards and two scores against the Miami Dolphins.
Walker entered Week 3 leading the league in yards from scrimmage. He also set a mark for the most yards from scrimmage by a reigning Super Bowl MVP in his first game of the next season, topping the legendary Jerry Rice.
On the other hand, Price missed a big chunk of his second game with a chest injury before being a non-factor in Week 3 after his fumble. Again, it's early, but he's played sparingly, and ball security has been a concern for him dating back to his days in college.
So, what if the Chiefs had gone against their usual M.O. and had just paid their guy? Maybe they could've traded out of the first round and flipped that pick into more assets. Who knows? Maybe they could've even gotten Bud Clark as well as Price, who was projected to be available later in the second round.
Walker picked things up where he left them in the offseason. Running back guru Eric Bieniemy, the Chiefs' 'new' offensive coordinator, certainly knows how to make an explosive back like him look like a star.
Patience is crucial when developing young players, but Price has some big shoes to fill. Perhaps it's unfair to give him such a heavy cross to bear, and he never asked for it, but that's just the way things go in this game.
Hopefully, he'll just take Week 3 as a learning experience. He wasn't the only one to blame for the loss, though he certainly had plenty to do with the fact that the team had to play catch-up for most of the contest.
But if the rookie out of Notre Dame doesn't get more opportunities — and, more importantly, takes care of the football — it'll be extremely difficult for fans to turn the page, move on, and keep Walker's name out of their mouth when talking about Jadarian Price.
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