I’m worried. And that’s not my nature, which makes me worry even more. I’m worried that Seattle Seahawks fans are being just a little too cavalier about the potential loss of Kenneth Walker III through free agency.
Now, I agree that teams should not overpay for any player, except an elite quarterback, and the possible exceptions of All-Pro receivers and pass rushers. Running backs do not fall into that category.
But I worry that the entire running back position has grown so devalued over the past decade that fans – and sometimes teams – think they can simply plug in any old UDFA and not see their offense miss a beat. This used to be known as the “Mike Shanahan effect.” Now it has spread league-wide.
If Kenneth Walker leaves, what comes next for the Seattle Seahawks' offense?
By this time next week, the Seahawks’ leading rusher could be playing for another team. John Schneider has been aware of this possibility for a long time, and no doubt has multiple contingency plans in place.
He may have some free agents of his own targeted, or he may be eying someone in the upcoming draft. I’m just here to sound the alarm. Replacing Kenneth Walker III will not be as easy as some fans seem to think.
I admit I feel a little bit territorial here. I have been a huge Kenneth Walker fan for a long time. Before this season, I predicted him to be the Seahawks' MVP for 2025. Now, I got that wrong because I had no idea that Jaxon Smith-Njigba would conquer the entire league the way he did. But I think I was close. Maybe he wasn’t the team MVP, but he was the Super MVP. That’s a good consolation prize.
Walker did something in 2025 that hadn’t been done in almost thirty years. Do you know the last time a running back won the Super Bowl MVP? It was Terrell Davis in 1997. Three different linebackers have won it in the interim.
I’ve delayed getting to the fundamental point of this little screed because, well, I don’t particularly like saying this. It will sound like I don’t think very much of Zach Charbonnet, and that is not the case. Charbonnet is a very good, very tough, and very versatile professional running back. Winning teams need players like Zach Charbonnet.
But he is not a star. Fans who think the Seahawks can simply plug Charbonnet in as their RB1 if Walker departs are kidding themselves. It is all about speed and the ability to break big plays. Kenneth Walker has proven time and time again that he can do just that. Charbonnet might break a big run a couple of times a season.
Consider this. Kenneth Walker averaged 4.6 yards per rush in 2025. Charbonnet was at 4.0.
That’s fine for a tough, between-the-tackles runner. He was great in short-yardage situations. But he doesn’t scare a defense.
In seven of the last eight seasons, the leading rusher for the Super champion has averaged at least 4.5 yards-per-carry. The exception was the Rams in 2021. Their primary backup, Darrell Henderson, who essentially split snaps with Sony Michel, did in fact average 4.6.
There are plenty of reasons why the Kansas City Chiefs began to fall in 2024. One of the under-reported reasons was running back Isaiah Pacheco’s plummet from above 4.5 yards-per-carry in 2022 and ’23 to under 4.0 in the last two seasons.
It is not merely Walker’s speed that makes him so essential. There are plenty of fast running backs. But few pair Walker’s speed to bounce outside with the power to break tackles in the middle. That is what gives opposing defensive coordinators nightmares. You can play Kenneth Walker perfectly, and he still has the physical talent to make you pay.
That, in turn, means defenses have to devote more resources to account for him, which opens other parts of the offense.
Look at it another way. Walker did not have a standout game against the Rams in the NFC Championship. 19 carries for 62 and a touchdown. But Sam Darnold was sensational.
How much of Darnold’s performance was attributable to the fact that in their two regular season matchups, Walker had averaged 6.2 yards-per-carry on 27 rushes and scored a couple of touchdowns? How concerned were the Rams about Walker after watching him break a 55-yard touchdown run to give Seattle the lead in their crucial week 16 showdown?
Walker’s big-play ability was a vital part of Seattle’s offense in 2025. It generated points on its own, and it set up others for success by drawing defensive attention.
Seattle’s Walker-Charbonnet platoon is very similar to what Detroit has had with Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery in recent seasons. Montgomery is an excellent power runner, and Detroit just traded him away. They know that, as good as David Montgomery is, it is Jahmyr Gibbs who makes that offense run.
Seattle may lose Kenneth Walker. They may find another dynamic back to pair with Zach Charbonnet. But no one should think this will be an easy fix. Runners like Kenneth Walker don’t show up every day, and when you find one, maybe you should pay a little extra to keep him.