The Seattle Seahawks coaching staff knows better than we normal people do. Every week, the team puts players on the field that maybe 12s question. Riq Woolen was terrible in Week 1, for instance. Why not bench him?
Woolen, though, was much better (and though not perfect) in Week 2 versus the Pittsburgh Steelers, and just when the team needed him to be. Devon Witherspoon missed the game, so had Woolen been bad again, the defense would have struggled.
But this isn't about Riq Woolen. This is about other players who have polarized Seahawks fans. Neither player is a bad person, but their production, or lack thereof, has been cause for debate. Kenneth Walker III has mostly been underwhelming, and Zach Charbonnet has been true.
Kenneth Walker proves why the Seattle Seahawks are correct to start him
But Week 2 reminded 12s why Seattle keeps KWIII as RB1. When healthy and on, he isn't just really good, but he is one of the best running backs in the NFL. Charbonnet cannot do what Walker can do. It's a bit like tennis' Jannik Sinner versus Carlos Alcaraz. Both are capable of greatness, but at his best, Alcaraz wins.
Against the Steelers, Charbonnet struggled. He is a good running back and a fantastic human being, and he can push a pile forward a couple of yards. Yet, he can't take one step and blow past defenders the way Walker can.
And make no mistake. if Kenneth Walker doesn't do Kenneth Walker things against Pittsburgh, the Seahawks don't win. He ran for 105 yards, including a twisty and speedy 19-yard touchdown run to seal the game. Charbonnet doesn't do that.
Charbonnet's numbers versus Pittsburgh are a bit of a lie, though, and Seahawks fans know it. He averaged less than a yard per carry, but his designed runs were not what worked best for him, especially wide runs. Oddly, Walker scored in the fourth quarter on a wide run.
What is perfectly clear now, though, is that Kenneth Walker III will remain as the starter for the Seattle Seahawks, and he should. Will he have his ups and downs much more than Zach Charbonnet? Absolutely. Charbonnet is the definition of consistency.
But Walker gives the team a better chance to win if he stays healthy. He also has a lot to prove. Unlike Charbonnet, he is entering the final year of his rookie contract, so doing well will pay off big for him. For his sake and the Seahawks, let's hope he performs well enough to earn a huge deal in 2026.