For the Seattle Seahawks to have a great year, make the playoffs, and then be dangerous once there, certain things have to go well. Not just unexpected things, but ones the team should be able to count on, but haven't worked out. This is especially true in the sense of the new offensive scheme.
For the offense to reach peak efficiency, running back Kenneth Walker III needs to stay healthy. He has missed multiple games every season of his career, but last year he missed six. Entering the final year of his rookie deal and hoping to cash in next offseason, Walker has to be more available in 2025.
The bad news was that in OTAs and minicamp, Walker was somehow already dinged up and not a full participant. This did not bode well for this coming season. Backup Zach Charbonnet has been steady at times when Walker has missed games, but Charbonnet lacks Walker's explosiveness and ability to catch the ball.
Kenneth Walker III looks healthy and wise at the start of Seahawks 2025 training camp
The great news is that at the start of training camp, even while there is not yet any contact (that will come next week), Kenneth Walker III was a full go. He also appeared to be in total command of his role in the offense, and understanding how he fits in new offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak's system.
Seahawks fans know that Seattle is going to run the ball more under Kubiak. The almost accidentally would anyway. In 2024, under pass-happy former offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb, the team threw the ball the fifth-most, based on play percentage, in the NFL. That limited the offense.
Plus, former QB1 Geno Smith was forced to throw the ball more in obvious situations and struggled in the red zone. With no real threat of the Seahawks running the ball, opposing defenses could tee off on a poor Seattle offensive line. It might have helped had Walker not missed so many games.
2025 is a make-or-break season for Walker. He has to know this, and he also should understand that availability is a skill, too. Playing through pain is something every NFL player has to do. The running back is capable of sudden bursts of game-changing runs and has a bit more power than many assume. Walker can change the outcomes of games.
He can't if he doesn't play, however. But at the beginning of the 2025 Seattle Seahawks training camp, Kenneth Walker III looks ready for a big year. If that happens, Seattle's offense is going to help its elite defense win a lot of games.