The Seattle Seahawks didn't have an ideal go of it in Mike Macdonald's first season as head coach despite a 10-7 record, as many veteran players who were expected to carry a big load struggled to stay healthy and didn't put up the best effort when they were out there on the field.
Chief among those players is running back Kenneth Walker III, who struggled with injuries and effectiveness in what was the worst season of his professional career. Walker is eyeing a bounce-back season, and there are some analysts of prominence within the NFL landscape who believe he will be better under Klint Kubiak than Ryan Grubb.
CBS Sports listed Walker as one of three veteran candidates who could get back on track this season, citing the fact that Seattle's scheme issues and poor offensive line held him back.
Seahawks Kenneth Walker III named top veteran bounce-back candidate
Walker has declined in each of his three pro seasons. After topping 1,000 yards rushing as a rookie on 4.6 yards per carry, he followed that up with 905 yards on 4.1 yards per carry. 2024 was the nightmare year for Walker, as he tallied 573 yards on a pitiful 3.7 yards per carry. Zach Charbonnet was a much more efficient runner and equally adept receiver.
Seattle's offensive line figures to be much better than it was last year, as the addition of first-round pick Grey Zabel should make for a superior setup. That upgrade, paired with Grubb's departure, should be more than enough to get Walker back in the groove he was in during his rookie year.
Grubb created a very explosive passing game, but he knew next to nothing about creating an excellent running game in the pros. Klint Kubiak, a devotee of the new-school Shanahan-McVay style of offense, should be able to get Walker and Charbonnet cooking at the same time in a way Grubb couldn't manage.
Walker is very much playing on a knife edge this season, as he needs to show a Seahawks team that just committed a good chunk of money to Sam Darnold that he is worth keeping around long-term. The hope is that Kubiak will help him finally get back to his old self.