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The Seattle Seahawks underwent wholesale changes ahead of Mike Macdonald's second year at the helm, but running back Kenneth Walker III is one of the lone survivors. However, ahead of the Seahawks' 2025 training camp, Walker is still the top trade candidate on the team.
Walker, 24, has been the Seahawks' starting running back since they selected him in the second round of the 2025 NFL Draft. However, after an impressive rookie year, his efficiency and production have dipped each season. Walker has yet to relinquish the starting role, but seems to fall further into a timeshare with Zach Charbonnet each week.
After posting 1,050 rushing yards as a rookie, Walker looked like one of the best running backs in the league early in his career. He added 905 yards in year two — a slight decrease, but still encouraging results. However, his efficiency dipped from 4.6 yards per carry in 2024 to just 4.1 in 2023. Everything fell apart in 2024, when Walker posted just 573 rushing yards on 3.7 yards per attempt.
In addition to his efficiency concerns, Walker missed five games in 2024 and has yet to play a full 17-game season. While he has only missed nine games in his three-year career, Walker has spent the majority of his brief professional tenure on the injury report. Injuries are practically guaranteed for running backs, but they appear to be a contributing factor in Walker's gradual decline.
Still just four years into his career, Walker is still a starting running back on most teams. But with Seattle's backfield continuing to grow, his importance to the team wanes. With training camp just around the corner, do not be surprised to see the Seahawks sell high on his value in the 2025 offseason trade market.
Kenneth Walker III is Seahawks' top trade candidate
Aside from four games early in his rookie year, Walker has started every game he has played. He continues to be ahead of Charbonnet on the depth chart, but his grip on the role has gradually weakened. Fans view Walker as the Seahawks' clear-cut starter, but he has played more than 60 percent of Seattle's offensive snaps in just 10 of his 27 games since Charbonnet joined the team in 2023.
Conversely, Charbonnet's snaps have increased over time, leading to a career-high 569 rushing yards in 2024. Charbonnet actually played 51 percent of the Seahawks' offensive snaps in 2024, as opposed to Walker's 42 percent. Whenever Walker sits, Charbonnet's snap share skyrockets to over 80 percent.
As Macdonald continues to settle into his new job, he is evidently a coach keen on slowly integrating “his guys” onto the team. Macdonald had no direct connection to Charbonnet before accepting the job. However, his close relationship with the Harbaugh brothers is worth noting, considering Charbonnet played for Jim Harbaugh for two years at Michigan. It is not a big factor, but the way Macdonald uses his running backs is similar to his former boss' smashmouth offensive system.
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The 6-foot-1 Charbonnet is much more equipped to handle the physical demands of Macdonald's offense than the 5-foot-9 Walker is. While Macdonald is a defensive-minded coach, his hiring of Klint Kubiak as offensive coordinator and Kennedy Polamalu as the Seahawks' running back coach accentuates his track record. Kubiak tends to be reserved in his approach to the running game, while Polamalu is known for his expertise in physical run schemes.
Adding onto the trend, the Seahawks drafted gritty running back Damien Martinez in the final round of the 2025 NFL Draft. A seventh-round pick does not spell the end for a starter, but it does further crowd Seattle's backfield. Martinez's success in OTAs and minicamp appears to give the Seahawks another option, making a Walker trade easier to digest.
Best Kenneth Walker landing spots
While Walker's career is trending in the wrong direction, he figures to be a player who would benefit from a change of scenery. With the 2025 running back market drier than a desert, Walker would be a premier name on the trade market. Many teams looking for upgrades at the position would be willing to fork over assets to acquire him on an expiring rookie deal.
Walker would be a substantial upgrade for a team like the New England Patriots, who struggled on the ground in 2024 and made few offseason additions. Walker could also be insurance for a team like the San Francisco 49ers, who can never be confident in Christian McCaffrey's shaky durability.
The Jacksonville Jaguars would also be an intriguing option after they hired Shane Waldron as their passing game coordinator in February. Waldron served as Pete Carroll's offensive coordinator with the Seahawks from 2021 to 2023, overlapping with Walker's first two years. The Jaguars also hired Chad Morton as their running back coach, who worked in that same role with Seattle in 2022 and 2023.
A reunion with Carroll could also be possible on the Las Vegas Raiders. While Las Vegas is set with Ashton Jeanty leading its backfield, the team could benefit from adding Walker as an elite duo. The Raiders already reunited Carroll with Geno Smith in a previous trade with the Seahawks.
While Walker is not a premier running back, he would elevate any backfield in the league. His absence could also hurt the Seahawks more than they might anticipate, given how relatively unproven Charbonnet is as a full-time starter.
After making a flurry of moves early in the offseason, the Seahawks seem content with their 2025 offseason roster heading into training camp. Yet, if they are to make another deal, it would likely be Walker packing his bags.
