Former NFL star Dez Bryant believes the Seattle Seahawks made a decision this offseason that could cost them a championship.
Bryant put forth a judgment of Seattle’s decision to let Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker III leave in free agency after watching the running back carve up another opponent for the undefeated Kansas City Chiefs.
“I want to go on record and say the Seahawks gave the championship to the Chiefs this year by letting Walker go,” Bryant wrote on X.
It’s an aggressive declaration four games into the season, especially with the defending champion Seahawks sitting at 3-1. Walker’s start in Kansas City, though, gives Bryant an abundance of ammunition.
The 25-year-old leads the NFL with 537 rushing yards on 87 carries, averaging 6.2 yards per attempt through four games. His latest performance included a career-high 177 rushing yards and two touchdowns in Kansas City’s 30-27 win over the Las Vegas Raiders.
Walker has produced two games with at least 170 rushing yards this season. According to NFL Research, only Jim Brown and O.J. Simpson had previously accomplished that feat within their team’s first four games of a season.
Walker Has Transformed Chiefs’ Offense
Walker’s departure became one of the more unusual moves of the offseason considering how Seattle’s championship run ended.
He rushed for 135 yards on 27 carries in the Seahawks’ 29-13 Super Bowl LX victory, becoming the first running back to earn Super Bowl MVP honors since Terrell Davis following the 1997 season. Walker finished the game with 161 yards from scrimmage.
Seattle declined to use the franchise tag on Walker before free agency, allowing him to reach the open market. The Chiefs signed him to a three-year contract carrying a base value of $43.05 million and $28.7 million fully guaranteed over the first two seasons.
That investment looks significant for a Kansas City offense that needed more explosiveness on the ground.
Walker has scored six total touchdowns — four rushing and two receiving — while helping Kansas City start 4-0. He also leads the NFL in rushing yards per game, yards per carry among the league leaders and runs of at least 20 yards.
Bryant’s championship prediction has months before it can be judged, but Walker has strengthened the Chiefs in precisely the area they wanted to address.
Seahawks’ Backfield Has Getting Strained
Seattle’s decision looks even more notable because of what has happened in its own running back room.
Zach Charbonnet has been working his way back from the torn ACL he suffered during last season’s playoff run, while rookie Jadarian Price recently landed on injured reserve with a chest injury.
That forced Emanuel Wilson into an expanded role against the Los Angeles Chargers on October 4.
Wilson responded with 81 rushing yards and a touchdown on 21 carries, adding three catches for 39 yards and another score. Seattle finished with 138 rushing yards after managing just 44 on the ground one week earlier.
The Seahawks remain positioned to contend and could get healthier in the backfield, so declaring their Walker decision a championship-losing mistake seems premature at the moment.
Regardless, the possibility of Seattle encountering its former Super Bowl MVP in February would add quite a twist to its title defense.
Bryant knows which team he believes benefited most from the breakup.
Seahawks Told They ‘Gave’ Chiefs Super Bowl With Kenneth Walker Move