The Seattle Seahawks are getting an increasingly painful reminder of what they lost when Kenneth Walker III left for the Kansas City Chiefs.
Five weeks into the 2026 NFL season, Walker has rushed for 537 yards and four touchdowns, averaging a blistering 6.2 yards per carry. Meanwhile, Seattle has struggled to keep its running backs healthy, much less replicate the production of its former Super Bowl MVP.
Through Week 4, Seattle’s three primary running backs combined for just 379 rushing yards on 103 carries. Walker had already surpassed that total by 158 yards, despite having 16 fewer carries.
The concerns got worse on Sunday, when both Emanuel Wilson and George Holani had first-half fumbles against the San Francisco 49ers.
So why did Seattle let one of its most productive offensive weapons walk? The answer starts with money, but the consequences have become considerably more complicated.
Why Kenneth Walker Left the Seahawks for the Chiefs
Walker departed Seattle in March after completing his four-year rookie contract. The Seahawks declined to use the franchise tag, allowing him to enter unrestricted free agency.
Kansas City quickly signed him to a three-year agreement worth $43.05 million, with a maximum value of $45 million and $28.7 million guaranteed.
According to Gregg Bell of The News Tribune, Walker’s departure largely came down to the Chiefs offering more money than Seattle was willing to commit.
General manager John Schneider had made it clear that Seattle wanted to preserve flexibility across its championship roster rather than engage in a bidding war at running back.
There was an argument for that approach. Walker had shared carries with Zach Charbonnet, who was expected to remain an important part of Seattle’s backfield once healthy.
But Walker was also coming off a 1,027-yard rushing season and a postseason in which he accumulated 417 scrimmage yards and four touchdowns. His 161 scrimmage yards in Super Bowl LX earned him MVP honors.
Seattle was betting that it could replace that production more economically. The early returns have been difficult to ignore.
Kenneth Walker’s Chiefs Stats Make Seahawks’ Decision Look Worse
Walker has become one of the NFL’s most productive running backs since arriving in Kansas City.
Through four games, the 25-year-old has recorded 87 carries for 537 yards and four rushing touchdowns. He has also caught 12 passes for 84 yards and two additional touchdowns.
That’s 621 yards from scrimmage and six total touchdowns in just four games, without a fumble.
His rushing performances have included:
- Week 1 vs. Broncos: 173 yards, one rushing touchdown
- Week 2 vs. Colts: 117 yards
- Week 3 vs. Dolphins: 70 yards, one rushing touchdown
- Week 4 vs. Raiders: 177 yards, two rushing touchdowns
Walker entered Kansas City’s Week 5 bye leading the NFL in rushing yards, with two performances exceeding 170 yards.
His production becomes even more striking when compared with Seattle’s reconstructed backfield.
Through Week 4, Emanuel Wilson had 190 rushing yards on 53 attempts, averaging 3.6 yards per carry. Rookie Jadarian Price had 119 yards on 28 carries, while George Holani had managed 70 yards on 22 attempts.
Walker alone had produced more rushing yards than all three combined, while averaging nearly 2.5 additional yards per carry compared with their collective output.
Seahawks Running Back Injuries Have Made Matters Worse
Seattle’s plan to replace Walker has been undermined by injuries, beginning with Charbonnet.
The former second-round pick suffered a torn ACL during Seattle’s postseason run in January. Although he returned to practice ahead of Week 5, he remained unavailable for Sunday’s matchup against the San Francisco 49ers.
Price, whom Seattle selected with the No. 32 overall pick in the 2026 NFL draft, offered another potential solution. However, a chest injury landed the rookie on injured reserve after three games.
Holani also entered Week 5 dealing with rib and knee injuries, although he was cleared to play against San Francisco.
That left Wilson carrying much of the workload, with Holani and Velus Jones Jr. providing depth.
Wilson delivered a productive performance against the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 4, finishing with 81 rushing yards and two total touchdowns. However, Seattle’s lack of healthy options prompted the team to sign veteran Joe Mixon to its practice squad.
Mixon hadn’t played in an NFL regular-season game since 2024 after missing the entire 2025 campaign with a leg injury.
There is still a plausible path for Seattle’s running game to improve. Charbonnet’s eventual return would add an established contributor, and Price showed promise before his injury.
But neither solution changes what Walker is doing elsewhere.
Seattle didn’t simply lose a talented running back in free agency. It lost an explosive, proven contributor who is now producing at an elite level for another Super Bowl contender.
And while the financial reasoning behind Schneider’s decision remains understandable, Walker’s success has made the cost of that decision considerably more visible.
Why Did Kenneth Walker Leave Seattle? Seahawks RB Woes Make Decision Worse