Seahawks' Kenneth Walker: Does little with 11 touches
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Walker rushed 10 times for 34 yards and brought in his only target for three yards in the Seahawks' 20-12 win over the Jaguars on Sunday.
Walker logged two fewer carries than Zach Charbonnet, but he outgained his teammate by 10 rushing yards, as neither back was particularly efficient during the defense-centric battle. The fourth-year pro's yardage total represented quite the downturn after he'd topped the 80-yard mark in each of the previous two games, and Charbonnet's workload is somewhat of a concern for the moment for Walker's fantasy managers. It remains to be seen if a similar timeshare will apply moving forward, but neither player has a particularly bright outlook for a Week 7 home matchup against a tough Texans defense on Monday night, Oct. 20.
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Seahawks' Kenneth Walker: Leading rusher on 10 carries
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Walker took 10 carries for 86 yards while catching one pass for no gain in Sunday's 38-35 loss to Tampa Bay.
Walker led Seattle in both carries and rushing production in Week 5, but it was backfield mate Zach Charbonnet (9-36-1) who cashed in the team's only rushing score in the loss. The touch distribution was far closer this time around compared to last week's seven-carry difference in the latter's return from injury, confirming the timeshare that exists when both runners are at full strength. Both players are worthy of flex spots in Week 6, even in a timeshare, with Walker being the preferred option for his early-down usage.
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Seahawks' Kenneth Walker: Efficient in dual roles Thursday
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Walker rushed 19 times for 81 yards and secured one of two targets for 29 yards in the Seahawks' 23-20 win over the Cardinals on Thursday night.
The Seahawks welcomed back Zach Charbonnet from a one-game absence due to a foot injury Thursday, but Walker still saw seven more carries than his teammate while equaling his target tally. Walker had a long run of just 21 yards, so he worked hard for his yardage throughout the night and also turned in a chunk gain on his one catch. Walker now has alternated two duds on the ground with a pair of above-average yardage totals, and he's added at least one reception in each game as well. Thursday night's usage seems to indicate Walker might be considered the lead back over Charbonnet heading into a Week 5 home matchup against the Buccaneers on Sunday, Oct. 5.
Walker took 16 carries for 38 yards and a pair of touchdowns while adding one reception for 12 yards in Sunday's 44-13 rout of the Saints.
Walker punched in a pair of short touchdowns early on to help build a 38-6 lead over the Saints at halftime. The 24-year-old has bounced back nicely from a Week 1 dud against San Francisco (10-20-0), generating 143 rushing yards and three touchdowns in the two starts since. The Seahawks were without the services of RB Zach Charbonnet (foot) on Sunday, and a similar situation could unfold in Week 4 with a short practice week on tap ahead of Thursday Night Football. Walker would still generate flex value if Charbonnet is able to suit up against Arizona, but the former would see a huge boost in fantasy value if his backfield mate remains sidelined.
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Seahawks' Kenneth Walker: Set for lead role Sunday
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Walker will be the Seahawks' lead running back Sunday against the Saints with Zach Charbonnet (foot) inactive.
As expected, Charbonnet won't be available for Sunday's contest due to a foot injury that didn't allow him to practice during Week 3 prep. In the first two games of the campaign, Walker and Charbonnet received 27 touches apiece, and considering the Seahawks' other available RBs (George Holani and Jacardia Wright) have combined for zero offensive snaps this season, Walker is in line for a massive workload this weekend. In the only regular-season game Charbonnet has missed in his two-plus years as a pro (Week 7 versus the Cardinals in 2023), Walker racked up 111 yards from scrimmage and no TDs on 28 touches.
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Seahawks' Kenneth Walker: Set for leading role in Week 3
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Walker is in line to be the Seahawks' unquestioned top running back Sunday against the Saints due to Zach Charbonnet (foot) being listed as doubtful for that contest, John Boyle of the team's official site reports.
Charbonnet wasn't able to practice at all during Week 3 prep due to a foot injury, and the aforementioned listing doesn't give him much leeway to be available Sunday. He actually received the greater share of the offensive snaps between the two in Seattle's first two games, but both players sit at 27 touches on the season. Walker has been far more effective with them, accounting for 142 yards from scrimmage and one rushing TD to Charbonnet's 57 yards and one score on the ground. Assuming Charbonnet is deemed inactive ahead of Sunday's 4:05 p.m. ET kickoff, Walker would draw the start, while George Holani (no offensive snaps in 2025) and potentially practice-squad member Jacardia Wright (no NFL snaps to speak of) would be on hand for any RB reps that linger.
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Seahawks' Kenneth Walker III: RBs to Start
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Hopefully, what we saw in Week 2 at Pittsburgh is the Walker we'll get for the rest of the season, when he had 13 carries for 105 yards and a touchdown and one catch for 13 yards on one target. It was much better than Week 1 against San Francisco when he was limited to 10 carries for 20 yards and three catches for 4 yards and got outplayed by Zach Charbonnet. Now, Charbonnet still played more snaps than Walker against the Steelers, which is something to monitor, but both running backs can have success in Week 3 against the Saints. New Orleans is allowing 4.7 yards per carry in two games against the Cardinals and 49ers, and James Conner and Christian McCaffrey each scored at least 14.4 PPR points. Walker should be considered a No. 2 running back in all leagues, and Charbonnet is a flex.
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Seahawks' Kenneth Walker: Outplays Charbonnet in Week 2 win
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Walker rushed 13 times for 105 yards and a touchdown while catching his only target for 13 yards in Sunday's 31-17 win over the Steelers.
Walker was far more effective than Zach Charbonnet, who had just 10 rushing yards on 15 carries. The former put an exclamation point on the win by breaking free for a 19-yard touchdown run with 3:41 left in the fourth quarter. Walker had just 24 scrimmage yards and was outplayed by Charbonnet in Seattle's Week 1 loss to the 49ers, so they will likely continue to operate in a timeshare in Week 3 against the Saints, though the workload distribution could start to tilt in Walker's favor after his strong Week 2 performance.
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Seahawks' Kenneth Walker: Practicing part-time
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Walker has been alternating days on and off the practice field since returning from a minor foot injury last week, Gregg Bell of The News Tribune reports.
Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald said it's all part of a plan to keep Walker healthy, not a product of any setback that might threaten the running back's Week 1 availability. Lower-body injuries have been a near-constant for the 24-year-old since he entered the NFL, although he played 15 regular-season games in both 2022 and 2023 before slumping to just 11 appearances last season. The combination of Walker's durability concerns and Zach Charbonnet's solid work in his absence has led to discussion this summer about how the backfield workload will be split under new offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak.
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Seahawks' Kenneth Walker: Sitting out practice again
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Walker (foot) is missing a third straight practice Monday, Gregg Bell of The Tacoma News Tribune reports.
Walker was healthy for the first eight practices of training camp, having long ago made a full recovery from the ankle injury that ended his 2024 campaign early. He's now bothered by foot soreness, with Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald suggesting this weekend that Walker's injury isn't anything significant or concerning. The bigger immediate concern is chatter about Zach Charbonnet taking more work away from Walker under new offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak, per Brady Henderson of ESPN.com.
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Seahawks' Kenneth Walker: Getting extra rest
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Walker did not suffer an aggravation of his ankle injury and was getting a rest day Saturday, Corbin K. Smith of SI.com reports.
Walker didn't participate in practice Friday or Saturday, but coach Mike Macdonald said that he was just getting some extra rest for a lingering foot injury. The Seahawks have been cautious handling the issue throughout the offseason, but Walker didn't land on the PUP or non-football injury list to begin camp, and the start of his season doesn't appear to be in jeopardy for him.
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Seahawks' Kenneth Walker: Back to 100 percent
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Coach Mike Macdonald said Wednesday that Walker (ankle) was a full practice participant to begin training camp, Brady Henderson of ESPN.com reports. "He looks great. He's in a great spot mentally," Macdonald added. "Awesome to see him do all the things we want him to do from the get-go. I know he's really excited about what's going on. Great first day with Ken."
Walker managed just one appearance (Week 16) over the final five regular-season games of the 2024 campaign due to an ankle injury, which also limited him during the offseason program. Now that he's back to 100 percent, the three-year pro can focus on maintaining a foothold on the No. 1 spot on the running back depth chart for the Seahawks. In the 11 contests in which both he and backup Zach Charbonnet played last year, the former racked up 199 touches to the latter's 67, a breakdown that should remain similar as long as both players are healthy.
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Seahawks' Kenneth Walker: Continues to deal with ankle injury
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Coach Mike Macdonald said Tuesday that Walker has been limited during Seattle's offseason program due to an ankle injury, but the running back "should be fine," Michael-Shawn Dugar of The Athletic reports
Walker tended to an ankle issue down the stretch last season, making just one Week 16 appearance over the final five contests before landing on injured reserve. He's missed 10 total regular-season games over his first three NFL campaigns, but when he's been able to suit up, he's averaged 79.3 yards from scrimmage per game while scoring 26 touchdowns in 41 contests. The Seahawks have OTAs scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday this week and mandatory minicamp on deck next Tuesday, so Walker has a few more chances to mix into drills before training camp in late July. Zach Charbonnet should continue to handle first-team reps for as long as Walker is held out.
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Seahawks' Kenneth Walker: On field for OTAs
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Walker (ankle) is participating in Seattle's voluntary OTAs, per the team's official site.
Walker is pictured among teammates participating in the Seahawks' second week of OTAs, which began Monday. Now healthy and heading into the final year of his rookie deal, Walker's situation in Seattle's backfield remains familiar. If he can avoid the injury bug and stay 100 percent healthy, something Walker has struggled to accomplish through his first three seasons in the NFL, he looks entrenched as the starter ahead of Zach Charbonnet. The arrival of new starting quarterback Sam Darnold could allow this offense to take a step forward in 2025, while new offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak's scheme, which focuses on zone rushes, is an ideal fit for Walker's tough running style and explosiveness. Health remains the most pivotal factor in prognosticating Walker, but if he's able to break the pattern of lower-body injuries hampering him, it won't be surprising if the 2022 second-round pick outperforms his ADP in 2025 fantasy drafts.
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Seahawks' Kenneth Walker: Moves to injured reserve
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The Seahawks placed Walker (ankle) on injured reserve Thursday, John Boyle of the team's official site reports.
Walker already was ruled out for Thursday's game at Chicago due to an ankle injury that he sustained in the second half of this past Sunday's loss to the Vikings, but he'll now be out Week 18 and for any playoff matchups that Seattle would have before the NFC Championship Game, assuming the team qualifies and makes it that far. In the meantime, Zach Charbonnet will pace the Seahawks backfield while Kenny McIntosh backs him up.
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Seahawks' Kenneth Walker: Not playing in Week 17
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Walker (ankle) has been ruled out for Thursday's game at Chicago, Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times reports.
Walker returned from a two-game absence due to a calf injury this past Sunday against the Vikings, but he suffered an ankle issue in the second half and finished Week 16 with 16 touches for 59 yards from scrimmage. Now that the Seahawks have made a decision on his availability for Week 17 action, Walker again will hand off the Seahawks backfield to Zach Charbonnet, who reeled off 259 total yards and three rushing touchdowns on 38 touches when Walker was out Weeks 14 and 15.
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Seahawks' Kenneth Walker: Cleared for return
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Walker (calf) doesn't have an injury designation for Sunday's game against Minnesota, Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times reports.
Walker returned to full practice participation Thursday and now figures to return to his role as Seattle's lead runner, although it's possible he gets less work than usual, given that it's his first game back from a two-week absence in which Zach Charbonnet filled in more than capably. That said, Walker has been the clear top RB whenever healthy this season, sometimes getting more snaps than Charbonnet on passing downs as well.
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Seahawks' Kenneth Walker: Status TBD for Week 16
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Coach Mike Macdonald said Walker (calf) had a good workout Monday, but the running back's status remains in limbo, Michael-Shawn Dugar of The Athletic reports.
Walker has missed back-to-back contests due to a calf injury, and he also hasn't practiced since Wednesday, Dec. 4. Macdonald added, "We'll see," regarding Walker's chances to take the field Wednesday, when the Seahawks are slated for their first session of Week 16 prep. Zach Charbonnet has filled in for Walker during his absence, turning 38 touches into 259 yards from scrimmage and three rushing TDs, and even Kenny McIntosh has gotten some run (12 touches for 54 total yards) over the last two games.
Walker (calf) is inactive for Sunday's game against the Packers.
Walker hasn't practiced since Wednesday, Dec. 4 due to a lingering calf injury, and considering he was listed as doubtful for Week 15 action, his lack of availability Sunday isn't much of a surprise. He'll turn his focus to getting healthy for next Sunday's matchup with the Vikings while yielding No. 1 RB duties to Zach Charbonnet for a second consecutive contest. Charbonnet netted 193 yards from scrimmage and two rushing TDs on 29 touches in Week 14 at Arizona, and Kenny McIntosh even tallied nine touches for 45 total yards in reserve.
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Seahawks' Kenneth Walker: Listed as doubtful for Sunday
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Coach Mike Macdonald said Friday that Walker "hasn't practiced yet (this week), so we listed him as doubtful" for Sunday night's game against the Packers, John Boyle of the Seahawks' official site reports.
Such a listing indicates Walker is more likely than not to miss a second consecutive contest, but Macdonald noted that the third-year running back has made some progress in his recovery, indicating he may be able to return Week 16 against the Vikings if he's inactive again this weekend. Zach Charbonnet thus appears slated to headline Seattle's backfield in Walker's place Sunday, which resulted in 29 touches for 193 yards from scrimmage and two rushing TDs in a Week 14 win at Arizona.
