Chiefs Star Running Back Is Outrushing His Old Team So Far

The Kansas City Chiefs took a lot of criticism for signing running back Kenneth Walker III to a big free agent deal, and part of the thought process behind that was that the Seattle Seahawks were allowing Walker to walk at just the right time. They had running back Zach Charbonnet waiting to step in and make big plays, and they drafted Jadarian Price out of Notre Dame to replace some of Walker’s formidable production. 

Except it hasn’t worked out that way. Walker has single-handedly outrushed his old team so far, even though the Seahawks have played five games and the Chiefs just four. The numbers are stark: Walker has 87 carries for 537 yards in four games, while Seattle has 530 yards on 139 carries in five games.

As Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk noted, the Seahawks could have used a good running back in Sunday’s loss to the San Francisco 49ers. 

Price is currently on injured reserve due to a chest injury, but he was only averaging 39.7 yards a game in the three games he played in, while Walker is leading the league at 134.3 yards per game. Walker has also been one of the best playmakers in the league, and he’s in the conversation for MVP based on the early returns. 

His injury left Seattle with Emanuel Wilson and George Holani at running back, and they combined for 24 carries for 68 yards for an average of just 2.8 yards per carry. 

It’s too early to say the Seahawks regret letting Walker go, but it may come to that. Teams that win the Super Bowl have to make some tough decisions when it comes to who gets signed and who doesn’t, and Seattle was no exception this past offseason. 

For the Chiefs, though, Walker was the perfect fit. Coach Andy Reid saw linebackers and safeties dropping into coverage and not respecting the play action game, and he identified Walker as the solution. 

Moreoever, the Chiefs made multiple moves with their available cap space to make the signing happen. The only one they didn’t make was restructuring the contract of defensive tackle Chris Jones, and that’s the move the Chiefs may regret not making. 

Meanwhile, Walker continues to make plays, and the Chiefs have four wins in the bank. More importantly, they’ve found a winning formula that doesn’t involve quarterback Patrick Mahomes having to shoulder the entire load on offense, and that might be the most significant outcome from this change so far.