Kenneth Walker III is 18th in the NFL in carries and narrowly within the top 20 in rushing yards (606), but the Seattle Seahawks are closer to turning him loose.
Walker played 51% of the offensive snaps in a 21-19 loss to the Rams on Sunday with Zach Charbonnet working in behind him. But he’s about to get the ball a lot more.
“I think you really felt Ken,” Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald said. “And just, even in the pass game, too, on check-downs, finding him late in the play. Just shows you that he’s such an explosive player with the ball in his hands.
“And he knows there’s things that he needs to clean up in his game, too. And he’s done a great job doing that. And we’ll continue to do that. But I think Ken’s showing that he deserves more opportunities.”
Those opportunities are picking up at the right time for projected production.
Walker faces the 26th-ranked Titans’ run defense on Sunday and three of the bottom 11 against the run in Seattle’s next three games. The Seahawks play the Vikings (22nd, 127 rushing yards per game) and Falcons (28th, 138.5 rushing yards per game) after a visit to Nashville this weekend.
Walker had 19 touches (three receptions) in the loss at Los Angeles but Macdonald’s review pointed to a takeaway about resetting the pecking order in the backfield.
Walker leads the Seahawks with 136 carries for 606 yards. He has four touchdowns to Charbonnet’s six (105 carries for 350 yards).
