Mike Vorel: Chiefs' Kenneth Walker III leads NFL in rushing, but Seahawks made right call

SEATTLE — “The Seahawks should have paid Kenneth Walker III.”

Given everything, that’s an easy take to make.

Given Walker’s sizzling start in Kansas City — where the 25-year-old leads the NFL in rushing yards (537), rushing yards per game (134.3) and yards per carry (6.2) for the 4-0 Chiefs. Given the chest injury and fumbled first impression for Seahawks rookie first-rounder Jadarian Price, who was picked to replace him. Given the Seahawks’ workout with free agent Joe Mixon and signing of undrafted rookie Robert Henry Jr., an emergency reinforcement for a depleted room. Given the relative underperformance of wide receiver Rashid Shaheed, who the Seahawks paid while Walker walked.

All of it points down a path the Seahawks declined to take.

So, why am I still unconvinced that general manager John Schneider made a mistake?

Because preserving a Super Bowl core is bigger than a player (or a paragraph). Rather than paying Walker, the Seahawks made wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba and cornerback Devon Witherspoon the highest-paid players at their positions. They awarded defensive tackle, undisputed leader and culture setter Leonard Williams a three-year, $90 million extension as well. They prioritized Shaheed, which does more than bolster wide-receiver depth. It exemplifies a continued commitment to special teams, a separator in Seattle’s Super Bowl run.

These aren’t one-month, or one-player, decisions. They’re multi-season decisions, the success or failure of which can’t be determined by a four-game sample size.

Of course, it’s tempting to make the easy take, when the Seahawks have a glaring hole where Walker once was. Without Price (who will miss a minimum of three more games on injured reserve) and Zach Charbonnet (who’s creeping closer to a return), Emanuel Wilson and George Holani are unconvincing options. The Seahawks sit 13th in rush yards per game (110.3) and 19th in yards per carry (3.9), with concerning cracks in short yardage and on the goal line. Henry, an undrafted rookie free agent signed off the Commanders practice squad, feels more like a flyer than a miracle cure.

Meanwhile, Walker hasn’t missed a step in Kansas City. On Sunday the reigning Super Bowl MVP exploded around the right edge for a 76-yard gain. In a 30-27 win over the rival Las Vegas Raiders, he stockpiled 177 rushing yards with eight yards per carry and two touchdowns, leaving attempted tacklers strewn on the turf.

After which, quarterback Patrick Mahomes said of Kansas City’s 20 fourth-quarter points: “The offense isn’t doing what we want [early], but we’re continuing to stay with the process of the game plan, and eventually we will get through. When you have a guy like Kenneth and you get through, that’s not just a 20-yard run. That’s a 70-yard run.”

That’s the problem. Without Walker and (for the time being) Price, the Seahawks don’t have anyone who can flip a 20-yard run into a 70-yard run. They have helpful hitters who can spray singles, but won’t bang a hanging breaking ball off the batter’s eye. They have backs that can follow blocks and break a tackle or two. They have placeholders, not difference-makers.

Which could be a concern Sunday when the 3-1 Seahawks welcome an undefeated 49ers defense that ranks third in the NFL in opponent yards per play (4.8) and tied for eighth in opponent yards per carry (3.7).

It’s a problem for the Seahawks to solve.

It’s also, probably, temporary. Because Charbonnet — who has 1,761 rushing yards, 4.1 yards per carry and 22 touchdowns in three NFL seasons — will likely be back sooner than later. And though Price's return timeline is murky and his ball security must be improved, I still believe in his long-term prospects. I believe in the 5-foot-11, 209-pound rookie’s explosiveness, as evidenced by three kick-return touchdowns at Notre Dame. I believe in his ability to break tackles and beat defenders to the edge. I believe in his fit in the Seahawks’ wide-zone scheme. I believe in the mental fortitude of a 22-year-old who watched his mother beat breast cancer and decided to stay at Notre Dame despite the emergence of teammate Jeremiyah Love.

“I’ll just say this: he’s a tough son of a gun,” Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald said Monday of Price on 710 AM Seattle Sports. “And mentally, for a young player he’s handling everything really well. I’m really impressed on how he’s dealt with the injury and the adversity and things like that. It just makes me trust him even more.”

Besides, it’s worth considering if Walker wanted to be here. In 2024, the 5-foot-9, 211-pounder missed six games because of calf, ankle and oblique injuries. He was limited for much of the following training camp as well. So from a team standpoint, the 25-year-old’s time share with Charbonnet last season made sense.

By splitting carries, the Seahawks helped Walker — one of their most dynamic weapons — remain healthy for a postseason run. He responded with 417 total yards, 4.8 yards per carry and four touchdowns in three playoff wins, powering the Seahawks to a Super Bowl.

But when asked by NBC Sports’ Mike Florio last offseason when he knew he wouldn’t return to Seattle, Walker said: "I would say, if I'm being honest, sometime during the season. Things didn't work out how I expected, and that's all right because it worked out for the team."

The Seahawks could have dangled the three-year, $43.05 million deal Walker received from Kansas City. They could have kept him for a season via a franchise tag and a $14.29 million salary. Instead, they prioritized the whole — the team. And for Walker, things worked out.

Maybe Walker can be the bell cow. Maybe he’s headed for a historic season. But he’s on pace for 370 carries, 142 more than he received in any single season in Seattle. That would be more carries than any running back has received since 252-pound Hummer Derrick Henry in 2020.

Which makes me wonder if his extreme usage is sustainable, if this fireworks show can make it five months. It’s more important to be fresh in February than to peak in October and fade down the stretch.

For now, it’s fair to question whether the Seahawks should have paid Walker. But I’m not sure that’ll be the easy take by season’s end.

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