Former Seattle Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker III will return to Lumen Field on Sunday for the first time since joining the Kansas City Chiefs this past offseason.
Walker won Super Bowl MVP with the Seahawks last season before signing a three-year, $43.05 million deal with the Chiefs, and he's been the best rusher in the league through six weeks. The former Seahawks second-round pick leads the NFL with 665 rushing yards and six touchdowns on 106 carries.
“He’s off to a tremendous start,” Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald said on Wednesday. “The stats back it up; tape definitely backs it up. He’s playing great football.”
The Seahawks are allowing 3.9 yards per carry this season, which ranks 15th in the NFL. Walker alone is averaging 6.3 yards per carry. Something will have to give on Sunday night when the two sides clash.
Macdonald was asked about his thoughts on facing his former running back, particularly on how they hope to stop Walker.
“I love Ken. I thoroughly enjoyed him being on our football team,” Macdonald said. “We’ve had some great one-on-one [conversations]; I feel like we have a great relationship. I respect the heck out of him. Happy for him. Obviously, we have to do a great job of stopping him this week. I think there’s mixed emotions in terms of, like, you’re happy for him, but also, hey, we’re trying to figure out ways to stop this guy, too, because he’s playing at a really high level.”
The Athletic's Michael-Shawn Dugar reported on Wednesday that the Seahawks did not make an offer to Walker before free agency began. He then quickly signed with the Chiefs once the negotiating window opened. It appears Seattle didn't aggressively pursue him, maybe expecting to have more leverage.
Macdonald was asked if he wished things had worked out differently. As expected, he wasn't dwelling on it, as the Seahawks are focused on learning how to stop him.
“We appreciate the heck out of him,” Macdonald said. “He got a Super Bowl MVP, helped us win a championship. These things happen, you know? We have to move forward now, but got nothing but great things and great memories of Ken.”
The Chiefs are currently 5-0 and setting up for yet another postseason run if their success continues. Seattle, on the other hand, is hoping to avoid dropping to 3-4 after losing three of its last four games.
— Enjoy free coverage of the Super Bowl champions from Seattle Seahawks On SI —
Sign Up For the Seahawks Daily Digest - OnSI’s Free Seattle Seahawks Newsletter
Add us as a preferred source on Google