Kenneth Walker III’s roller-coaster season is about to ramp up.
The Seattle Seahawks' leading rusher will shoulder a bigger role in the NFC Championship Game against the Los Angeles Rams after Zach Charbonnet suffered a season-ending ACL injury.
Walker has been up and down this season. Week 18 rolling into the Divisional Round marked the first time since Weeks 4 and 5 that the running back had generated back-to-back games of 80-plus rushing yards.
Walker led the Seahawks with 1,027 rushing yards in 2025, ranking 16th in the NFL. In 17 regular-season games, he earned two over the 100-yard mark (Weeks 2 and 16) and had nine games of 65-plus yards. However, he also generated six tilts of 45 or fewer yards, with three games under 30 yards rushing.
Coach Mike Macdonald pointed out this week that Walker enters the NFC title game on an upswing.
"I know he was working through his foot over the course of the offseason. That was frustrating for him because of the amount of work that he was putting in," Macdonald said earlier this week, via ESPN. "Hopefully he realizes the dividends that's paid, that work he put in to really get himself in a good spot up to this point. I've seen a guy that's gotten better through the season. You can't say that about all runners, so that's a tribute to him and how he's taken I have taken care of his body."
Over the past four games, including playoffs, Walker has netted 364 rushing yards, with three tilts of 97-plus yards.
After squeaking by the Colts in Week 15, Seattle has leaned on the ground game. The Seahawks have had 160-plus rush yards in each of their last four games, including playoffs -- 171 in Week 16, 163 in Week 17, 180 in Week 18, 175 in the Divisional Round -- tied for the second-longest such streak in Seattle history (longest: five straight games in 2018).
"I think Ken has done a heck of a job," Macdonald said. "I think you're seeing the results in the past X amount of weeks now of ... stacking all those reps. I thought this was the most decisive he's ran up to this point, and as expected, you just keep getting better and keep finding ways to improve, especially in the run game. He's done a great job."
With Charbonnet done for the season, the Seahawks lose their Hulk out of the backfield. Charbonnet was responsible for a team-leading 12 rushing TDs and was counted on in short-yardage and red zone plays.
In Saturday’s demolition of the San Francisco 49ers, the Seahawks relied on Walker following Charbonnet’s injury. With the season on the line, expect that to be the case again Sunday versus L.A. In short-yardage situations, the Seahawks could go to tight end AJ Barner on the push play more regularly. They have Velus Jones and Cam Akers on the practice squad, with George Holani eligible to come off of injured reserve, as backup options if Walker needs a rest, but Sunday should be Walker’s show.
Walker led Seattle with 164 scrimmage yards in the Week 16 overtime win over the Rams (second-most scrimmage yards in a game in his career) and has generated more than 100 scrimmage yards in each of his last three tilts versus L.A.
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