Injuries have been a problem for Seattle Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker throughout his career.
Walker only missed four games combined over his first two seasons in the NFL, but he did play a lot of games at less than 100% in that span.
Injury finally caught up to Walker in 2024, as the former second-round pick missed a total of six games, the most of his career. His biggest issues were calf and ankle injuries.
Coming off a down season that was plagued by injury, Walker is entering a crucial year for his career, as it’s the final year of his rookie deal.
Unfortunately, things are off to an ominous start for the Michigan State product.
Gregg Bell of The News Tribune reports Walker was limited at minicamp this week because of an ankle injury, and it was the same story at the team’s OTAS.
Head coach Mike Macdonald characterized the ankle issue as “minor.”
Kenneth Walker III injury update
“That run game had lead back Kenneth Walker running springs on a side field with a trainer instead of with the offense in OTAs and minicamp,” Bell said. “Macdonald said Walker has a minor ankle issue. Walker did participate in run-fit drills walking through them with the starting offensive line each practice.”
While we normally wouldn’t have much concern over a minor ankle injury in June, this is still troubling news for Walker, who has a history of ankle issues. If not for that, we wouldn’t even blink at Bell’s report.
There is no doubt that Walker is a difference-maker, but it’s clear his game takes a hit when he isn’t at 100%, which has been a far-too-common occurrence.
Along with his injury issues, Walker’s contract has also led many to believe that he could be traded at some point this year. Walker would have to go nuts in 2025 for Seattle to even consider extending him, which means he could leave for nothing next offseason.
The Seahawks are in decent shape if they decide to part with Walker via trade. Zach Charbonnet shined in Walker’s absence last season, and we saw some flashes from former seventh-round pick Kenny McIntosh in limited opportunities.
Right now, Walker’s stock is pretty low, so it makes sense to hold on to him and see if he can improve that by the trade deadline. From there, Seattle can assess it’s playoff chances, and if those chances are good, they will likely hold on to the talented running back.
However, if Seattle is not having a good season and their playoff chances are slim, it makes all the sense in the world to trade Walker before he possibly departs in 2026.
