Former Seahawks lead back now in Kansas City as part of the post-Mahomes-injury offensive reset.
Kenneth Walker III spent four seasons as Seattle's primary running back before signing with Kansas City in March 2026 to replace Isiah Pacheco. The Chiefs' offense needs a powerful interior runner to take pressure off a recovering Patrick Mahomes, and Walker's tackle-breaking style is the fit.
Path to the league
Michigan State Doak Walker Award winner in 2021 after transferring from Wake Forest. Seahawks took him 41st overall in 2022. Won the rookie starting job by Week 5 and finished with 1,050 yards and nine TDs.
Career highlights
2022 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year finalist. 2021 Doak Walker Award. 2021 unanimous All-American. 4,000-plus career rushing yards. Holds Seattle franchise records for most missed tackles forced by a RB on rookie contract.
2025 season recap
905 rushing yards on 222 carries (4.1 ypc), 7 TDs. Seattle won the NFC West and Super Bowl LX but Walker's role decreased as the season went on. He signed a three-year, $24 million deal with Kansas City in free agency to be the lead back behind a Mahomes-led offense.
Sources
- Wikipedia: Kenneth Walker III
- Pro Football Reference: Kenneth Walker III
Statistics
2025 season and career2025 Season · Rushing
17 games played▶Rushing · career
| Year | Team | GP | CAR | YDS | AVG | TD | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | chiefs | 3 | 65 | 360 | 5.5 | 2 | 60 |
| 2025 | seahawks | 17 | 221 | 1,027 | 4.6 | 5 | 55 |
| 2024 | seahawks | 12 | 153 | 573 | 3.7 | 7 | 28 |
| 2023 | seahawks | 15 | 219 | 905 | 4.1 | 8 | 45 |
| 2022 | seahawks | 15 | 228 | 1,050 | 4.6 | 9 | 74 |
▶Receiving · career
| Year | Team | GP | REC | YDS | AVG | TD | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | chiefs | 3 | 11 | 82 | 7.5 | 2 | 22 |
| 2025 | seahawks | 17 | 31 | 282 | 9.1 | 0 | 46 |
| 2024 | seahawks | 12 | 46 | 299 | 6.5 | 1 | 21 |
| 2023 | seahawks | 15 | 29 | 259 | 8.9 | 1 | 64 |
| 2022 | seahawks | 15 | 27 | 165 | 6.1 | 0 | 33 |
Player Profile
Background
- Position
- Running Back
- Group
- offense
- College
- Michigan State
- Hometown
- Arlington, TN, USA
- Age
- 25
- Status
- active
Latest news about Kenneth Walker III
All news →Chiefs Beat Dolphins 24-10 in Week 3
Kansas City Chiefs 24, Miami Dolphins 10 at Hard Rock Stadium. Patrick Mahomes went 20 of 24 for 246 yards with 2 touchdowns and 1 interception.
Chiefs Edge Colts 33-30 in Week 2
Kansas City Chiefs 33, Indianapolis Colts 30 at Arrowhead Stadium. Patrick Mahomes went 32 of 47 for 382 yards with 3 touchdowns.
AI Predicts Every Week 2 Game of the 2026 NFL Season
After an 11-of-16 opening week, the model picks all 16 Week 2 games, from Thursday's Lions-Bills shootout at the new Highmark Stadium to the Giants at a Rams team that just lost Myles Garrett for a month.
Chiefs Rout Broncos 31-10 in Week 1
Kansas City Chiefs 31, Denver Broncos 10 at Arrowhead Stadium. Patrick Mahomes went 15 of 27 for 184 yards with 2 touchdowns and 1 interception.
Vinod Khosla group agrees to buy Seahawks for a reported $9.6 billion, a record NFL sale
The venture capitalist would take over a reigning-era contender fresh off a Super Bowl LX title, pending an owner vote scheduled for late August.
Patrick Mahomes Breaks the $500M Barrier as Chiefs Lock Him Up Through 2033
Kansas City added two years to its quarterback's contract on Wednesday, pushing the total value to $504.75 million and making it the first deal in NFL history to clear half a billion dollars.
