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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 →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.
Why the Seahawks paid Derick Hall: inside the $42 million bet on their Super Bowl standout
Seattle let Boye Mafe walk and Kenneth Walker III sign elsewhere, but the champions drew a line at Derick Hall, locking up the edge rusher on a three-year, $42 million extension.
The Chiefs paid $43 million for Kenneth Walker to fix the one thing they've never had under Mahomes: a feature back
Kansas City hasn't had a 1,000-yard rusher since 2017. The Super Bowl LX MVP signed in March to change that, and he picked the Chiefs for a simple reason: 'He's the best quarterback in the league.'
100 days to kickoff: the MVP picks, breakout sophomores, and injury timelines that will define 2026
The season opens September 9 with a Super Bowl LX rematch. Here's the state of the league at the 100-day mark, from Mahomes' comeback to the moves that just reshaped three contenders.
AFC offseason grades: who reloaded, who reached, and who is still figuring it out
Houston added two starters on the cheap. Pittsburgh chased Aaron Rodgers. The Titans drafted Cam Ward. We rank the AFC's offseasons by who pulled off the most of what they needed.
