​Kenneth Walker III’s stats in 2026 prove Seahawks’ big loss is Chiefs’ bigger gain originally appeared on The Sporting News.
Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.Kenneth Walker III made the right decision in 2026 NFL free agency, cashing in on his status as Super Bowl 60 MVP for the Seattle Seahawks to agree on a 3-year, $43 million contract with the Kansas City Chiefs. No one could imagine just how valuable that signing would be through six weeks of the regular season.Walker, despite playing only five games with the 5-0 Chiefs having a bye in Week 5, leads the NFL with 665 rushing yards. He is also No. 1 in average yards per carry (6.3) and average yards per game (133). He has six rushing touchdowns, scoring twice in both the recent AFC West wins over the Raiders and Chargers.Walker is getting limited NFL MVP buzz as a running back, but he’s the easy odds-on favorite to win Offensive Player of the Year. His 17-game pace is set at 2,261 rushing yards and 20 rushing TDs.With those 665 yards, Walker has more rushing yards than the Seahawks as a whole (643) over six games. Seattle will get plenty of reminders of that firsthand when it hosts Kansas City in Week 7’s big Sunday night game (8:20 p.m. ET, NBC and Peacock).WEEK 7 NFL PREDICTIONS: Against the spread | Straight upThe Seahawks did their best to keep Walker before he walked for a better price. It was evident they regretted that decision when they used a surprise late first-round draft pick on replacement rookie running back Jadarian Price. Seattle has missed Walker plenty, but Kansas City is also getting a lot more out of him while paying him workhorse money. Here’s breaking down how the Seahawks’ big personnel loss was a monumental addition for the Chiefs.MORE:SN’s latest NFL power rankings for Week 7 Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images Kenneth Walker III has made the Chiefs’ rushing attack a lot more productive than the Seahawks’Rushing offense2025 ranking2026 rankingChiefsNo. 25 (105.6 yards per game)No. 2 (159.2 yards per game)SeahawksNo. 11 (123.3 yards per game)No. 18 (107.2 yards per game)Let’s start with the basics. Kansas City has done a 180 with the running game with Walker, going from one of the league’s worst rushing attacks to second-best. That’s a dramatic change, taking a lot of pressure off Patrick Mahomes and better facilitating the downfield passing game.Meanwhile, the Seahawks aren’t quite as productive as last season with Walker as they battle injuries this season. Unfortunately, Price played only three games before landing on injured reserve with a chest ailment. Veteran Zach Charbonnet has needed extra time to return from his major knee injury from the playoffs, with a chance to debut in Week 7.There have been some productive flashes from Emanuel Wilson, the former Packers’ top backup to Josh Jacobs, but the consistency isn’t there. Overall, without Walker and with no Charbonnet, the Seahawks have seen a notable drop-off.