Mike Macdonald didn’t try to downplay what Kenneth Walker III has become in Kansas City. If anything, the Seahawks coach sounded like someone who knows exactly what Seattle let slip away.
With Sunday night’s 5-0 Chiefs-3-3 Seahawks matchup set for Lumen Field, Walker is the storyline hanging over the game. The running back is coming back to face the team that allowed him to reach free agency earlier this year, and he’s doing it as one of the most productive players in football.
Macdonald got a close look at Walker last February, when he went off for 135 yards on 27 carries and added two catches for 26 yards in Seattle’s Super Bowl LX win over the New England Patriots. On Thursday, during an appearance on SiriusXM NFL Radio, Macdonald was asked about Walker’s first five games with the Chiefs, and he didn’t sound shocked by the explosion.
"Ken’s playing really great football," Macdonald acknowledged, per Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk. "I think it’s a combination of, you see the stats, and you’re like, man, that’s a lot of stats.
And then you turn the tape on and see how they’re playing and how he’s playing, and you’re like, 'That makes sense. No one has tackled this guy yet.'"
The numbers back up the feeling. As shared by StatMuse, Walker enters the weekend leading the NFL with 152 yards from scrimmage per game. Smith also noted in another piece that Walker is on pace to threaten league records for rushing yards and yards from scrimmage in a single season.
There’s also the business side of the move, and it helps explain why this one has some extra bite. A Friday report said Seattle chose not to use the franchise tag on Walker in February because "the $14.3M cost was clearly prohibitive in their eyes." That same report said the Seahawks "were only willing to go as high as roughly $10M per season to re-sign [Walker] in March."
Walker ended up signing a three-year deal with the Chiefs that reportedly could be worth as much as $45M.
Macdonald made it clear this isn’t some fluky hot streak. He pointed to the same traits Seattle knew well and Kansas City is now featuring more fully.
"It’s the things we knew about Ken, that he does really well," Macdonald continued during the segment. "He’s so strong, he’s decisive, he’s got great vision.
He’s also come alive in the pass game. They’re doing a great job with him.
He’s playing probably at the highest level in the league right now."
Walker, for his part, wouldn’t say earlier this week whether revenge is on his mind for Sunday. After the game, though, that question figures to be unavoidable.
In Other News...
Seahawks Suddenly Have A Zach Charbonnet Problem Before Chiefs Game
The Seahawks are heading into their Week 7 matchup with the Chiefs without Zach Charbonnet, who has already been activated off the physically unable to perform list but remains in rehab and not ready to suit up. Seattle also ruled out linebackers Drake Thomas and Chazz Surratt, along with defensive back Nick Emmanwori, leaving the roster thinner than the team would like as it prepares for one of its tougher tests of the early season.
Charbonnets situation is the one that stands out most because Seattle went through the trouble of making roster moves to keep him eligible later in the year. For now, though, the team has to proceed without the running back it had hoped might be closer to a return, and the injury list adds another wrinkle as the Seahawks try to navigate a game where depth could matter just as much as the headline names on the field. [Read more 🡒]
Seahawks Need These Surprise Contributors To Challenge The Unbeaten Chiefs
A Sunday night test against the unbeaten Chiefs gives the Seahawks a chance to measure how much depth and versatility they really have. With Kansas City coming in without a loss, Seattle will need more than its stars to make this one competitive, and a few unexpected names could shape how the game unfolds. Cooper Kupp, Ty Okada and Trevon Diggs are among the players who may wind up carrying more weight than usual in a matchup that demands sharp execution in every phase.
Seattle also has a familiar source of motivation in former player Kenneth Walker III, whose presence adds another layer to a game already loaded with stakes. The Seahawks know they are facing a team that has set the standard for the league, and this is the kind of night where role players can swing the balance if they rise to the moment. Whether those surprise contributors can actually tilt things in Seattles favor will be one of the more interesting subplots when the Chiefs arrive. [Read more 🡒]
Why Seahawks Let Kenneth Walker Walk Looks Even Tougher Now
When the Seahawks decided not to bring back Kenneth Walker III, the explanation centered on availability and durability. Seattle moved on instead of extending a back whose bursts and explosiveness had long made him one of the more dangerous players in the offense, and Walker eventually landed a three-year deal with the Kansas City Chiefs.
Now the decision looks a lot harder to defend. Walker is leading the NFL in rushing yards and touchdowns in 2026, a reminder of the kind of playmaker Seattle let leave, while the Seahawks are still sorting out their own backfield with Zach Charbonnet just coming off the physically unable to perform list. For a team that wanted more certainty, the contrast has only gotten sharper. [Read more 🡒]