After a rough season opener, Seattle Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker III has looked solid the past three weeks, turning up the heat on the ground. However, the Seattle running back has been a non-factor through two quarters against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 5.
What Happened to Seattle Seahawks RB Kenneth Walker III?
No, Walker is not hurt; the Seattle running back is off to a slow start against a stout Tampa Bay defensive front. The Buccaneers came into the game allowing less than three yards per carry to opposing backs. While Walker is averaging five yards per carry in the first half, that essentially was carried by a 14-yard run.
He was also on the wrong end of a trick play, as rookie quarterback Jalen Milroe received a direct snap and overshot Walker with the pitch. The Buccaneers recovered the ball to add to the Seahawks’ early woes.
Oof… bad pitch by Jalen Milroe, who is officially credited with a fumble #Seahawks pic.twitter.com/sYr1fsvS8B
— Kole Musgrove (@KoleMusgrove23) October 5, 2025
Despite a touchdown drive heading into halftime, the Seahawks will need to make some adjustments. They’ve struggled offensively against the Buccaneers. That will include finding a way to give Walker the space he’s found over the last three weeks.
Walker’s woes from 2024 continued in Week 1 as he could only muster up 20 yards on 10 carries against the San Francisco 49ers. However, he finally found some room to run against the Pittsburgh Steelers, galloping for 105 yards and a touchdown on 13 carries, helping propel Seattle to a win.
While not doing nearly as much damage in Week 3, rushing for 38 yards on 16 carries, two of those touches went for touchdowns as the Seahawks cruised to a 44-13 win over the New Orleans Saints.
According to PFSN’s Kyle Soppe, it’s clear that Walker is the way forward for Seattle, saying, “There is no denying that Walker is the upside play in this backfield over Zach Charbonnet. There’s not much debate about that, but he’s also the running back most likely to put the Seahawks behind the chains, and that is where this gets complicated.
“With Darnold playing at a high level, Walker feels poised to expose a thinly spread defense in a big way sooner than later,” Soppe continued. If the Seahawks can come out firing in the second half, they can crawl back into this game, but that will rely on their playmakers to start lighting it up.