I understand the injury concern that comes with a much higher running volume than K9 has ever been given before. I understand that this concern is underscored by the fact that he's dealt with various injuries throughout his career. However, I don't agree that K9 should have considered staying with the Seahawks because of these factors. Even if we paid him the same contract as KC (which JS wouldn't), he still should go to the great team that wants to give him the ball instead of the great team that wants him to share carries. He is one of the most talented RBs the NFL has seen this decade and he's not yet gotten the opportunity to put his name in the record books. He chose to be a professional RB in the NFL. Shoot your shot, injuries be damned.
If I were Kenneth Walker -- and this is an imaginative stretch well beyond my proper reach -- and you gave me the option to run the ball 400 times and win the Super Bowl on two teams in a row....yeah, I'd take that. Prove how good I am for one brilliant season. Nobody expects RBs to have long careers, so why not.
So he's gone from Sam Darnold to Patrick Mahomes. From a good QB to a great one. He's gone from the best NFC defense to the best AFC defense (or, at least, one of the top, on both sides of that equation).
If I were a betting fellow, and I'm assuredly not, I'd take the proposition that Walker is more likely to repeat as Super Bowl champion than the Seahawks are. Because even if he gets hurt, there's still Patrick Mahomes.
Ultimately you're putting it to us, do the Chiefs have a better chance to win a Super Bowl than the Seahawks?
I'd say no. If for no other reason than the AFC playoff field being harder than the NFC playoff field. It's possible Seattle's only hurdle in the playoffs, if they get there, is beating the 49ers in Santa Clara.
In the AFC, you've got the Jaguars, the Bills, the Broncos, the AFC North, the Texans if they keep climbing back, the Patriots...
I think Kenneth Walker went to a harder situation to win the Super Bowl. And would I have said that a month ago? Probably not. I'm just going off of what I've seen this season. The NFC looks like trash all of a sudden.
Kansas City handled themselves against the Broncos in Week 1. I think they've been mediocre since then. Six of their next eight games are on the road. I'm going to put them around 11-6. If they win the division, 3 seed or 4 seed. If the Broncos win the division, 6 seed. First round, they could be playing Denver, Jacksonville, Baltimore, New England...someone with a good defense perhaps.
I'd be a fool to argue that Mahomes/Reid couldn't be the best playoff duo in the last 40 years history behind Brady/Belichick. So I have to say that.
But all things being equal and not talking history, the Chiefs look second-rounded ousted-ish to me. Walker carrying the ball for the 350th time when Kansas City is in the playoffs, I have a hard time with that.
Doesn't mean he shouldn't have gone to the Chiefs. He's got to feel great about that, especially now. Do I think the Chiefs have a better Super Bowl chance than the Seahawks? If the Chiefs were in the NFC maybe. In the AFC, I think the Chiefs are riding high off of playing an easy schedule. The schedule gets a lot harder now.
Shades of the Super Bowl Patriots and their paltry strength of schedule, collapsed like a wet noodle against the MOB:
The Chiefs have played the #31 schedule so far, .300. You can argue that since they've beaten their opponents, they'll naturally have a soft SOS and yes the 6-0 Niners are at #30 and the 5-0 Vikings at #28. But the 4-2 Broncos are at a tough #7 and the 4-2 Pats at #8. Seattle at #19, Rams at #4. Meaning, in addition to the weak running defenses SSJ is so aptly pointing out (awesome work dude!) the Chiefs opponents just haven't been very good.
and i'll add that when the seahawks started 3-0 in 2024, I held my ground that they still were not a good team. no bias, i have always held firm to opponents matter.
if the seahawks just hold onto the ball and maybe score 2 touchdown drives, i believe they'll win. i don't even think the chiefs could go 70 yards on this defense, so if you don't give them a short field, it'll be fine.
re-eh-eally? interesting. i thought it wasn't that obvious that seattle is a better team. if the seahawks don't keep giving the ball away, they'll be golden.
Unfortunately for K9, he’s an IR stint waiting to happen. He’s not cut out to be a bell cow work horse RB1. I’m glad he made it to week 7 and we can compete against him. I hope he makes it to play against the Rams and 49ers, but I would not expect it. He made it clear how disappointed he was sharing RB1 time in Seattle. KC is willing to role the dice and bet he can stay healthy for a full season and the playoffs. I have no issue with taking a pass on a player who was seeking 25+ touches a game who has had past issues playing healthy for a full season.
"The TNT asked Walker in San Jose, California, during Super Bowl week this month how he handled the 2025 season having the job share with Charbonnet in his contract year. “How would you feel?” Walker said."
Washington Post shared similar sentiment from Walker's side in September:
Dugar said this on Puck Sports podcast this morning as well. I think it was pretty clear he wanted full RB1, and I think it was pretty clear JS wants RB1 shared to prolong/preserve RBs for the entire season.
Great info thanks! What a quote that is. Wow. I would feel pretty good about getting less hits K9!
I still just wonder if really what we are talking about here is money. Walker may believe that splitting carries holds back his earning potential, therefore he wants to be the bellcow to make more money.
Would Walker have stayed if the Seahawks offered him $15M a year?
Maybe he did just want to be a bellcow. I don't know. But taking half the touches and half the hits at the same price to extend your career seems like a good selling point.
I tend to think the Seahawks didn't want to pay him what he felt like he was worth ... and K9 felt that disconnect was due to lack of touches/stats.
If you are a professional RB with the level of talent that K9 has, don't you want to take your shot at setting records, winning awards, getting to the hall of fame. There's a lot of luck with injuries. Certainly every time you run a play is a new opportunity to get hurt, but it's also an opportunity to be great. He's too good at what he does to not roll those dice.
No doubt itwas holding back the Seahawks from offering more than the Chiefs. I think Henderson said at some point the Hawks were in the 11 million range prior to the Super Bowl last year which was not acceptable to Walker. After the Super Bowl it was not possible to come to an agreement on money or how he would be used.
There’s a lot of season left 18 weeks and it’s only week 6 that just finished. Getting 2000 yards and being on IR. For the playoffs is a waste of time.
the answer as to why he's not banged up may be in-between the lines of my research too. how many times does K9 get tackled to end a run when he's always running around the defense? he's not being asked to bang helmets inside that often. if it's just a marathon, i don't doubt he can't last the distance.
but the moments will come where he needs to try to run through somebody for a first down and maybe it'll be one too many of those. i hope not!
I guess that’s just good scheming to protect him as much as possible. It’s inevitable that a RB will be required to ‘bang helmets’ at some stage though.
i don't even really credit coaches. walker just has elite lateral speed and agility, he's faster than most people to the out of bounds, he's an elite athlete in a compact body who is muscled up like a hamster. conversely, derrick henry is rocked up and able to withstand banging helmets. just different guys built differently who can do the same job at a high level in different ways. you wouldn't reverse their roles. henry would be the worst RB in the league in outside zone.
i was never that worried about walker's injuries really. i just think naturally this job isn't meant to be done 300 times per season. consistently those guys get really injured the next year. to put walker in a position where he's on pace for 340 carries, it's not reasonable. if the chiefs are in the super bowl is he supposed to carry it 400 times? 2x his career-high? i can't believe it, no matter the scheme.
I understand the injury concern that comes with a much higher running volume than K9 has ever been given before. I understand that this concern is underscored by the fact that he's dealt with various injuries throughout his career. However, I don't agree that K9 should have considered staying with the Seahawks because of these factors. Even if we paid him the same contract as KC (which JS wouldn't), he still should go to the great team that wants to give him the ball instead of the great team that wants him to share carries. He is one of the most talented RBs the NFL has seen this decade and he's not yet gotten the opportunity to put his name in the record books. He chose to be a professional RB in the NFL. Shoot your shot, injuries be damned.
If I were Kenneth Walker -- and this is an imaginative stretch well beyond my proper reach -- and you gave me the option to run the ball 400 times and win the Super Bowl on two teams in a row....yeah, I'd take that. Prove how good I am for one brilliant season. Nobody expects RBs to have long careers, so why not.
So he's gone from Sam Darnold to Patrick Mahomes. From a good QB to a great one. He's gone from the best NFC defense to the best AFC defense (or, at least, one of the top, on both sides of that equation).
If I were a betting fellow, and I'm assuredly not, I'd take the proposition that Walker is more likely to repeat as Super Bowl champion than the Seahawks are. Because even if he gets hurt, there's still Patrick Mahomes.
Ultimately you're putting it to us, do the Chiefs have a better chance to win a Super Bowl than the Seahawks?
I'd say no. If for no other reason than the AFC playoff field being harder than the NFC playoff field. It's possible Seattle's only hurdle in the playoffs, if they get there, is beating the 49ers in Santa Clara.
In the AFC, you've got the Jaguars, the Bills, the Broncos, the AFC North, the Texans if they keep climbing back, the Patriots...
I think Kenneth Walker went to a harder situation to win the Super Bowl. And would I have said that a month ago? Probably not. I'm just going off of what I've seen this season. The NFC looks like trash all of a sudden.
Kansas City handled themselves against the Broncos in Week 1. I think they've been mediocre since then. Six of their next eight games are on the road. I'm going to put them around 11-6. If they win the division, 3 seed or 4 seed. If the Broncos win the division, 6 seed. First round, they could be playing Denver, Jacksonville, Baltimore, New England...someone with a good defense perhaps.
I'd be a fool to argue that Mahomes/Reid couldn't be the best playoff duo in the last 40 years history behind Brady/Belichick. So I have to say that.
But all things being equal and not talking history, the Chiefs look second-rounded ousted-ish to me. Walker carrying the ball for the 350th time when Kansas City is in the playoffs, I have a hard time with that.
Doesn't mean he shouldn't have gone to the Chiefs. He's got to feel great about that, especially now. Do I think the Chiefs have a better Super Bowl chance than the Seahawks? If the Chiefs were in the NFC maybe. In the AFC, I think the Chiefs are riding high off of playing an easy schedule. The schedule gets a lot harder now.
Shades of the Super Bowl Patriots and their paltry strength of schedule, collapsed like a wet noodle against the MOB:
The Chiefs have played the #31 schedule so far, .300. You can argue that since they've beaten their opponents, they'll naturally have a soft SOS and yes the 6-0 Niners are at #30 and the 5-0 Vikings at #28. But the 4-2 Broncos are at a tough #7 and the 4-2 Pats at #8. Seattle at #19, Rams at #4. Meaning, in addition to the weak running defenses SSJ is so aptly pointing out (awesome work dude!) the Chiefs opponents just haven't been very good.
So far... 😎
and i'll add that when the seahawks started 3-0 in 2024, I held my ground that they still were not a good team. no bias, i have always held firm to opponents matter.
You convinced me, SSJ. Sunday night, we watch our Hawks tell the Nation: "Enough of this Shit!" Man-o-mano, could we use it. HooAh.
if the seahawks just hold onto the ball and maybe score 2 touchdown drives, i believe they'll win. i don't even think the chiefs could go 70 yards on this defense, so if you don't give them a short field, it'll be fine.
We're curiously favored by 2.5 points vs 5-0 team. Oddsmakers must love the D.
Isn't that actually a slight underdog, bc don't they spot the home team 3.0 when the line opens?
It's a virtual deadlock which is interesting after seeing our struggles on offense. They expecting us to win!
re-eh-eally? interesting. i thought it wasn't that obvious that seattle is a better team. if the seahawks don't keep giving the ball away, they'll be golden.
Unfortunately for K9, he’s an IR stint waiting to happen. He’s not cut out to be a bell cow work horse RB1. I’m glad he made it to week 7 and we can compete against him. I hope he makes it to play against the Rams and 49ers, but I would not expect it. He made it clear how disappointed he was sharing RB1 time in Seattle. KC is willing to role the dice and bet he can stay healthy for a full season and the playoffs. I have no issue with taking a pass on a player who was seeking 25+ touches a game who has had past issues playing healthy for a full season.
I have been hearing this a lot that he made it clear that he didn’t want to be here and/or that he wanted to be a featured RB.
What is the source for this info? Did someone like Mike Dugar say something? Did K9 have an interview?
I’ve read this so much but I’ve never seen where this has come from
Thanks!
Greg Bell: Sharing the job "irked" Walker.
https://www.thenewstribune.com/sports/nfl/seattle-seahawks/article314982259.html
"The TNT asked Walker in San Jose, California, during Super Bowl week this month how he handled the 2025 season having the job share with Charbonnet in his contract year. “How would you feel?” Walker said."
Washington Post shared similar sentiment from Walker's side in September:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/nfl/2026/09/13/kansas-city-chiefs-kenneth-walker/04b857fe-af90-11f1-92c2-5c918f4a6127_story.html
Dugar said this on Puck Sports podcast this morning as well. I think it was pretty clear he wanted full RB1, and I think it was pretty clear JS wants RB1 shared to prolong/preserve RBs for the entire season.
One thing I wonder is if the Seahawks offer K9 the $15M a year to split carries.
Does he say no?
Does he really want to be a bellcow or does it really come down to money?
I have no idea. Maybe he does want all the touches. Very well could be the case. And KC is a very good football program.
Great info thanks! What a quote that is. Wow. I would feel pretty good about getting less hits K9!
I still just wonder if really what we are talking about here is money. Walker may believe that splitting carries holds back his earning potential, therefore he wants to be the bellcow to make more money.
Would Walker have stayed if the Seahawks offered him $15M a year?
Maybe he did just want to be a bellcow. I don't know. But taking half the touches and half the hits at the same price to extend your career seems like a good selling point.
I tend to think the Seahawks didn't want to pay him what he felt like he was worth ... and K9 felt that disconnect was due to lack of touches/stats.
But who knows.
If you are a professional RB with the level of talent that K9 has, don't you want to take your shot at setting records, winning awards, getting to the hall of fame. There's a lot of luck with injuries. Certainly every time you run a play is a new opportunity to get hurt, but it's also an opportunity to be great. He's too good at what he does to not roll those dice.
No doubt itwas holding back the Seahawks from offering more than the Chiefs. I think Henderson said at some point the Hawks were in the 11 million range prior to the Super Bowl last year which was not acceptable to Walker. After the Super Bowl it was not possible to come to an agreement on money or how he would be used.
it's crazy that he's close to doubling his touches per game. the chiefs are gambling with this man's life*
*football career.
He’s proving pretty robust so far.
Maybe his body has matured enough since his schooldays that it can take it better now. We’ll see as time goes by I guess.
Hasn't been hit yet 😎
There’s a lot of season left 18 weeks and it’s only week 6 that just finished. Getting 2000 yards and being on IR. For the playoffs is a waste of time.
the answer as to why he's not banged up may be in-between the lines of my research too. how many times does K9 get tackled to end a run when he's always running around the defense? he's not being asked to bang helmets inside that often. if it's just a marathon, i don't doubt he can't last the distance.
but the moments will come where he needs to try to run through somebody for a first down and maybe it'll be one too many of those. i hope not!
My hope is it's not Spoon doing it all night.
I guess that’s just good scheming to protect him as much as possible. It’s inevitable that a RB will be required to ‘bang helmets’ at some stage though.
i don't even really credit coaches. walker just has elite lateral speed and agility, he's faster than most people to the out of bounds, he's an elite athlete in a compact body who is muscled up like a hamster. conversely, derrick henry is rocked up and able to withstand banging helmets. just different guys built differently who can do the same job at a high level in different ways. you wouldn't reverse their roles. henry would be the worst RB in the league in outside zone.
i was never that worried about walker's injuries really. i just think naturally this job isn't meant to be done 300 times per season. consistently those guys get really injured the next year. to put walker in a position where he's on pace for 340 carries, it's not reasonable. if the chiefs are in the super bowl is he supposed to carry it 400 times? 2x his career-high? i can't believe it, no matter the scheme.