RENTON, Wash. -- The Seattle Seahawks pulled to within two points of the Los Angeles Rams last Sunday when Kenneth Walker III found the end zone late in the fourth quarter. There was nothing remarkable about the 1-yard rushing touchdown itself. What was notable is that it was Walker, not Zach Charbonnet, who got the carry.
It was indicative of his slowly increasing workload.
"I think Ken's showing that he's earning more opportunities to get the ball," coach Mike Macdonald said Monday, a day after Seattle's 21-19 loss.
Walker carried 16 times for 67 yards and the touchdown against the Rams, adding 44 yards on three catches. Those 19 touches were his second most in a game this year, and they came on a season-high 43 snaps. Charbonnet played 36 snaps, totaled 47 yards on 13 touches and continued to cede some of his usual responsibilities on third down and at the goal line to Walker.
"All three of our backs are doing a great job, and I think you really felt Ken yesterday, and just even in the pass game, too, on checkdowns and finding him late in the play," Macdonald said. "It just shows you that he's such an explosive player with a ball in his hands. He knows there's things that he needs to clean up in his game, too. He's done a great job in practice doing that, and will continue to do that.
"But I think Ken's showing that he deserves some more opportunities."
Macdonald's comments confirmed a shift in Seattle's backfield that may have otherwise been too subtle to notice.
When healthy, Walker was the team's primary back over his first three seasons. But for the first 1½ months of 2025, he and Charbonnet were more like co-starters. Seahawks coaches had foreshadowed as much over the offseason, with coordinator Klint Kubiak heaping praise on Charbonnet and Macdonald lamenting how a pair of injuries had curtailed Walker's practice reps as he was learning a new offense.
So it wasn't a surprise when Charbonnet averaged about seven more snaps over the first seven games, with Walker averaging only about 1.5 more touches in that span. Over the past three games, however, Walker has outsnapped Charbonnet by an average of roughly 7.5. He has a 47-to-36 advantage in touches in that span, as the Seahawks have been more inclined to keep him in on third down and near the goal line. They've also worked in George Holani on occasion, feeling their RB3 has earned more than just garbage-time reps.
As the Seahawks have continued to lean on a run game that's been stagnant for much of the year, the increase in Walker's workload seemed inevitable based on the on-field results. He's averaging 4.5 yards per carry this season, and while Charbonnet has been effective in some short-yardage situations in addition to being a reliable pass blocker, he has averaged only 3.3.
Macdonald said it's that in-game productivity that's primarily driving the decision to play Walker more, though he has complimented Walker for the way he has practiced this season, attacking coaching points with attention to detail.
Walker has also been mostly healthy after he missed 10 games over his first three seasons, which was one of the primary reasons the Seahawks did not attempt to extend his rookie contract over the offseason. Since being sidelined for chunks of the spring and summer with foot and ankle injuries, Walker didn't so much as appear on an injury report over the first 11 weeks.
That changed Friday, when the Seahawks (7-3) listed him as questionable (glute) for their game Sunday (1 p.m. ET, Fox) against the Tennessee Titans (1-9) at Nissan Stadium, though Macdonald said Walker should be able to play. He described Walker's limited participation Friday as precautionary.
The Seahawks head to Nashville ranked 14th in rushing yards per game (116.4). That owes as much to their sheer volume of attempts as it does to their effectiveness, as Seattle leads the NFL in designed rushing rate (49.8%) by a wide margin while ranking fourth worst in yards per carry (3.8).
But the Seahawks have shown signs of breaking through. Excluding five kneel-downs in their blowout win over the Arizona Cardinals, Seattle has averaged nearly 4.5 yards per carry over the past two games.
"I feel we're improving," Kubiak said. "I've seen massive improvements. I've seen detail improve. We're never going to be where we want to be, but I do think that it's becoming a part of our offense that continues to get better."