Seattle sports, on tap daily

Kenneth Walker’s Mind-Blowing Start Hasn’t Been Seen in 25 Years, And the Seahawks Are Up Next

Seattle Seahawks logo on gradient background

Written by

in

Seattle Seahawks logo on gradient background
Seattle Seahawks logo on gradient background — Created by the Sports On Tap desk | Source : Sports On Tap (team logos property of their respective owners)

Kenneth Walker is tearing up the NFL, leading the entire league with 537 rushing yards and 621 yards from scrimmage through the first four regular season games. It’s not just a hot start, fam; this dude is putting together one of the best four-game stretches to kick off a season by any running back in the last two decades. Seriously, the Emerald City needs to get ready because this version of Walker is coming to Lumen Field in just a couple of weeks, and he is absolutely electric.

This Is Not the Walker You Remember

We all knew Walker had big-play ability, but what he’s doing now with the Chiefs is on a whole other level. His 537 rushing yards? That’s the most by any player through the first four regular-season games since Arian Foster put up 539 yards way back in 2010. You gotta go back even further, to 2003, to find other running backs with more rushing yards at this point: Jamal Lewis and Stephen Davis. Think about that for a second. We’re talking about a guy playing at a clip not seen in nearly 25 years in some categories.

He’s already racked up six carries of 20+ yards, which is just insane. That matches the *combined* total of Derrick Henry, Jonathan Taylor, and Saquon Barkley’s 20+ yard runs this season. The only other running backs in the past 15 years with six 20+ yard carries through the first four regular-season games were Derrick Henry in 2024, Nick Chubb in 2020, Matt Breida in 2018, and Kareem Hunt in 2017. Plus, his 267 rushing yards after first contact are the second-most in the entire Pro Football Reference database, only trailing Leonard Fournette’s 278 from 2019. This dude is a certified problem.

Chiefs Are Leaning On Him Hard

The Chiefs snagged Walker as a prized free-agent addition, and he’s been every bit the game-changer they hoped for. Good thing, because they are absolutely needing it. Their pass protection has started showing some real cracks over the past couple of games, especially against the Dolphins and Raiders. And their receiving corps? Yikes. Tyquan Thornton, who was their most productive wide receiver in the first month, is now expected to miss most, if not all, of the regular season with a brutal ankle dislocation. Rashee Rice is also dealing with a hamstring injury, and we all know how long those soft tissue issues can sideline a receiver from getting back to 100%.

All these issues mean one thing: Walker’s workload is only going to get heavier. He’s handled it like a champ so far, with his next touch being his 100th of the season. If that sounds like a lot, it is. The Chiefs are basically strapping him to their backs and riding him, and he’s delivering.

Our Seahawks Are On Deck

So, here’s the deal, 12s. The Seattle Seahawks loom in a couple of short weeks, and we’re about to face this absolute force of nature. It’s gonna be a massive test for our defense, which has been showing flashes under Coach Macdonald. We’ll see if the Chiefs’ left tackle, Josh Simmons, is even available to try and stop the bleeding in their protection, which could be a huge factor in how much pressure we can put on their quarterback. Get ready for a battle, because Kenneth Walker is playing out of his mind, and he’s coming to town.

This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.

Originally reported by Arrowhead Pride.

About the author

Comments

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *