Seattle Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak showed off his offense with most of his starters against the Kansas City Chiefs in the second preseason game, primarily through the run game. The dominance came through sound offensive line play that carried Seattle’s runners to 268 yards on the ground, averaging 5.6 yards per carry.
But while Zach Charbonnet, George Holani, and Damien Martinez were tearing through the Chiefs’ less-than-100 percent (but close) defense, it was a bit of a pity Kenneth Walker III didn’t get a few carries to shake off the dust and silence some doubters.
Walker sat out of the matchup as he has battled a recent foot injury. It’s possible that if it were a real game that he would have suited up. But head coach Mike Macdonald exercised caution with his lead tailback.
Kenneth Walker’s return comes at the perfect time for the Seattle Seahawks
Thankfully, the wait to see Walker in action once again appears to be nearly over. According to a report from Seahawks beat writer Gregg Bell, Walker was a full participant in practice on Sunday, and he is expected to be a full participant when the Seahawks and Packers hold a joint practice on Thursday.
If Walker can make it through the week without any setbacks, there’s a slim possibility the coaching staff could have Walker suit up for the final preseason game just to get him a few game reps. Of course, the third preseason game isn’t the regular season preview it used to be, so it’d be understandable if he’s held out along with the rest of the starters if that’s the route Macdonald takes.
Nonetheless, there’s plenty of excitement brewing for Walker to run through the lanes that this rebuffed offensive line showed they can create. With Charbonnet vying for even more of the carry share out of the backfield and Holani making a strong case with his preseason play, that could mean fewer opportunities for the former second-round pick.
On the bright side, that could help keep Walker healthy and afford him more efficient touches in the long run.
Still, it’s a critical season for Walker as he enters the final year of his rookie contract, so just the fact that he’s back on the field before the regular season begins is a relief on its own. The Seahawks want to translate their offensive dominance into the regular season, and that all starts against the San Francisco 49ers on September 7.
More Seahawks news and analysis: