The future, Seattle, Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker III said Wednesday, is not his concern right now.

What is, Walker said, is making the most of the 2025 season — the last on his four-year rookie contract with the Seahawks — and then letting everything take care of itself later.

“With that part, honestly, I just want to be positive and keep my mind on football and not a contract and all that,’’ Walker said. “I just want to make a positive impact on my team and go out there and play to the best of my ability, and that’s what I’ve been wanting to do since my rookie year to now. I’m going to just keep that same mindset and not worry about everything.” 

Walker, though, sounds determined to give the Seahawks a lot to think about when the offseason rolls around.

After injuries limited him to 11 games in 2024, Walker said he re-evaluated both his sleeping routine and diet to get in the best shape he can.

A little nudge from his dad, he said, also played a role.

 

“He really helped me out with my routine and everything, my eating habits,’’ Walker said. “If I eat something he’ll be like ‘Nah you shouldn’t be eating that.’ He always will talk me about that type of stuff. Now I just got the discipline to do it.”

Walker said he is eating “more healthy, clean foods,’’ specifically when he is at the team’s facility in Renton and trying to get to sleep around 10-10:30 p.m. every night instead of staying up until 1 a.m. or so, as he got used to in college.

“Even my body, recovery-wise, it has helped a lot,’’ he said. “A lot of times when I used to stay up a lot, my legs, won’t be fully recovered how it is now. Even extra recovery after I leave the building, helps a lot too. So I definitely noticed the difference and progression.”

Also noticing are those who have watched the Seahawks through their first week of training camp. Walker has consistently worked as the number one running back and has appeared as fast and powerful as any time during his Seahawks career.

A healthy Walker could go a long way toward making a success of new offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak’s new outside zone running scheme.

Coach Mike Macdonald hired Kubiak to re-emphasize the running game after the Seahawks finished 28th in rushing yards and 29th in attempts in 2024 under Ryan Grubb. Walker fell victim not only to injuries but also to the struggles of the overall rushing game in managing just 573 yards and 3.7 per carry after rushing for 1,050 and 4.6 per attempt as a rookie in 2022 and 905 and 4.2 in 2023.

“It’s just more opportunity to show what I can do on the field,’’ said Walker, who was the 41st overall pick in 2022 out of Michigan State.

“I feel like it’s going to be a physical offense, and we know what we want our identity to be. I like the aspect of running the ball but also getting out of the backfield and catching the ball. It’s great.”

Some have questioned how well Walker’s style will mesh with the scheme Kubiak is implementing. But Walker noted that the Seahawks are still running elements of other schemes, including straight-ahead running behind a fullback, a position Kubiak also plans to use more this season.

“It’s a wide zone but we also have power,’’ Walker said. “We’ve got all types of schemes that we can do but I feel like I’m an explosive back and we can make plays.”

And Walker says he has no doubt about the new offensive coaching staff’s commitment to running.

“I believe him (Kubiak) because that’s what we work on in practice,’’ Walker said. “You can say the past years, we didn’t practice it as much, so you know you’re not going to go out to the game and do it, but we’ve been practicing it a lot, and we’re real detailed with the run game. So, I believe it wholeheartedly that we’re going to go out and run the ball.”

Exactly how Walker will fit with the new offense may not be visible to fans until the regular season as the Seahawks figure to limit his reps in preseason games — if he gets any at all — to assure he gets to the regular season healthy.

But Walker said he’s looking forward to showing everyone what he can do once the time is right.

“I feel good,’’ he said, “You know, it’s good to come out here, be able to play with my brothers and grow throughout training camp and everything with them. It’s been cool.” 

Notes 

— After practicing in full pads Monday and Tuesday, the Seahawks had a light day Wednesday, practicing without pads or helmets and going through what Macdonald has termed an ACT practice, emphasizing alignment, communication and technique while running most plays at less than full speed.

— Left tackle Charles Cross was not on the field. Macdonald did not talk to media so it’s unclear if he was just getting the day off. Josh Jones typically worked with the number one offense at left tackle in his absence. Linebacker Tyreke Smith also did not appear to be practicing.

— Also still absent were cornerback Shaquill Griffin, defensive tackle Johnathan Hankins and linebacker Ernest Jones IV. However, Macdonald said Monday that Griffin could be back soon, and he may be back as soon as Thursday.