As the Seattle Seahawks gear up for the NFL season, some analysts are still pushing the front office to make additional moves. Bleacher Report’s Gary Davenport put together a list of one player from each NFL team that executives should consider trading in the coming months.
Seattle’s depth at running back has Davenport pushing for the Seahawks to make a major change at the position. The analyst makes the argument for Seattle trading Ken Walker III.
“The 2024 season was a forgettable one for Seattle Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker III,” Davenport wrote in a June 2, 2025, story titled, “1 Player Each NFL Team Should Consider Trading Before the 2025 Season.” “Walker missed a career-high six games (the third time in as many years that Walker missed time) and averaged a career-low 3.7 yards per carry.
“… Walker is also a contract-year back with a fairly extensive injury history playing on a team with a back in Zach Charbonnet who averaged half a yard more per carry last year than Walker,” Davenport added.
“Walker may be the most talented back who could reasonably be available in a trade. Charbonnet has demonstrated the potential to be a lead back in the NFL. See where we’re going with this?”
Let’s explore the pros and cons of the Seahawks trading Walker.
Seahawks RB Ken Walker Is in the Final Season of His Rookie Contract & Has a Projected Value of $41 Million
Walker is entering the final season of a four-year, $8.4 million rookie contract. Unless a new extension is signed, Walker will head to NFL free agency in 2026.
Walker is likely to land a sizable raise on his next deal. Spotrac projects Walker’s market value is a four-year, $41.5 million contract.
If the Seahawks believe Walker’s asking price will be too steep, it could make some sense for the team to explore a trade. Yet, the Seahawks’ current depth at running back should make fans concerned about a potential deal.
Zach Charbonnet has been good insurance behind Walker, but it remains to be seen if the running back could carry the load as the team’s feature runner. Walker is coming off a season where the running back missed six games but dealing the star would be a bit short-sighted.
Seahawks HC Mike Macdonald Wants to Lean on the Team’s Rushing Attack on Offense
Seattle may have moved on from Pete Carroll but head coach Mike Macdonald’s approach is very similar. Macdonald believes the key to playing winning football is contingent on having a strong defense along with a stout rushing attack.
The coach’s first season in the Pacific Northwest led to mixed results in the run game. Back in November, Macdonald discussed his goals for the team’s rushing attack.
“I think our run game is still making strides,” Macdonald said at the time, per Seattle Sports. “… I think we kind of know who we are in the run game and the complements off of it.
“We just got to keep hammering away. It’s going to come to life. I mean, there’s some really cool stuff on tape. I really believe that, and so I’m excited about were we’re going.”
