Signs in Seattle point to a greater running back timeshare between Kenneth Walker III and Zach Charbonnet than expected after Klint Kubiak's hiring.
Walker's health has played a role, with the presumed starter missing the majority of practices during training camp. His return to practice over the weekend came on the heels of a positive showing from Charbonnet in the Seahawks' second preseason game -- five carries for 45 yards (9.0 YPC) and a touchdown.
Asked about Walker this week, Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald pointed to the missed reps while learning a new offense.
"There's a lot of walk-through reps that need to be had, but at some point, to your point, you've got to do it on the field so you feel confident to go out there and execute at a high level and play your best football," Macdonald said, via Brady Henderson of ESPN. "So that's something that we're working through."
Walker's missed time and Charbonnet's fit in Kubiak's scheme point toward a timeshare in Seattle.
At every turn this offseason, the coaching staff has glowed about Charbonnet.
"Zach, he's just a stud," Macdonald said. "He just does it every day. Same person, great spirit, strong as an ox, does everything right. I mean, what do you want from a football player? Zach Charbonnet."
Charbonnet's slashing style fits the Kubiak scheme, and he's shown that upside in preseason and camp.
With the new OC hired to jumpstart Seattle's offense, the focus shifted to the ground game after last season's pass-heavy approach. The Seahawks averaged 95.7 rushing yards per game in 2024 (28th in the NFL).
Kubiak not only glowed about Walker's big-play ability but also suggested at the time that we could see him more in the passing game.
When healthy, Walker is a big-play threat, but his boom-or-bust style and tendency to ad-lib can lead to negative plays. That off-script approach could be risky in Kubiak's scheme, but if he stays with the blocking, it would be a dynamite pairing.
In the few opportunities, Macdonald has liked what he's seen from Walker.
"He looks great," Macdonald said. "He's fast. He's hitting his targets, reading it out pretty well. It's exciting to have him out there. When he's been out there, he's been really good."
The "when he's been out there" part of the quote stands out. None of this discussion will matter if Walker can't stay on the field when the season starts.
