Seahawks’ Ken Walker III Misses Practice Again, Could Sit Out Week 15

Seattle Seahawks running back Ken Walker III missed practice again on Thursday with a calf injury. He is considered “day-to-day” and could miss his second straight week of action.

Head coach Mike MacDonald provided an update on Walker’s condition on Wednesday, saying that tests did not reveal a serious injury. 

“It got more kind of complicated as the week went on, so that’s why we had to do some more tests and stuff, but right now there’s positive signs,” MacDonald said. “So we’ll just say day-to-day … but it’s not long term.”

MacDonald also said that Walker would not necessarily require practice to participate in the team’s game on Sunday. In reality, it would likely be encouraging for the team to see him log some sort of work before giving him his usual workload this week.

An encouraging situation behind Walker may also allow the Seahawks to give their starter an extra week to recover. In Walker’s absence last week, backup running back Zach Charbonnet torched the Arizona Cardinals for 134 yards and two touchdowns. He also caught seven passes for 59 yards in Seattle’s 30-18 victory. 

If Walker can’t go again in Week 15 against the Packers, Charbonnet will again assume the role of a workhorse rusher. There’s still a chance that Walker can handle limited snaps, however, which could lead to a shared backfield. In this situation, it is also unclear if Walker would reassume his usual role at the goal line or if the team would rely on the healthier backup in short-yardage situations.

In three games this year without Walker, Charbonnet has rushed for 263 yards and five touchdowns. With one of the best backups in the league, it may become easier to let Walker sit out, even in the midst of a playoff push.