
The Seattle Seahawks sit one game away from being crowned Super Bowl champions for the second time in franchise history.
Facing quarterback Drake Maye and the New England Patriots, the Seahawks vaunted defense is what could help them prevail, but their running game, led by 1,000-yard rusher Kenneth Walker III (1,027 yards), could also play a factor. The Patriots have been unstoppable against the run in the playoffs (71.3 yards/game), while the Seahawks have been closer to decent (111.0 yards).
A pending free agent after the Super Bowl, Walker indicated that he'd “definitely stay” with Seattle if afforded the opportunity.
"I've been here four years, so you know I've gotten to know a lot of stuff about Seattle, and you know a lot of the city, and I feel like they feel good about me as well," Walker said, per NFL.com. "So if it was my choice, though, I'd definitely stay."
In his fourth season out of Michigan State, Walker is now a two-time 1,000-yard rusher (2022, 1,050 yards), but he finished with the fewest rushing touchdowns in his career (five). With the Patriots defense's ability to stop the run, Walker’s ability to add to his value may be affected if he doesn't have a good game.
Walker, who is in the final year of a four-year, $8.441M contract, could be in line for a slight pay raise based on his regular-season statistics. If Walker can put together a solid performance to add to his stats, he could see a pay increase to be on the same playing field as running backs David Montgomery of the Detroit Lions ($9.125M) or James Connor of the Arizona Cardinals ($9.5M). In three career postseason games, Walker has 241 rushing yards and five touchdowns.
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