Chiefs needed just one Kenneth Walker game to make the Seahawks look foolish

It was always clear that Kenneth Walker III was an ultra-talented running back. He has the ideal combination of breakaway speed, bruising strength, and patience when attacking gaps that makes him suited for a bell-cow role. However, the Seattle Seahawks never fully realized his value, constantly putting him in a timeshare with Zach Charbonnet. To be fair, most teams utilize multiple running backs. What makes Seattle's treatment of Walker truly baffling is that they let him leave in free agency after he won Super Bowl MVP. As a refresher, Charbonnet tore his ACL in the playoffs, and the Seahawks finally unleashed Walker. He dominated, recording 135 yards in the Super Bowl.

Still, the Seahawks decided they didn't want to pay him, and he ultimately signed a three-year, $43 million contract with the Kansas City Chiefs in free agency. On Monday night, Walker proved that he is an elite bell-cow back, recording 191 all-purpose yards and two touchdowns en route to a dominant 31-10 win over the Denver Broncos. 

It's only one game, but the Seahawks should absolutely regret letting a player of this caliber leave. 

Kenneth Walker dominated in his first game with the Chiefs

For all intents and purposes, Walker was the Chiefs' offense on Monday. They started out the game with four straight running plays. This ground-and-pound style continued throughout the game, and it was the main reason Kansas City dominated. Notably, Walker's 173 rushing yards led the league in Week 1, and his 23 rushing attempts ranked third. 

The Broncos (who have an extremely talented defense) had no answer for Walker all night. He simply tore the Broncos to shreds, and that's not an easy task. Walker's 60-yard touchdown was obviously the highlight of the night, but his strength and patience allowed him to consistently get yardage.

Look, if he put forward this type of performance against a weak defense, that would be one thing. However, doing so against a Broncos squad that gave up the second-fewest rushing yards last season proves without a shadow of a doubt that he's an elite RB who can handle heavy usage. 

The Chiefs showed the Seahawks exactly how they should've used Walker for the last four years, and that's a rough look for Seattle.

For a Chiefs team that has long lacked an explosive rusher, Walker's impact is immense, and he could be a key reason why they return to Super Bowl contention. They certainly looked like an unstoppable juggernaut on Monday. 

The Seahawks' handling of Walker is already aging like milk

Now, it's worth mentioning that the defending Super Bowl champion Seahawks are still in a good position overall. They managed to beat the New England Patriots despite Sam Darnold's injury. The Seahawks' defense looks as good as ever, and once Darnold returns, their offense should return to form. Still, their handling of Walker is a whiff on all fronts. 

In terms of average annual salary, the Chiefs made Walker the ninth-highest-paid RB. That's a big commitment. At the same time, it's not an egregious price point, especially for someone who showed he can scale up to handle a bigger role. And it sure looks like Walker will outplay his contract. 

I can somewhat understand being hesitant to spend big on a running back. A lot of teams are, and truth be told, rookie Jadarian Price looks pretty darn good. Regardless, having a blue-chip running back like Walker would have bolstered their chances of repeating as Super Bowl champions.

Seattle's usage of Walker is also questionable. Yes, I get it: the Seahawks won the Super Bowl, so it worked out, but it's possible they would have been even better if they had unleashed Walker like the Chiefs are doing.

Last season, Walker played in just 47 percent of the Seahawks snaps. Okay, fine, Charbonnet is good in pass protection; I get it. Giving Walker just 33 red-zone carries, though? That doesn't make sense considering his knack for finding the end zone. And this was a multi-year trend of never fully utilizing Walker's skill set.

Again, it worked out for the Seahawks, but they had a game-changing RB on their hands whom they never fully unleashed, and that has to sting. 

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