Seattle Seahawks suffered a major setback on Sunday during their game against the Los Angeles Rams, as key player Kenneth Walker III sustained a non-contact oblique injury early in the first quarter. The lead running back appeared to injure himself on a 6-yard run midway through the quarter and clutched his left side before falling to the turf. The Seahawks listed him as doubtful to return with an oblique injury.
The loss of Walker is significant for the Seahawks, who were tied with the San Francisco 49ers atop the NFC West at 6-3. Walker had been leading the team through nine games with 770 yards from scrimmage and seven touchdowns, building on a strong rookie campaign that produced 1,215 yards from scrimmage and nine touchdowns.
The severity of Walker’s injury is not immediately clear, but with him sidelined, rookie running back Zach Charbonnet took over Seattle’s carries and is expected to be the lead back in Walker’s absence. The team will need to carefully monitor his progress and make adjustments to their game plan if they hope to maintain their position atop the NFC West without Walker’s contributions.