Kenneth Walker Faces Tough Questions After His Return To Seattle Ends With An Awkward Moment

Kenneth Walker’s quick exit after Chiefs’ loss to Seahawks sparks talk© Getty via AFP

Kenneth Walker III left Seattle with a poor stat line and a bigger problem to explain. The Kansas City Chiefs running back managed 36 yards on 14 carries in a 20-3 loss to the Seahawks, his former team, and it ended Kansas City's unbeaten start. Then came the moment fans can't stop discussing. Walker appeared to skip the postgame handshakes and run straight to the locker room. Social media did the rest within minutes. It was a rough return to a place he knew well, and the ending only made it louder.

Kenneth Walker's worst Chiefs game comes against his old team

Kenneth Walker's move to Kansas City had been a talking point since he signed, and Seattle's defense gave a firm reply. His 14 carries produced 36 yards, an average of just 2.6 per attempt. It was his worst game since joining the Chiefs. Kansas City scored three points all night, so the run game was not the only thing that stalled.

That is the football side.

Running backs have bad nights. This one came against the franchise he left, with the Chiefs' first loss attached. Walker came in riding a fast start with the Chiefs, so a quiet game against his old team was always going to be read as more than that.

Kenneth Walker's quick exit draws fans' attention

Players usually shake hands after the final whistle, and it carries extra weight when an athlete has history with the other side. Walker played for the Seahawks, so greetings with old teammates and head coach Mike Macdonald were expected. On the television broadcast, he appeared to head straight for the locker room instead.

KREM2's Andrew Quinn flagged it on Sunday. “Kenneth Walker runs off the field without shaking hands with any of his former teammates or Mike MacDonald,” Quinn wrote on X.

Football Forever posted a video. “After being held to just 36 yards on 14 carries, Kenneth Walker III did not got to midfield to shake hands with Mike Macdonald or any of his former Seahawks teammates,” the account said. “Walker III walked immediately to the locker room after the Chiefs' 20-3 loss.”

Xpand Sports' Tanner Phifer kept it lighter on X: “Kenneth Walker got the HECK OUT OF THERE as soon as the game ended lol,” Phifer said.

One caution: a broadcast shows a single angle, and handshake lines are tradition, not a rule. Walker will likely be asked, and a short answer would end the debate faster than any replay. Until he speaks, the clip sits next to his worst game as a Chief, and the two are now tied together.