Seattle Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker III had a 24th birthday to remember. On Sunday, the running back not only helped Seattle snap a three-game skid, but he also had his own personal "flu game."
Walker was added to the injury report on Saturday due to an illness. Despite being listed as questionable and not feeling well, his performance helped spearhead the Seahawks to a 34-14 blowout win in Atlanta.
Walker's performance had Geno Smith spitting double entendres after the game.
"He was sick today, man," Smith said, via the team's official website. "Two touchdowns on his birthday. That was sick, man. I thought he did a great job. Obviously, he was under the weather, a little bit of his flu game today on his birthday. I think that's spectacular. It might be the first time that's ever happened, but he's a guy we rely on the way that he fought and battled it out. I know he wasn't feeling his best, but to come out and do what he did on his birthday, I thought that was excellent."
Walker led Seattle with 14 carries, 69 rush yards and one rush touchdown. The Seahawks RB also included one receiving TD.
Teammates quipped after the contest that it was Walker's "flu game," a reference to Michael Jordan's 1997 NBA Finals performance against the Utah Jazz when he played through flu-like symptoms.
"You can call it the Kenneth Walker Flu Game," Smith said.
Since 2022, Walker has 25 career scrimmage touchdowns, tied for sixth-most in the NFL. He became the first Seattle player with a receiving and a rushing TD in the same game since Week 8, 2020 (DeeJay Dallas)
The icing on top of Walker's birthday cake: He became one of eight players in NFL history with a reception and rushing TD in a game on his birthday.
"I felt fatigued. Our training staff did a great job of helping me to stay hydrated," Walker noted. "I feel like just everything was kind of hard. Being sick, but we got the dub, so it's all good."
The Seahawks sorely needed a victory to stem the leak after dropping three straight. Walker delivered despite being under the weather.
