Walker has been a bright spot at Seahawks training camp early on, but an injury could now sideline him for weeks, or even months.
On Tuesday Coach Pete Carroll said he missed practice with a hernia. “Ken’s got a little hernia thing that he’s working on and we’ve got to get through that. So I don’t know what to tell you yet, but it’s something that we can attend to and all that.” The Seahawks remain hopeful he can be ready to go by week 1. I’m not so optimistic.
Walker is likely dealing with a sports hernia, which indicates damage to the muscles in the groin/abdominal area. It often requires core muscle surgery, although some players try to let the injury heal on its own. Either way, Walker is likely looking at at least a few weeks on the sideline.
Recovery Time
If Walker’s hernia is relatively mild, he will still need at least three weeks for it to fully heal.
If Walker does need surgery (and a majority of sports hernias are serious enough that they won’t heal without it), he would likely be sidelined for 6-10 weeks.
What is a Sports Hernia?
It is an injury that is typically caused by repetitive or explosive motions that involve twisting at the core. This happens all the time in football. A sports hernia is a strain/tear of a muscle, tendon or ligament in the lower abdomen or groin area. This is different from other types of hernias where there is a bulge through muscle tissue.
What Does This Mean for the Seahawks Backfield?
Despite losing Chris Carson to a career-ending neck injury, the Seahawks are still in decent shape at running back. Rashaad Penny will be first in line for carries, although he has been battling a groin injury recently. Travis Homer and DeeJay Dallas are next in line as backup if wWlker does have to miss some time.
