Kenneth Walker III Out for Seahawks vs. Bears with Ankle Injury in NFL Week 17

Seattle Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker III has officially been ruled out for Thursday's matchup against the Chicago Bears with an ankle injury, per ESPN's Adam Schefter.

The third-year running back suffered the injury during Sunday's 27-24 loss against Minnesota Vikings.

Walker returned on Sunday after missing two games with a calf injury.

When healthy, Walker has had a somewhat disappointing season, accumulating 573 rushing yards and seven scores while adding 46 catches for 266 yards and a touchdown.

He's steadily seen his rushing production decrease in his NFL career, going from 1,050 yards in his 2022 rookie season to 905 in 2023. He'll finish short of both marks in 2024.

It's a tough blow for an 8-7 Seahawks team that is battling for both an NFC West title and a playoff berth, with matchups against the Bears and Los Angeles Rams (9-6) remaining. Win out, and Seattle has a chance to win the division, though they don't control their own destiny. The Seahawks could also reach the postseason with a loss against the Bears but a win over the Rams if Los Angeles loses both of its final two games, which would give Seattle the better division record.

"The destiny is out of (our) hands right now, and that stings," head coach Mike Macdonald told reporters this week. "But we've got a lot to play for, still. Like we were talking about this morning with our staff, we're just going to keep hammering away, until this thing cracks."

A Wild Card berth is virtually out of the question, meanwhile, with the Washington Commanders (10-5) and Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8-7) both ahead of the Seahawks for the final available seed.

The good news for the Seahawks is that running back Zach Charbonnet was listed as a full participant in Tuesday's injury report. He'll be the featured back against Chicago as the Seahawks look to keep their slim playoff hopes alive.