Seattle Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker III is poised to become a hot target in NFL free agency once it officially begins on March 11.
The question is whether the Seahawks will let Walker, who was named Super Bowl LX MVP after the Seahawks dismantled the New England Patriots 29-13, test free agency at all.
According to Gregg Bell of the Tacoma News Tribune, Seahawks general manager John Schneider told reporters at the 2026 NFL Combine in Indianapolis that the team would “obviously love” to re-sign the 25-year-old Walker. Schneider wouldn’t comment on whether Seattle would use the franchise tag on Walker.
Schneider fed the rumor mill during the Seahawks’ Super Bowl parade. He took to the microphone and said that Walker “tried negotiating with me five minutes ago; it was really weird” before leading “MVP” chants for Walker.
At the Combine, according to Bell, Schneider walked back those comments: “Yeah, I lost it. I got nervous talking in front of all those people. Ken’s like, ‘What are you talking about?’ I totally made that up.”
The Seahawks snagged Walker in the second round (No. 41 overall) of the 2022 NFL Draft. Across four NFL seasons, Walker has logged two 1,000-yard seasons — his rookie season and last season — and has proved to be a reliable, explosive back when healthy. Injuries plagued his 2024 campaign, but Walker started all 17 regular-season games for the 14-3 Seahawks en route to their first championship since the 2013 season. Walker finished last season with 1,027 yards and five touchdowns on 221 carries.
Walker became even more crucial to the Seahawks’ Super Bowl run when third-year running back Zach Charbonnet, who led the team with 12 touchdowns, tore his ACL in the NFC Divisional Round against San Francisco. Walker posted 135 rushing yards and 26 receiving yards to earn Super Bowl MVP honors.
With Charbonnet undergoing ACL surgery as recently as Feb. 20, it makes sense for Seattle to prioritize retaining Walker. The Seahawks have the financial flexibility to do it, in part due to quarterback Sam Darnold’s relatively team-friendly contract.