Kenneth Walker III Shines in Super Bowl, Sets Up High-Stakes Free Agency
The Seattle Seahawks are Super Bowl champions once again, and they’ve got Kenneth Walker III to thank for a big part of that. On the sport’s grandest stage, the third-year running back delivered a performance that will be remembered in Seattle for years to come - and likely one that will earn him a serious payday in the coming weeks.
Walker was electric in the Seahawks’ Super Bowl LX win over the New England Patriots, racking up 135 rushing yards at a clip of five yards per carry. He added another 26 yards through the air, finishing with 161 total yards from scrimmage and walking away with Super Bowl MVP honors. It was the kind of game that not only cements a player’s legacy - it drives up their market value in a hurry.
And that’s exactly where things get interesting.
Walker is set to hit free agency next month, and while Seattle certainly has the financial flexibility to keep him - they’re working with around $73 million in cap space - other teams are expected to come calling. According to projections, Walker could command a four-year deal worth $36 million, with an average annual salary of $9 million. That’s not pocket change, but for a dynamic back who just helped carry his team to a championship, it’s the going rate.
The Seahawks know what they have in Walker. He’s coming off a strong 2025 campaign where he started all 17 games and logged his second 1,000-yard season.
His 4.6 yards per carry showed not just volume, but efficiency. He was a steady presence all year - and then turned it up when it mattered most.
But Seattle won’t be the only team interested.
Both the Kansas City Chiefs and Denver Broncos are expected to explore the possibility of adding Walker to their backfields. For Kansas City, a player like Walker would bring much-needed balance to an offense that’s long relied on Patrick Mahomes’ arm. The Chiefs have been dangerous through the air for years, but a legitimate, every-down threat in the backfield could make them downright terrifying.
Denver, meanwhile, has a promising young back in RJ Harvey, but pairing him with Walker would give head coach Sean Payton the kind of one-two punch that can wear down defenses and take pressure off rookie quarterback Bo Nix. It’s the kind of move that could reshape the identity of the Broncos’ offense.
Still, Seattle has every reason - and every resource - to keep Walker in house. He’s proven he can be the engine of their offense, and his Super Bowl performance only reinforced that. Letting him walk would leave a major hole in the backfield, and after watching him dominate on the biggest stage, it’s hard to imagine the Seahawks letting that happen.
Free agency is always unpredictable, and there’s no shortage of teams that could make a run at a player like Walker. But if the Seahawks are serious about building on this championship run, re-signing their MVP running back should be at the top of the offseason to-do list.
One thing’s clear: Kenneth Walker III is about to get paid. The only question now is which jersey he’ll be wearing when he cashes in.