The Seattle Seahawks may have just hoisted the Lombardi Trophy, but the business of building a roster doesn’t stop at the confetti. And right now, one of the biggest questions looming over the reigning champs is whether Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker III will be wearing a different jersey next season.
According to reports, the Seahawks are not expected to use their franchise tag on Walker - a move that would’ve kept him in Seattle on a one-year, fully guaranteed deal. That decision opens the door for the 25-year-old running back to hit free agency, where he’s expected to draw plenty of interest.
Let’s be clear: this isn’t just any running back potentially hitting the open market. Walker was the engine behind Seattle’s 29-13 Super Bowl win over the New England Patriots earlier this month, racking up 135 rushing yards on 27 carries, plus 26 more through the air.
His performance not only earned him the game’s MVP honors, but also put him in rare company - he became the first running back to win Super Bowl MVP since Terrell Davis did it back in the late ’90s. That’s not just a good game.
That’s legacy stuff.
And it wasn’t a one-off. Walker put together a strong regular season, rushing for 1,027 yards on 221 carries and finding the end zone five times.
He shared the backfield for much of the year with Zach Charbonnet, but when Charbonnet went down with a torn ACL in the divisional round, Walker stepped up in a major way. He became the clear-cut No. 1 and didn’t flinch under the spotlight, leading all players with 417 rushing yards in the postseason.
So why wouldn’t Seattle lock him up with the tag?
It comes down to roster math and cap realities. The Seahawks are heading into a pivotal offseason with several key players hitting free agency.
There’s also a big-money extension looming for rising star wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who’s expected to be a cornerstone of the offense for years to come. General manager John Schneider has to juggle all of that while navigating the financial aftermath of a Super Bowl run - and that’s no small task.
Using the franchise tag on a running back, especially one coming off a high-usage postseason, can be a gamble. The position has become one of the toughest to assess in terms of long-term value, and teams across the league have been increasingly hesitant to commit big dollars to backs, even elite ones. That doesn’t mean Walker isn’t worth it - his postseason alone proved his value - but it does mean Seattle might be looking at other ways to keep the roster balanced.
Still, letting a Super Bowl MVP walk out the door is a tough pill to swallow, especially when that player just carried your offense through the biggest games of the year. If Walker does hit free agency, expect a feeding frenzy. He’s a proven playoff performer, a physical runner with breakaway speed, and at 25, he’s still in his prime.
The Seahawks may have just reached the mountaintop, but staying there means making some hard decisions. Not tagging Kenneth Walker III might be one of them - and it could reshape the backfield in Seattle for years to come.