The confetti has barely settled from the Seattle Seahawks’ Super Bowl 60 victory, but the front office already faces its first major offseason dilemma: what to do with Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker III.
Walker was nothing short of spectacular during Seattle’s playoff run, leading the NFL with 417 scrimmage yards and four touchdowns while cementing his place in franchise lore. But now, as an unrestricted free agent, his future in the Pacific Northwest is very much in doubt.
The $14 Million Question
According to Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer, Walker is projected to command a contract worth around $14 million per year on the open market.
“That makes Seattle’s Kenneth Walker III the top back on the market,” Breer wrote. “He will probably get around $14 million per year.”
For a Seahawks team already facing a crowded free-agent class and looming extensions for young stars, that price tag may be too rich.
A Sea of Free Agents
Walker isn’t the only key contributor hitting free agency this offseason. The Seahawks must also make decisions on:
Coby Bryant
Josh Jobe
Tariq Woolen
Boye Mafe
Rashid Shaheed
And that’s before considering the massive extensions on the horizon for cornerback Devon Witherspoon and wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba, two foundational pieces of Seattle’s future.
The Charbonnet Factor
Complicating matters further is the presence of Zach Charbonnet, who remains on the roster and has shown he can handle a significant workload. General manager John Schneider may opt for a cheaper veteran alternative rather than committing substantial cap space to a running back—a position the league has increasingly devalued in recent years.
What’s Next
Letting a Super Bowl MVP walk is never easy, but the financial reality may leave Seattle with little choice. Walker is poised to become the top back available in free agency, and with teams like Kansas City, Denver, and Houston reportedly interested, a bidding war could drive his price even higher.
For the Seahawks, the coming weeks will be filled with difficult decisions. None, however, may be trickier than figuring out whether there’s a path to keeping their championship hero in town.
