The Seattle Seahawks are not planning to use their franchise tag on running back and Super Bowl LX MVP Kenneth Walker III, according to sources that spoke to ESPN's Adam Schefter.
Walker finished the season with a career-high 1,309 scrimmage yards and five total touchdowns. He was exceptional in the 2026 NFL Playoffs, leading all players in total touchdowns (four), scrimmage yards (417), and touches (74). His 161-yard performance in the Big Game earned him the Super Bowl LX MVP award.
"For his future? Ken has been awesome," Seahawks general manager John Schneider said in late January. "Maybe a little bit more decisive the last month and a half. He's a free agent. We'd love to have him back."
Starting today, NFL teams can begin using their franchise tags or transition tags on players through 4:00 p.m. EDT on March 3rd. Once a tag is used, the two sides have until July 15th to agree on a long-term contract extension. If a contract is not agreed upon, the player will play the season on a one-year deal.
Occam's running back
Occam's Razor is a philosophical principle that states the most obvious answer is usually the correct one. In this case, the most obvious decision regarding Kenneth Walker III's impending free agency is the correct one: re-sign him to a long-term contract extension.
He was just named Super Bowl MVP. Outside of Kenneth Walker III, there have been seven running backs or fullbacks who have been named Super Bowl MVPs. Six of those individuals are now in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. If that's any indication of things to come, Kenneth Walker III will be a force in this league for many years, and you don't let that type of talent go in free agency.
Walker doesn't have a lot of tread on his tires. Since entering the league in 2022, he has averaged about 205 carries per season. By comparison, Saquon Barkley averages almost 292 carries per year during that stretch. Derrick Henry has averaged 316 rushing attempts per season since 2022. By properly managing his workload since coming into the league, Walker will avoid a sudden fall-off in production from overuse, unlike Todd Gurley with the Rams or Melvin Gordon with the Chargers.
Now that Walker had that fantastic playoff performance, the cat's out of the bag, and the rest of the league has been put on notice. All running back-needy teams will be desperately hoping for him to hit free agency, which is why the Seahawks shouldn’t let that happen. By refusing to use their franchise tag on the fourth-year back, it seems like Seattle will likely want to sign him to a long-term contract extension. Instead of letting him potentially play next year under the franchise tag, which would pay him upwards of $14.5 million, the Seahawks can sign him to a long-term deal that pays out more money on the back-end of the contract. This will allow Seattle to re-sign players this year and next year, while giving Kenneth Walker III what he wants. It’s a win-win for both sides!
It only makes sense for Seattle to sign Walker to a long-term deal. The alternative would be letting him test out free agency after now that the franchise tag is out of the realm of possibility. Should he become a free agent, the Seahawks will be left with Zach Charbonnet, who is coming off a torn ACL, and two running backs who have only rushed for 255 yards in their career. Therefore, re-signing Kenneth Walker III seems like a forgone conclusion at this point. Now, the two sides just need to figure out the financials.
