Kenneth Walker III, Seattle Seahawks
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(Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
The future of the Seattle Seahawks and Super Bowl LX MVP Kenneth Walker III will be a major storyline for the champions as free agency approaches.
In the regular season, the Seattle running back had 221 carries for 1,027 yards and scored five touchdowns in 17 games,per StatMuse. Meanwhile, in the playoffs, had 65 carries for 313 yards and scored four touchdowns in three games, helping lead the team to the Super Bowl trophy,per StatMuse.
Nonetheless, the question the Seahawks’ front office will be asking itself now that the parade is over and the offseason begins is whether they want to pay Walker, who could be among the top earners at the running back position.
On Feb. 10, ESPN NFL insider Dan Graziano gave an outlook on where Seattle stands on this front with their running back.
“It will depend on a lot of factors,”Graziano said on the Feb. 10 edition of “NFL Live.” “What does Kenneth Walker want? Does he want to max out and try to get a top‑of‑the‑market running back deal? He is only 25 and obviously coming off a monster performance in the Super Bowl, so he could have other suitors. I don’t see the Seattle Seahawks wanting to get into a bidding war with other teams for a running back. We’ll see how that happens.
“They are very wedded to their roster‑building principles, and I’m sure they have a value in mind for a starting running back. Winning the Super Bowl only validates those principles. If they’re not eager to overpay for a running back, it might be that he moves on.”
Seahawks Urged Not to Franchise Tag Kenneth Walker III
The Seahawks don’t need to reach a contract extension with Walker, considering they can put the franchise tag on him. However, CBS Sports’ John Breech recently stated he believes that Seattle won’t take that route to keep the running back.
“I am going to go with no franchise tag here,“Breech said during a Feb. 9 appearance on CBS Sports HQ. “Look, I know Kenneth Walker was great in the Super Bowl. That’s how you win MVP. And by the way, that’s pretty solid leverage to have when you’re going into free agency or when you’re going into contract extension negotiations.
“I do think if the franchise tag is going to be over $14 million for a running back, and the Seahawks are real practical about how they spend their money. I’m not sure that they want a running back who is going to be in the top five highest-paid running backs in the NFL.”
Seattle Could Look to Spend Money Elsewhere
While Seattle has the sixth-most salary cap space heading into the offseason,per Over the Cap, they do have other free agents and players that will need contract extensions soon.
“This is a team that loves their running back by committee,“ Breech added. “I do think the Zach Charbonnet injury throws a little bit of a wrench intothere because they don’t know if they’ll be ready for Week 1, but I would just be surprised if the Seahawks are willing to pay one guy more than $14 million per year.
“I know they do have a lot of cap space, but they have a lot of free agents to worry about, from Coby Bryant, Rashid Shaheed, and Riq Woolen. They’ve got extension‑eligible players like Devon Witherspoon and Jaxon Smith‑Njigba. So, the Seahawks have a lot on their plate, and I am going to go no tag here.”