Seahawks take important action regarding Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker III

Seahawks’ Offseason Decisions Loom

The cost of claiming a Super Bowl victory is becoming evident for the Seattle Seahawks.

It seems that Seattle is not likely to use the franchise tag on Kenneth Walker III, meaning he could hit free agency soon after an impressive playoff journey that included a 29-13 Super Bowl win over the Patriots, where he was named MVP.

Moreover, the Seahawks have a number of free agents as they look to finalize contracts, particularly two key players in the secondary, Kobe Bryant and Tarik Uhlen, who are expected to attract significant bids during free agency.

Additionally, they recently acquired Rashid Shahid before the trade deadline and are likely eager to keep him onboard following his notable contributions on special teams and offense.

Yet, perhaps their biggest financial consideration will involve superstar wide receiver Jackson Smith-Njiba. Although he’s not entering free agency this year, he has a team option for the 2027 season which Seattle might be keen to waive in favor of a multi-year extension to increase his pay.

It will be fascinating to see how things unfold with Walker after he played a pivotal role in leading Seattle to their Super Bowl victory.

Walker shared carries with Zach Charbonnet during the regular season, but Charbonnet’s torn ACL during the divisional playoffs against the 49ers means he’ll likely miss most of the 2026 season.

Walker excelled in the playoffs, rushing for 313 yards and four touchdowns, including a standout performance with 135 yards on 27 carries against New England in the Super Bowl.

Even with the decision not to tag Walker, projected to be around $14.2 million next season, Seattle still seems intent on re-signing their star running back.

During the Super Bowl parade, general manager John Schneider lightheartedly mentioned that he and Walker might soon be meeting to discuss contracts. “Ken Walker is the MVP — let’s go! He was trying to negotiate with me five minutes ago,” Schneider quipped, adding a touch of humor to the day.