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The Seattle Seahawks have several critical decisions to make this offseason, and chief among them is figuring out what they are going to do with running back Kenneth Walker III. During Seattle's dominant playoff run, Walker helped fuel Seattle's offense en route to their second ever World Championship. His masterful postseason performance culminated with a 135 rushing yards against the New England Patriots, which made him the first running back to earn Super Bowl MVP honors since Terrell Davis did so in January of 1998.
Now, Walker is about to hit unrestricted free agency. His four-year rookie contract expired the day after Super Bowl LX and will either gain a significant raise from the Seahawks, or find a new NFL home elsewhere. There's still plenty of factors that are up in the air, but we do know one thing that probably won't happen. ESPN's Adam Schefter is reporting Seattle is unlikely to franchise tag their MVP running back.
Ultimately, this isn't the most surprising development. The Seahawks have only used the franchise tag twice under the reign of John Schneider, one of which was defensive end Frank Clark who they eventually traded to the Kansas City Chiefs. Seattle is either going to figure out how to keep Walker in the Emerald City on a long-term deal, or he'll move on to his second ever NFL home. Considering the fact Walker wants to remain with the only team he's been apart of, I suspect an arrangement will be figured out between both sides.
What is interesting is the part of the report stating the Seahawks want to find a way to lock down Jaxon Smith-Njigba. JSN is under contract for one more season, as they have a fifth-year option to exercise. But given how dominant JSN was in 2025, it's probably better financially to extend him now. Every passing year will only raise his price tag, and he is a bonafide star.
Fellow 2023 NFL draft classmate, cornerback Devon Witherspoon, is also eligible for a contract extension. Witherspoon similarly has the fifth-year option, so he will be a Seahawk in 2026 no matter what. Still, the same logic applies. The Seahawks should work to keep him in Seattle for the foreseeable future as well. It's notable Witherspoon was not mentioned in the tweet, but that could very well be John Schneider moving quickly and quietly on his end. Or it factors more into their cap calculations to wait another year for Witherspoon. Whatever it may be, he is a lynchpin of their secondary, and honestly had a legitimate case to be made he should have shared MVP honors with Walker in Super Bowl LX.
This article originally appeared on Seahawks Wire: Seahawks free agency: Kenneth Walker III unlikely to get franchise tag
Continue reading...
Now, Walker is about to hit unrestricted free agency. His four-year rookie contract expired the day after Super Bowl LX and will either gain a significant raise from the Seahawks, or find a new NFL home elsewhere. There's still plenty of factors that are up in the air, but we do know one thing that probably won't happen. ESPN's Adam Schefter is reporting Seattle is unlikely to franchise tag their MVP running back.
Ultimately, this isn't the most surprising development. The Seahawks have only used the franchise tag twice under the reign of John Schneider, one of which was defensive end Frank Clark who they eventually traded to the Kansas City Chiefs. Seattle is either going to figure out how to keep Walker in the Emerald City on a long-term deal, or he'll move on to his second ever NFL home. Considering the fact Walker wants to remain with the only team he's been apart of, I suspect an arrangement will be figured out between both sides.
What is interesting is the part of the report stating the Seahawks want to find a way to lock down Jaxon Smith-Njigba. JSN is under contract for one more season, as they have a fifth-year option to exercise. But given how dominant JSN was in 2025, it's probably better financially to extend him now. Every passing year will only raise his price tag, and he is a bonafide star.
Fellow 2023 NFL draft classmate, cornerback Devon Witherspoon, is also eligible for a contract extension. Witherspoon similarly has the fifth-year option, so he will be a Seahawk in 2026 no matter what. Still, the same logic applies. The Seahawks should work to keep him in Seattle for the foreseeable future as well. It's notable Witherspoon was not mentioned in the tweet, but that could very well be John Schneider moving quickly and quietly on his end. Or it factors more into their cap calculations to wait another year for Witherspoon. Whatever it may be, he is a lynchpin of their secondary, and honestly had a legitimate case to be made he should have shared MVP honors with Walker in Super Bowl LX.
This article originally appeared on Seahawks Wire: Seahawks free agency: Kenneth Walker III unlikely to get franchise tag
Continue reading...
