Kenneth Walker III Comments on his Future With the Seattle Seahawks

Anything can happen in one random NFL game, even if it's the Super Bowl. That said, the most-likely senario we can see is the Seattle Seahawks jumping out to an early lead on the New England Patriots and then leaning on star running back Kenneth Walker III's legs to carry them the rest of the way.

There is of course a decent chance that the Patriots will look to sell out and stop Walker, but that would only open them up to getting torched through the air if they adopt heavy boxes, as Sam Darnold did to opponents throughout the first half of the regular season.

The truth is nobody knows exactly how it will play out - but there is no denying that Walker will be one of the most-gifted players on the field, Sunday.

However it goes, Walker's future is also up in the air, as this will be the last game he plays before he becomes an unrestricted free agent in March - assuming the Seahawks don't re-sign him sometime between now and then.

Jan 17, 2026; Seattle, WA, USA; Seattle Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker III (9) scores a touchdown against the San Francisco 49ers during the first half in an NFC Divisional Round game at Lumen Field. | Steven Bisig-Imagn Images

Here's what Walker said when he was asked about possibly returning to Seattle, according to Kevin Patra at NFL.com.

"I've been here four years, so you know I've gotten to know a lot of stuff about Seattle, and you know a lot of the city, and I feel like they feel good about me as well," he said. "So if it was my choice, though, I'd definitely stay."

Unfortunately the choice is not entirely Walker's to make. While he's earned a significant raise on his next contract no matter where he plays, the Seahawks under John Schneider have historically balked at giving big second contracts to running backs, no matter how great they might be.

For his part, Schneider recently trotted out the familiar "we'd love to have him back" line, but saying that didn't stop him from low-balling a lot of great players over the years who went on to play for other teams. What that line really means is they'd love to have Walker back - but only if he's willing to re-sign for a specific number they have in mind and not a single dollar more.

Hopefully they consider Walker a special case - and the Seahawks in a special situation. As was the case when Marshawn Lynch's contract was up, they have a rare talent at a position that's critical to their offensive identity. Letting Walker leave would be an unqualified mistake.

More Seahawks on SI stories