Seahawks' John Schneider Provides Hope on Kenneth Walker's Free Agency

All eyes this offseason are on the future of running back Kenneth Walker III with the Seattle Seahawks. The talented former 2022 second-round pick is an unrestricted free agent coming off one of the best three-game stretches of his career that led to a Super Bowl LX victory.

Seahawks general manager John Schneider was asked about the franchise's stance on re-signing Walker, per The Athletic's Michael-Shawn Dugar. Schneider gave the expected response.

"We’d love to have Ken back," Schneider said.

Re-signing Walker became an even bigger deal when Zach Charbonnet tore his ACL in the Seahawks' Divisional Round win over the San Francisco 49ers. Charbonnet may not be ready for the start of the 2026 season, making Walker invaluable to Seattle's run game.

That, coupled with the fact that Walker exploded in the playoffs, makes him a priority free agent. Walker rushed 65 times for 313 yards and four touchdowns in three games, while adding nine catches for 104 yards.

Feb 8, 2026; Santa Clara, CA, USA; Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold (14) and running back Kenneth Walker III (9) celebrate with the Vince Lombardi trophy after defeating the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LX at Levi's Stadium. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

He won Super Bowl MVP after posting 27 carries for 135 yards in the 29-13 win over the New England Patriots.

It's already been reported that Schneider is not planning to use the franchise tag on Walker, but it could come to that if the two sides are far apart on a contract. Cowboys running back Javonte Williams reset the market on Saturday, signing a three-year, $24 million deal.

That means Walker will likely demand somewhere in the $10 million-per-year range, despite Spotrac listing his market price around $9.01 million per year. Seattle has the cap space to get the deal done ($63.24 million in top-51 cap space), but it also has plenty of other unrestricted free agents who are priorities.

It's not a surprise that Schneider and the Seahawks want Walker back. The question that is yet to be answered, however, is whether they are willing to pay the asking price amid their other free agent question marks.

That doesn't make what Schneider said a nothingburger, as he's doubling down on the notion that they will be at the negotiating table, but it's going to be interesting to see the lengths they're willing to go to ensure he's back in a Seahawks uniform.

If they let Walker go, rest assured that Schneider will be making a list of potential rookie prospects while he's at the scouting combine this week.

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