The Free Agent Seahawks Can't Afford to Lose

With the Seattle Seahawks not using the franchise tag on Kenneth Walker III, signs point to him not returning to the Super Bowl champions.

Walker is someone the Seahawks still want to sign, but they were not willing to bring him on board for a one-year contract worth around $14 million. This doesn't mean Walker isn't going to be with the Seahawks anymore, but it certainly hurts his chances of returning to the pacific northwest.

Losing Kenneth Walker III Would Hurt Seahawks Tremendously

Seattle Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker III celebrates after running for a touchdown. | Kevin Ng-Imagn Images

The Seahawks have a run-first offense that is centered around Walker, especially during the playoffs. The Seahawks also benefit from having multiple running backs that can take the ball down the field. Seattle is already bracing to lose backup running back Zach Charbonnet for most of the season, due to a torn ACL he suffered during the playoffs. Seattle would be down bad if they didn't have either of them for Week 1.

The Seahawks could and will eventually replace Walker someday, but he has already proven himself to be one of the top running backs in the NFL, even before he won Super Bowl MVP honors after beating the New England Patriots.

Walker ran for 1,027 yards and five touchdowns this season with the Seahawks, which marked his third season out of four with over 900 rushing yards. The only time he didn't reach that total was in 2024 when he was injured for six games. However, he still managed to run for 573 yards and seven touchdowns, putting him on pace to be up there with some of the top running backs in the league.

Through four seasons, Walker has run for over 3,500 yards and 29 touchdowns. Only a dozen running backs in the NFL have run for more yards than Walker during that time. None of the players ahead of him on the list are free agents this offseason, except for Jacksonville Jaguars star Travis Etienne.

Only nine players have more touchdowns than Walker during the last four seasons, so losing that production could be the main reason why the Seahawks are unable to repeat as Super Bowl champions. If they don't get Walker back, they either need to find someone in free agency or the draft to replace him, but they shouldn't expect the same amount of production.

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