Why Seahawks Are ‘Unlikely’ to Place Franchise Tag on RB Kenneth Walker

Seattle’s Super Bowl MVP is set to be paid this offseason.

The Seahawks are "unlikely" to place the franchise tag on Kenneth Walker. | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

The NFL’s franchise tag window officially opened on Tuesday morning, allowing teams to designate their own pending free agents with either a franchise or transition designation. Clubs have until March 3 to apply said tags, allowing them to secure a key part of their roster for 2026—while ultimately buying time to negotiate a long-term extension.

Last offseason, only two players—Chiefs guard Trey Smith and Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins—were tagged, and while there are a handful of realistic candidates who could be tagged in 2026, one who fits the bill may not ultimately receive the designation.

As reported by ESPN's Adam Schefter on Tuesday, the Seahawks are “unlikely” to place the franchise tag on running back Kenneth Walker. The 25-year-old was selected by Seattle in the second round of the 2022 NFL draft and over four seasons, has racked up 3,555 rushing yards on 821 carries (4.3 YPC) while scoring 32 total touchdowns.

Walker also played a major role in the Seahawks’ run to a Super Bowl LX victory this past postseason—one he capped off with a dominant performance in the big game. In Seattle’s 29–13 win over the Patriots, he rushed for 135 yards on 27 carries and became the first running back since Terrell Davis in 1998 to be named Super Bowl MVP.

And yet, it doesn’t sound like the ‘Hawks are going to tag him. Here’s why.

Why Seahawks are ‘unlikely’ to place franchise tag on RB Kenneth Walker

Kenneth Walker ran for 1,027 yards and five touchdowns in 2025. | Steven Bisig-Imagn Images

As Schefter alluded to in his post on X (formerly Twitter) on Tuesday, Seattle has multiple unrestricted free agents that they would like to retain heading into next season. Said list includes (among others) safety Coby Bryant, cornerback Josh Jobe, pass rusher Boye Mafe, and cornerback Tariq Woolen—while their restricted free agent list features wide receiver Jake Bobo and safety A.J. Finley, the latter of whom they acquired from the Chargers at the 2024 trade deadline.

Additionally, on top of their free agent class, star wide receiver and Offensive Player of the Year winner Jaxon Smith-Njigba is eligible for a contract extension this winter—one he's more than earned after leading the NFL in receiving yards in 2025.

Ultimately, as Schefter reported, there are “enough Super Bowl tax costs” for the Seahawks that make using the franchise tag this offseason unlikely. While Walker likely won't be tagged, we’ll see if the two sides can come to a long-term extension to keep the Super Bowl MVP in town.

Seahawks salary cap situation for 2026

Jaxon Smith-Njigba is eligible for a hefty contract extension this offseason. | Steven Bisig-Imagn Images

Despite working with a loaded roster in 2025 and coming out as Super Bowl champions, the Seahawks are in good salary cap shape, heading into 2026.

According to Spotrac, Seattle has $73.1 million in cap space heading into the offseason—the fifth most in the NFL behind the Titans, Raiders, Jets, and Chargers.

Having said that—and as was alluded to above—the Seahawks have a bevy of pending free agents they’ll look to re-sign, and when it’s all said and done, that money will evaporate quickly as they work to build a roster capable of making another run at the Super Bowl.

Chose wisely, John Schneider.

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