SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Could Kenneth Walker III gallop straight out of Levi’s Stadium with a Super Bowl MVP trophy in one arm, a colossal championship ring on his hand and headlong into the Denver Broncos’ backfield?

Don’t get your hopes up.

Yes, the veteran of four seasons is due to hit free agency with an expiring rookie contract coming off of a campaign in which he posted the second 1,000-yard rushing season of his career. And with 1,226 touches in the last five seasons — 954 in four pro campaigns and another 272 in his final college season at Michigan State — the accumulation is starting to climb.

At a sturdy 211 pounds on a 5-foot-9 frame and with reliable pass-catching ability — his career drop rate of one every 17.6 passes is far better than the league average — Walker would appear to be a good fit for the Broncos.

But his availability would be predicated upon the Seahawks letting him go. And in the wake of their comprehensive 29-14 Super Bowl LX dispatching of the New England Patriots, the Seattle Seahawks need Kenneth Walker III, who they acquired with a second-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft (but not the one they acquired from the Broncos in the Russell Wilson trade).

KENNETH WALKER III CARRIED THE BURDEN THE LAST THREE GAMES

Kenneth Walker III was the RB1 part of a timeshare arrangement with third-year veteran Zach Charbonnet throughout the regular season.

However, when Charbonnet tore his anterior cruciate ligament against the San Francisco 49ers in the divisional round, Walker carried a heavier burden; he posted a season-high 23 touches in the NFC Championship Game, then topped that by six in Sunday’s Super Bowl.

Seattle has plenty of cap space to work out a deal with Walker. Per Over the Cap, the Seahawks rank sixth in effective cap space at $63.018 million. Among playoff participants, only the Los Angeles Chargers have more cap room heading into the new league year.

But even if the Seahawks can’t get a long-term deal completed, there is value to slapping the franchise tag on Walker; that gives Seattle the option of keeping him around to ensure the team is covered while Charbonnet recovers — and is protected in case Charbonnet isn’t all the way back once he returns to action next season.

Kenneth Walker III showed Sunday that he can grow stronger with extra work; the 29 touches he had against the New England Patriots were just one off a career high. While he wasn’t terribly effective with the heavier touch tally against the Rams two weeks ago, he shredded the Patriots on Sunday; his 161-yard tally was the third-highest single-game total of his career; only a holding penalty to nullify a cherry-on-the-sundae 49-yard touchdown gallop with 2:01 left in the fourth quarter prevented him from going over 200 yards from scrimmage.

The Broncos need running-back help — at least to provide a partner for RJ Harvey. It could come from re-signing J.K. Dobbins, although that solution likely requires adding another back — perhaps via the draft — as a contingency plan. Other free-agent backs such as Breece Hall and Tyler Allgeier are options, as well.

And while it’s fun to entertain the notion Kenneth Walker III in orange and blue, it’s probably not realistic, given that Seattle holds all the cards — and with Charbonnet’s injury, probably needs to retain Walker, too.