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Seattle Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker.
The Washington Commanders could use a little bit of the energy that lifted the Seattle Seahawks to a win in Super Bowl LX — they might be able to get some of it in free agency.
Coming off the greatest moment in his career, Seahawks running back and Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker is set to become an unrestricted free agent and Bleacher Report’s Moe Moton singled the Commanders out as the No. 1 “Top Landing Spot” after he had 161 yards of total offense, including 135 rushing yards, in a 29-13 win over the New England Patriots.
“The Commanders have bigger needs than running back, but with $76 million in cap space, don’t rule out an addition for their backfield,” Moton wrote. “Walker would be an upgrade over Chris Rodriguez and a versatile playmaker to replace Austin Ekeler, who’s recovering from a torn Achilles and set to become a free agent before his age-31 season.”
That’s not to mention 2025 seventh round pick Jacory Croskey-Merritt, who seemed like he had the capability to be a featured back at times … and at others did not.
Walker Headed For Payday After Super Bowl
Walker, 5-foot-9 and 211 pounds, was a second round pick (No. 41 overall) in the 2022 NFL draft out of Michigan State after he rushed for 1,636 rushing yards and 18 touchdowns in 12 games in 2021 on the way to winning the Doak Walker Award as the nation’s top collegiate running back.
Through his first 4 NFL seasons, Walker has 2 seasons of at least 1,000 rushing yards, including 2025.
After playing out his 4-year, $8.1 million rookie contract, Walker is in for a relatively huge payday — for a running back, at least — with Spotrac projecting he could receive a 4-year, $36 million free agent contract.
Pro Football Focus had Walker ranked as the No. 6 overall free agent in the 2026 cycle before his Super Bowl star turn, with his contract projected as 3 years for $27 million with $20 million guaranteed.
From PFF: “Walker currently leads all running backs in PFF grade (90.7) in what has been a career year. He has also been one of the league’s best at creating beyond his blocking, ranking third at the position in missed tackles forced (65).”
Commanders Might Have Answer With JCM
The Commanders may have already found their answer at running back with Croskey-Merritt, who went off for 105 rushing yards and 2 touchdowns on just 11 carries against the Cowboys, including a thrilling, 72-yard touchdown run in front of a national audience on Christmas Day.
Croskey-Merritt finished his rookie year with 805 rushing yards and 5 touchdowns while averaging 4.6 yards per carry.
After the 2025 draft, ESPN’s Field Yates singled out Croskey-Merritt as one of his favorite picks and an instant upgrade at the position for the Commanders.
“Croskey-Merritt had a winding college path that started at Alabama State and ended at Arizona, though eligibility issues limited him to only 13 rushes for the Wildcats in 2024,” Yates wrote on April 29. “He has a very intriguing combination of size, speed and overall footwork, but he must develop his instincts and vision. He’s a moldable player for the Commanders to develop.”
Tony Adame covers the NFL for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Washington Commanders, Dallas Cowboys, Baltimore Ravens, Philadelphia Eagles and Denver Broncos. A veteran sports writer and editor since 2004, his work has been featured at Stadium Talk, Yardbarker, NW Florida Daily News and Pensacola News Journal. More about Tony Adame
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