Kenneth Walker III is coming off the best season of his career. Kevin C. Cox / Getty Images
March 3, 2026Updated 4:03 pm EST
The Seattle Seahawks are not expected to use the franchise tag on running back Kenneth Walker III, meaning the reigning Super Bowl MVP will become an unrestricted free agent when the new league year opens next week, team sources confirmed to The Athletic on Tuesday.
Walker, 25, is coming off the best season of his career. He played in all 17 regular-season games for the first time and recorded 417 scrimmage yards and four touchdowns in three playoff games. He tallied 27 carries for 135 yards and added another two catches for 26 receiving yards in the Seahawks’ 29-13 win over the New England Patriots in Super Bowl 60.
When asked at last week’s NFL Scouting Combine whether he’d consider using the franchise tag on Walker, Seattle general manager John Schneider brushed off the speculation.
“That’s a good try,” he said, laughing.
Schneider has used the tag only twice since becoming GM in 2010. Walker’s strong finish to 2025 came after Zach Charbonnet tore his ACL in the divisional round of the playoffs. Schneider said that wouldn’t have an outsized influence on Walker’s contract negotiations and mentioned taking in the “whole picture.”
“We’d love to have Ken back,” Schneider said. “He knows this better than anybody: It’s about our 70-(man) roster, our collective and what that’s going to look like.”
Using the franchise tag on Walker would have put him on the books for $14.5 million in 2026, according to Over the Cap. The transition tag, which would allow Walker to negotiate with other teams while also permitting Seattle to match any offer, would have cost $11.7 million.
The new league year opens March 11. Walker, a second-round pick in 2022, ranks as the No. 8 free agent in The Athletic’s top 150. And after the New York Jets placed the franchise tag on Breece Hall, Walker is likely to be the top available running back in free agency.
Mar 4, 2026
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