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The Seahawks are predicted to lose Super Bowl MVP Ken Walker in NFL free agency.
The Seattle Seahawks are expected to be in a battle to keep some of the team’s top free agents, and the latest NFL rumors indicate one star may be on the way out. Super Bowl MVP Ken Walker headlines the Seahawks’ group of free agents.
NFL free agency begins on March 9, 2026, but teams are unable to officially sign players until March 11. ESPN’s Adam Schefter projects Walker will get a more lucrative offer elsewhere and ultimately leave the Seahawks.
“But I think when something like this happens and you’re not tagging a guy, you’re giving them the freedom,” Schefter explained during a March 3, interview on “The Pat McAfee Show.” “And I think the price will climb up to where he’s going to get a great offer somewhere. And I know that obviously it has to be a very hard decision for Seattle to make.
“They’ve got a lot of other financial needs that they have to address. They’re going to want to re-sign Devon Witherspoon, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, pay for the draft class, add some free agents. You just can’t pay everybody, and it’s almost like the Super Bowl tax. Everybody wants more money. And inevitably, there are some casualties along the way,” Schefter added.
“In this particular case, they can’t afford to franchise (tag) Kenneth Walker. Not going to tag him at all. He’s going to get to the open market.
And my guess is with all the teams out there that need running backs, he’ll find an offer that is more lucrative than Seattle. And he’ll be leaving Seattle.”
Let’s explore the latest Seahawks rumors.
The Seahawks Are Projected to Have More Than $60 Million in Cap Space Ahead of NFL Free Agency
Some of this is true, but the Seahawks have a lot of control over the financial details when it comes to Walker. Seattle has more than $60 million in projected cap space, per Spotrac. This is expected to be the sixth most in the NFL.
It is not entirely accurate to say that the Seahawks cannot afford to keep Walker. General manager John Schneider may prefer to use this money elsewhere and be more financially prudent at running back.
It is important to understand that this would be a decision made by the Seahawks, and it is not financially impossible to be the highest bidder on Walker given the team’s cap space.
Seahawks Rumors: Seattle May Be Headed for a ‘Bidding War’ on Ken Walker
There is still time for Schefter’s prediction to be proven false, but it is concerning for Seahawks fans hoping the team can re-sign Walker. Seattle would be taking a bit of a gamble by letting Walker walk in free agency.
The Seahawks’ other top running back Zach Charbonnet is recovering from a season-ending ACL injury. The Athletic’s Michael-Shawn Dugar warned against a potential “bidding war” for Walker.
“Retaining Ken Walker III may require a legitimate bidding war,” Dugar wrote in a March 2, article titled, “Will Ken Walker III attract a bidding war? What I heard about the Seahawks.”
“The top running backs tend to find common ground on big-money extensions with their teams, but it can be harder for running backs to break the bank when switching clubs. However, Saquon Barkley, Derrick Henry and Josh Jacobs are recent examples of players securing decent deals while finding new homes.”
Jonathan Adams is a veteran sports contributor covering the NFL, NBA and golf for Heavy.com. His work has been prominently featured on NFL.com, Yahoo Sports, Pro Football Talk, CBS Sports, Bleacher Report and Sports Illustrated. More about Jonathan Adams
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