Kenneth Walker III is the first running back since Terrell Davis in Super Bowl XXXII to win MVP of the Big Game. He ran for 135 yards on 27 carries, caught two passes for 26 more, and put on the kind of performance that makes NFL general managers reach for their checkbooks.
The problem for Seattle is simple.
Walker’s rookie deal is done and the Seahawks have already confirmed they won’t use the franchise tag (projected at $14.1M) to retain him.
The real problem: he doesn’t want to leave.
“I’ve been here four years, I’ve gotten to know a lot of stuff about Seattle,” Walker said after the game. “If it was my choice, I’d definitely stay.” Coach Mike Macdonald said “of course” they want him back.
But wanting someone back and paying them are different conversations altogether.
They have a championship tax to manage with expensive extensions looming for Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Devon Witherspoon, and others. Unless Seattle can negotiate a deal, Walker seems primed to get paid when free agency begins in March and the Seahawks are willing to risk letting the market decide his value.
Spotrac projects Walker’s market value at around $8.4M annually — a number that may climb once teams start making calls. Here are the three most credible destinations if he leaves.
Kansas City Chiefs
This is the most intriguing fit on the board.
For two straight seasons, Kansas City’s backs posted the worst explosive rushing rate in the NFL. Isiah Pacheco and Kareem Hunt are both free agents. Suddenly, second-year pro Brashard Smith is the only running back on the Chiefs’ roster heading into next season.
With Patrick Mahomes recovering from a torn ACL, Kansas City may need to lean on the ground game more heavily than at any point in his tenure. As ESPN’s Nate Taylor reported, the Chiefs are actively looking for a new lead rusher with Eric Bieniemy returning as offensive coordinator.
Walker is exactly the type of player Bieniemy can build an offense around. He finished second in the league in tackle-avoidance rate during the regular season, seventh in explosive rush rate, and then exploded for 417 total yards and four touchdowns in three playoff games.
His 139 scrimmage yards per game in the postseason was the second-best mark by a Super Bowl-winning running back this century, behind only Saquon Barkley.
The Chiefs have cap issues to untangle, but restructuring Mahomes’ and Chris Jones’ deals could free up significant space.
Tennessee Titans
With Robert Saleh now installed as head coach, Tennessee has emerged as a legitimate sleeper in the Walker sweepstakes. The Titans project to have the most cap space in the league this offseason and that number could grow even larger if Tennessee decides to cut ties with wide receiver Calvin Ridley.
Franchise quarterback Cam Ward is expected to get some playmakers to work with and needs a running game to take pressure off him.
There’s also a subtle homecoming story brewing in the background. Walker grew up in the Memphis area and Tennessee is home.
Unlike Seattle, where Walker spent four years competing for touches with Charbonnet, a move to Tennessee means walking into a workhorse role in a system that will be built around him from the start.
Carolina Panthers
Carolina Panthers head coach Dave Canales was on Seattle’s staff during Walker’s formative NFL years. He knows what Walker can do.
More importantly, he knows how to use him.
The Panthers were one of the NFL’s best run-blocking teams in 2025, grading fourth per Pro Football Focus. If Rico Dowdle leaves in free agency, which seems increasingly likely, Walker could step back into a lead role alongside another backup who is talented enough to keep him fresh throughout the season and into the playoffs.
Chubba Hubbard is a potential buyout candidate for the Panthers, but he’s just two years removed from an 1,195-yard, 10 touchdown season.
The upside is real for both sides.
When Carolina was at its best this season, it was because the ground game was doing the heavy lifting and opening up play-action opportunities for Young. Walker is a better version of what made that work.
New York Jets
The Jets had one of the worst offenses in football in 2025. Frank Reich is the new offensive coordinator. A new quarterback is likely coming in to lead the offense. And Breece Hall is expected to be tagged and traded this offseason.
It sounds like chaos, but it might actually be a good opportunity.
New York has money to spend in free agency and nothing says trying to win more than bringing in the reigning Super Bowl MVP.
A rebuilt offensive line, a clean slate at quarterback, and a coaching staff with something to prove creates the kind of environment where a player like Walker can become the face of an offense.
If the Jets decide Walker’s explosiveness outweighs Hall’s consistency, they have the cap room to make a compelling offer.
The Bottom Line
While all of these landing spots make sense for Walker, the most likely outcome is still a return to Seattle. Walker wants to stay, the Seahawks want him back, and Charbonnet’s ACL makes the calculus even more simple.
But if Seattle wants to gamble that Walker’s value won’t exceed a certain price, there’s a chance he could wind up in a different uniform in 2026.
Spotrac’s projection of roughly $8.4M annually seems conservative for a player who just became the first running back MVP since 1998.
The Seahawks GM joked at the parade that Walker tried to renegotiate his contract on the spot. That may have been funny in February, but in March, Walker will have all the leverage he needs to dictate his price.
