Imagine winning Super Bowl MVP and securing a second Lombardi Trophy, only to wonder if your team wants you back. That’s exactly where Seattle Seahawks star running back Kenneth Walker III finds himself. Just days after a historic Super Bowl LX performance, the Seahawks have delivered a crushing reality check for his future.

“It’s unlikely the Seahawks will use their franchise tag on running back and Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker,” Adam Schefter reported on X. “The Seahawks have multiple free agents they want to retain and sign. They also will try to extend WR Jaxon Smith -Njigba. There are enough Super-Bowl tax costs that now make using a franchise tag this off-season unlikely,” concludes Schefter.

For Walker, this is the worst outcome: not a definitive ‘No’, but the uncertainty after winning the biggest game of the year. But Seattle faces a logjam of expiring contracts. Cornerback Tariq Woolen, edge rusher Boye Mafe (with a market value of $12 million per Spotrac), safety Coby Bryant ($14 million evaluation), and wide receiver Rashid Shaheed are all in their unrestricted free agency.

The Seahawks do have significant cap space, but general manager John Schneider could prioritize extending Jaxon Smith-Njigba after he led the league with 1,793 receiving yards in the 2025 season.

That being said, Walker has been in a league of his own. He became the first running back to win the Super Bowl MVP since Terrell Davis in 1998, rushing for 135 yards against the New England Patriots’ defense while adding two receptions. His playoff run was nothing short of explosive: 313 rushing yards and four touchdowns across three games.

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But Walker’s modest four-year, $8.4 million rookie deal has expired, and Spotrac projects he’ll command roughly $9 million annually, quadruple his current $2.1 million average. But could he get the franchise tag? GM Schneider kicked off the Super Bowl parade with “MVP” chants for his running back, but then joked about contract negotiations.

“He tried negotiating with me five minutes ago,” Schneider said after the parade. “It was really weird.”

But Walker denied this and fired back on Instagram

“Must have been the liquor he drinking cuz I never said that shi 😭😭!,” his comment read. 

The playful exchange masks a serious situation. Walker’s regular season, 1,027 yards on 221 carries, has proved his value. But as Seattle manages competing priorities, Walker might be forced elsewhere. If that’s the case, one of the biggest contenders in the AFC may be ready to snag him.

Kenneth Walker III’s Kansas City escape route

The Kansas City Chiefs appear to be one of the prime places Walker could suit up for in 2026. Franchise quarterback Patrick Mahomes will be coming off a season-ending ACL and LCL injury, and the Chiefs will need their ground game now more than ever. ‘Walker could be the missing piece in the Chiefs’ offense, which has struggled to find a dominant ground threat despite having Isiah Pacheco and Kareem Hunt

“In each of the last four seasons, Isiah Pacheco or Kareem Hunt has led the Chiefs’ ground attack,” notes Bleacher Report’s Moe Morton. “Neither eclipsed 1,000 rushing yards in those years. Kansas City hasn’t had a 1,000-plus-yard rusher since Hunt won the rushing title with 1,327 yards in his 2017 rookie campaign.”

With Pacheco’s unflattering 2025 campaign (462 rushing yards on 118 carries and just a single touchdown), many believe he could face looming roster cuts. The Chiefs are coming off their first playoff miss in the Patrick Mahomes era, finishing their season 6-11. With Mahomes shaking off rust, the Chiefs could be heavily bought in on Walker’s upside.

Now, Kenneth Walker III’s decision will hinge on money and opportunity. He has escaped one championship team’s cap hell. Can he anchor Kansas City’s rebuild instead?