Kenneth Walker III will finish his rookie contract in nine days, at Super Bowl LX. He’ll then have only five weeks until becoming eligible for the open market.
The Seahawks hope to bring him back.
“Ken has been awesome,” G.M. John Schneider told reporters on Thursday. “Explosive. I would say maybe a little bit more decisive the last month and a half. He’s a free agent. We’d love to have him back.”
In 2022, Walker rushed for 1,050 yards as a rookie, averaging 4.6 yards per carry. He finished second in the voting for Associated Press offensive rookie of the year.
His next two seasons didn’t go as well. This year has, with another 1,000-yard performance — and another 4.6 YPC.
Walker had 100 yards on only 11 carries in the Thursday night overtime classic against the Rams. He added 97 in the Week 18 win over the 49ers that clinched the top seed in the NFC.
In the divisional-round rematch against San Francisco, Walker rushed for 116 yards on 19 carries, with three touchdowns. Against the Rams in the NFC Championship, he had another 19 carries, for 62 yards.
He’ll be a key piece of the Seattle offense in the Super Bowl, especially since the passing game thrives on play-action that sets up shots down the field. And especially since Zach Charbonnet is out with a torn ACL.
The challenge becomes putting the right value on Walker’s potential for 2026 and beyond. With each week in the postseason, he’s performing for more and more teams that are making their offseason plans. That could make it expensive for the Seahawks to keep him. Possibly, more expensive than they’re willing to pay.