The cost of winning the Super Bowl is already coming due in Seattle.
The Seahawks are unlikely to place the franchise tag on Kenneth Walker III, according to ESPN, who is preparing to enter free agency after a wildly successful playoff run which ended with the Seahawks defeating the Patriots, 29-13, in the Super Bowl and the running back earning MVP honors in the game.
Seattle has several free agents due for new contracts, including two secondary starters in Coby Bryant and Tariq Woolen who will command a hefty price tag in free agency.
The Seahawks also acquired Rashid Shaheed ahead of the trade deadline, and they surely hope to re-sign him after he made a serious contribution on special teams and even made some plays on offense.
Perhaps, though, their biggest expense will be negotiating with superstar receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba.
While not a free agent this offseason, Smith-Njigba has a team option for the 2027 season, which Seattle likely hopes to tear up and give him a raise over multiple seasons.
It will be interesting to see whether there is money left over for Walker after he carried Seattle’s offense to a Super Bowl victory.
Walker split time during the regular season with Zach Charbonnet, though Charbonnet will likely miss most of the 2026 season with a torn ACL he sustained in the Divisional Round of the playoffs against the 49ers.
Walker ran for 313 yards and four touchdowns in the playoffs and rushed 27 times in the Super Bowl against the Patriots for 135 yards.
Despite ruling out the franchise tag for Walker, which would be about $14.2 million for next season, it appears that Seattle is still focused on bringing back their star running back.
General manager John Schneider joked that he and Walker were ready to hit the negotiating tables at the Super Bowl parade in an awkward moment.
“Ken Walker being the MVP — let’s go! He tried negotiating with me five minutes ago,” Schneider joked during the parade. “It was really weird.”
Pro Football Focus projected that Walker, 25, would receive a three-year $27 million contract this offseason.
