Chiefs eye Super Bowl MVP as Seahawks’ search for replacement lands on four top free agents
Kenneth Walker III is set to become an unrestricted free agent.
After the Seattle Seahawks opted not to place their franchise tag on their No. 1 option at running back, the current Super Bowl champions are now at risk of losing a key member of their offense.
It might yet turn out to be that Walker III’s last ever game for the Emerald City outfit was a Super Bowl MVP-winning one.
In the matchup against the New England Patriots at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California, the 25-year-old erupted for 135 rushing yards from 27 carries, and tacked on an additional 26 receiving yards from two receptions.
He became the first running back to win Super Bowl MVP since Denver Broncos running back Terrell Davis in 1997.
Walker III now enters the free agency market as the top back available, following the New York Jets‘ decision to take star RB Breece Hall.
According to Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer, he could command a yearly salary between $12 million and $16 million, with the NFL reporter also naming the Denver Broncos and Kansas City Chiefs as top landing spots, alongside a return to Seattle.
“The [Breece Hall] tag also helps to further define the running back market,” Breer wrote. “It leaves Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker III alone as the top back on the market, and Walker will probably wind up getting somewhere between $12 million and $16 million per season, from a team like the Seahawks, Broncos or Chiefs.
“It also makes Jaguars RB Travis Etienne Jr. the clear-cut No. 2 guy on the market, and I wouldn’t be surprised if Etienne pulls down $10 million per year.
Back on February 26, Breer spoke at more length about the Chiefs potentially emerging as a frontrunner for a player like that of Walker III, should the Seahawks allow him to enter the market.
“Andy Reid’s history would tell you that Kansas City might be hesitant to do it,” Breer wrote.
“But the Chiefs engaged the Jets before the trade deadline on a potential deal for Breece Hall, and GM Brett Veach said at his press conference here that the team will be actively looking to get more explosive in the run game this offseason.
“While drafting Notre Dame’s Jeremiyah Love would be a more economical way to accomplish that, there’s no assurance that a guy who many see as the draft’s top player, even at a devalued position, will be there when the Chiefs pick at No. 9.”
The Chiefs’ run game was a particular area of weakness 2025, with them averaging just 106.6 rushing yards per game during the regular season, with veteran back Kareem Hunt the team’s leading rusher with 611 yards and eight touchdowns from 163 carries.
Seattle preparing list of potential Walker replacements
Meanwhile, Walker III is coming off his second 1,000-plus yard season of his four-year career.
Averaging 4.6 yards per carry – tying his career high from his rookie campaign in 2022 – the former Wake Forest and Michigan State star amassed 1,027 yards and five touchdowns from 221 attempts in the regular season.
He tacked on an additional 313 yards and four scores from just 65 attempts (4.8 yards per carry) en route to becoming a Super Bowl champion, in which he averaged 104.3 yards across the Seahawks’ three post-season games.
Thus, he would be a huge loss for a Seattle outfit led by Sam Darnold that is looking to defend their title in next season.
Although the Seahawks will be hoping they can present him an offer that will convince him to return to the Emerald City, there is no guarantee.
“When something like this happens and you’re not tagging a guy, you’re giving them a freedom and the price will climb up to where he’s gonna get a great offer somewhere,” NFL insider Adam Schefter said on The Pat McAfee Show on Tuesday.
“Obviously, it has to be a very hard decision for Seattle to make … But you can’t just pay everybody. … In this particular case, they can’t afford to franchise Kenneth Walker 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.”
Gainwell, Allgeier, Dowdle, Etienne Jr. all in the mix
With a real possibility of losing a player of his caliber, the Seahawks have been forced into compiling a list of replacements that they could pursue free agency, having already missed the opportunity to pursue David Montgomery after he was traded to the Houston Texans on Monday.
“They’re gonna add one of these running backs in this market,” Schefter said. “Somebody’s not going to get the deal that they want, and I don’t know who it is, but one of these free agent backs is gonna wind up out in Seattle.
“I don’t know whether that’s Kenneth Gainwell or Tyler Allgeier, but take a look at some of these top free agents, there’s a lot of good players.”
Tyler Allgeier may have seen a decrease in production for the Atlanta Falcons in 2025, but he recorded a career-high eight touchdowns after rushing for 514 yards from 143 reps.
On the other hand, Kenneth Gainwell had a career year with the Pittsburgh Steelers, where despite being the back up to Jaylen Warren, the 26-year-old rushed for 537 yards and five touchdowns, averaging 4.7 yards per carry.
Both would be available at a very decent price that the Seahawks could afford with their $58 million available in cap space, though they will like to use that to extend 2025 Offensive Player of the Year Jaxon Smith-Njigba and standout cornerback Devon Witherspoon.
Other notable names available on the open market include Rico Dowdle, who rushed for 1,000-plus yards in back-to-back seasons for the Dallas Cowboys and Carolina Panthers in 2024 and 2025, respectively.
Dowdle could be a good option for Seattle as a veteran power runner who could compete to start while Zach Charbonnet continues to rehab a torn ACL suffered during the playoffs.
But there is also the real possibility of being able to bring in someone like an Etienne Jr.
“Etienne is a full-time, three-down type of a back to me,” CBS analyst Charles Davis said on Tuesday. “He’s that guy. Like, go back a couple of seasons (ago) … and then go ahead and look at what he did this year.
“When you utilize him fully in your offense and he is a focal point, … he’s a guy who can stay on the field and give you really good play.”
The Jags back could also be a significantly cheaper option for Seattle if they are to lose their Super Bowl MVP, with Spotrac projecting him with a market value of approximately $6.8 milliion per year – almost half of Walker’s.
Should Walker leave Seattle, he would become just the fourth player in NFL history to be named Super Bowl MVP and leave for another team the season after, joining Larry Brown, Desmond Howard and Dexter Jackson.
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