Seahawks Unlikely to Franchise Tag Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker III

Seattle has several key free agents to re-sign, including receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba

Feb. 18, 2026 at 11:15am

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The Seattle Seahawks are unlikely to place the franchise tag on running back Kenneth Walker III, who was named Super Bowl MVP after leading the team to a championship. The Seahawks have several other key free agents to re-sign, including secondary starters Coby Bryant and Tariq Woolen, as well as wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who has a team option they hope to tear up and give a long-term raise. While the team wants to bring back Walker, they may not have enough salary cap space to use the franchise tag on him, which would cost around $14.2 million for the 2026 season.

Why it matters

The Seahawks are facing tough decisions on how to allocate their salary cap space after winning the Super Bowl. Retaining their core players, including Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker III, will be crucial to their chances of defending their championship, but they have several other high-profile free agents that will also demand significant contracts.

The details

Walker split time during the regular season with Zach Charbonnet, who will likely miss most of the 2026 season with a torn ACL. In the playoffs, Walker rushed for 313 yards and 4 touchdowns, including 135 yards in the Super Bowl win over the Patriots. Despite the Seahawks' desire to bring back Walker, they may not have enough salary cap space to use the franchise tag on him, which would cost around $14.2 million for the 2026 season. Instead, they will likely try to sign him to a more team-friendly multi-year contract.

  • Kenneth Walker III was named Super Bowl MVP after the Seahawks' championship win on February 2, 2026.
  • Zach Charbonnet sustained a torn ACL in the Divisional Round of the playoffs against the 49ers.

The players

Kenneth Walker III

The Seahawks' star running back who was named Super Bowl MVP after leading the team to a championship.

Zach Charbonnet

The Seahawks' other running back who will likely miss most of the 2026 season with a torn ACL.

Coby Bryant

A Seahawks secondary starter who is set to become a free agent.

Tariq Woolen

Another Seahawks secondary starter who is set to become a free agent.

Jaxon Smith-Njigba

The Seahawks' star wide receiver who has a team option for the 2027 season that the team hopes to tear up and give him a long-term raise.

John Schneider

The Seahawks' general manager who joked with Kenneth Walker III about negotiating a new contract during the Super Bowl parade.

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What they’re saying

“Ken Walker being the MVP — let's go! He tried negotiating with me five minutes ago. It was really weird.”

— John Schneider, Seahawks General Manager (Instagram)

What’s next

The Seahawks will need to decide whether to use the franchise tag on Kenneth Walker III or try to sign him to a long-term contract. They also have several other key free agents to re-sign, including Coby Bryant, Tariq Woolen, and Rashid Shaheed.

The takeaway

The Seahawks' Super Bowl victory has come at a cost, as they now face difficult decisions on how to allocate their limited salary cap space to retain their core players. Keeping Kenneth Walker III and their other top free agents will be crucial to their chances of defending their championship, but it will require careful roster management and tough negotiations.