SEATTLE — The confetti has barely settled from Seattle’s Super Bowl LX victory, but the front office is already making hard decisions. Despite a legendary MVP performance that brought the Lombardi Trophy back to the Pacific Northwest, running back Kenneth Walker III is unlikely to receive the franchise tag this offseason, according to a report from ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
The “Super Bowl Tax” Strikes
Fresh off a dominant 29-13 victory over the New England Patriots, the Seahawks are facing the financial reality of a championship roster. Schefter reported Tuesday morning that general manager John Schneider is unlikely to utilize the tag on Walker, primarily due to the team’s tight salary cap situation—often dubbed the “Super Bowl tax.”
The franchise tag window opened Tuesday and runs through March 3. For a running back, the one-year tender is projected at $14.5 million for the 2026 season. While Walker has been the engine of Seattle’s offense, that price point appears too steep for a team looking to balance its books and retain multiple key free agents.
By The Numbers: An MVP Resume
Walker’s leverage has never been higher. The 2022 second-round pick didn’t just play; he dominated.
- Regular Season Reliability: Walker played all 17 games for the first time in his four-year career, rushing for 1,027 yards and five touchdowns while adding 282 receiving yards.
- Playoff Workhorse: When Zach Charbonnet went down with a torn ACL in the Divisional Round, Walker put the team on his back. He racked up 313 rushing yards and four touchdowns across three postseason games.
- The MVP Moment: In Super Bowl LX, Walker became the first running back since Terrell Davis (1997) to win MVP, erupting for 161 total yards on 29 touches to seal the title.
” The team has multiple free agents it wants to re-sign… and it will try to sign standout wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba to a contract extension.”
— Adam Schefter, ESPN (via Social Media)
What’s Next: The JSN Factor
The decision to bypass the tag isn’t just about Walker; it’s about the future of the passing game. The report indicates Seattle is prioritizing a contract extension for star receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba before he enters the final year of his rookie deal.
This leaves Walker to test the open market unless a long-term deal is reached before free agency begins. History suggests the Seahawks won’t budge easily on the tag; under Schneider, the team has used it only twice since 2010 (kicker Olindo Mare and defensive end Frank Clark). With Charbonnet recovering from a serious knee injury, letting the Super Bowl MVP walk would be a massive gamble, but it’s one the Seahawks might be forced to take.
