In recent years, many NFL teams have been reluctant to offer big contracts to running backs in free agency because they found there was better value at other positions and cheaper running backs could get the job done. This appears to be bad news for Kenneth Walker, who is still a month away from becoming a free agent.
But Seahawks running back Walker, who was named the Super Bowl LX MVP, entered free agency at the right time.
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That’s partly because his MVP-winning performance (combined with the 256 yards from scrimmage and four touchdowns he had in the Seahawks’ other two playoff games) will make the Seahawks eager to re-sign him, and if the Seahawks don’t do anything to keep him in Seattle, he’ll have his skills on full display with 31 other NFL teams.
Part of the reason is that Walker enters free agency at a young age: Walker will be 26 during the 2026 regular season, so a team that signs him to a lucrative contract could expect to pay him during his prime years without guaranteeing him anything in his 30s.
Walker had a stellar regular season, rushing 221 times for 1,027 yards and a career-high 4.65 yards per carry. He might just be the running back the Seahawks and other teams are willing to invest in a big contract, even though big contracts are becoming harder and harder to find for running backs.
