Kenneth

Walker

Walker has been bandied about as a possible target for the tag, though Adam Schefter reported it was unlikely last week. This could perhaps be another space for the transition tag, as Breece Hall is learning. That tag would simply allow the Seahawks to match any offer Walker signs in free agency. Regardless of what they do, with Zach Charbonnet likely out well into the season, the Seahawks are heavily incentivized to keep Walker.

Retaining other free agents and signing Jaxon Smith-Njigba to a new mega-deal are the Seattle’s priorities this offseason. They’ll likely let Walker, Super Bowl MVP who propelled the Seahawks to a championship this season, explore free agency in the coming months. Walker will have a range of suitors, including teams that will surely be willing to make him a clearcut lead back after Walker shared the workload with the ultra-inefficient Zach Charbonnet in 2024 and 2025. Look for Walker to get a huge deal — as far as running back contracts go — from a team ready to make him the centerpiece of their offense. Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio said the Seahawks front office might “believe that Walker won’t get what he’s looking for on the open market” and make a run at bringing him back to Seattle on a short-term deal.

Rapoport adds that “it does sound like Seattle would like to keep him.” In a three-player segment, Rapoport only mentioned the transition tag in relation to Walker. The transition tag is worth less than the franchise tag, but it allows the player to go “shop” his contract offer from the his current team to see if another team will beat it.

Continuing to shine in Zach Charbonnet’s (ACL) injury absence, Walker was the offensive star of the show in a game where points were at a premium. His box score would have been even bigger had a late long touchdown run not been called back by a dubious holding call. He was named Super Bowl MVP for his efforts. One of the most hotly-debated backs in all of fantasy football, Walker finally stayed healthy for an entire season but could never shake Charbonnet as his co-starting back. It was Charbonnet who featured in the red zone, rendering Walker something of a between-the-20s specialist even as he out-caught Charbonnet 31-20. Charbonnet held up better in pass protection and never put the ball on the ground. For his part, KWIII fumbled just once. Walker is an explosive back, but one who frustrates coaching staffs with his circuitous run paths. Now headed to free agency, it’s unclear if Walker will be back in Seattle considering Mike Macdonald’s lack of faith in the game’s highest-leverage spots. Of course, KWIII’s strong playoffs will undoubtedly complicate that calculus. Walker turns 26 in October.

Walker is set to be a free agent this offseason and has been highly valuable to the Seahawks during their postseason run to the Super Bowl. Walker has rushed 38 times for 178 yards and four touchdowns for the Seahawks in their two playoff games while catching another seven passes for 70 yards. The knee injury Zach Charbonnet suffered in the team’s Divisional Round win vs. the 49ers is expected to sideline him for the start of next season, which will likely play a role in how aggressive the Seahawks are in re-signing Walker. Speaking with the media earlier in the week, head coach Mike Macdonald also said the team wants Walker back this offseason. We’ll see how quickly a deal gets worked out in the coming months, but there seems to be mutual interest on both sides at this point.

He played 42 of Seattle’s 67 snaps, yielding 23 to George Holani as the main backup. Walker was absolutely incredible in the first quarter, putting Rams LB Omar Speights in a blender to create a major gain. He managed just 11 carries for 27 yards in the final three frames, but was heavily involved in the passing game as the Seahawks were able to create opportunities for him to weave in and out of traffic in space. He heads into Super Bowl LX as Seattle’s comfortable No. 1 back and arguably their second-most important offensive weapon outside of Jaxon Smith-Njigba.

With Zach Charbonnet out for the remainder of the postseason because of a torn ACL, the Seahawks are considerably thin at RB2. Holani was just activated off injured reserve and Akers didn’t join the team until the middle of the season. Akers does not have a carry with Seattle this year and Holani has just 22 attempts. Though we do buy that both backs will see the field today, it’s hard to imagine Seattle doing anything other than leaning on Kenneth Walker. Walker gashed the 49ers for 116 yards and three scores on 19 carries last week. He remains the top fantasy option at running back for the Conference Championship slate.

Macdonald’s phrasing suggests Holani, not RB Cam Akers nor RB Velus Jones, would operate as the team’s No. 2 running back behind Walker, with former No. 2 RB Zach Charbonnet sidelined by a season-ending ACL tear. Macdonald adds that it is “realistic” for Holani to play this week. He has a chance to take on pass-protection duties while chipping in as a rotational ballcarrier.

Holani has been on IR since he injured his hamstring in Week 12 against the Titans. He could see an uptick in snaps and usage this week against the Rams in the NFC title game with Zach Charbonnet (ACL) done for the season. Holani could rotate with Cam Akers behind lead back Ken Walker, fresh off a three-touchdown outing against the 49ers. A bigger back, Holani could potentially take goal line touches over Walker.

Macdonald praised Walker as the veteran prepares to take over as the Seahawks’ lead back with Zach Charbonnet (ACL) done for the remainder of the season. Walker ran wild against the 49ers in the Divisional Round, totaling 116 yards and three touchdowns on 19 carries. “I think you’re seeing the results in the past X amount of weeks now of ... stacking all those reps,” Macdonald said. “I thought this was the most decisive he’s ran up to this point, and as expected, you just keep getting better and keep finding ways to improve, especially in the run game. He’s done a great job.” Walker has long had issues with looking for the big play and losing yardage instead of taking what the defense gives him. He’ll need to continue being decisive in the NFC title game against a Rams defense allowing the league’s tenth lowest rush EPA since Week 10.