Overview
- ESPN’s Peter Schrager and Adam Schefter report Seattle will not tag Kenneth Walker III, positioning him to be an unrestricted free agent when the league year opens March 11 after the legal tampering window begins March 9.
- The running back tag was projected around $14.2–$14.5 million for 2026, a fully guaranteed one-year charge Seattle is passing on, with a transition tag estimate near $11.3 million also deemed unlikely.
- Analyst projections peg Walker’s next deal at roughly $13–14 million per year (Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer and Matt Verderame), and the Jets setting Breece Hall’s tag at $14.293 million strengthens Walker’s leverage.
- Potential suitors mentioned across reports include the Chiefs and Giants, while GM John Schneider has said Seattle would like Walker back but must weigh broader roster and extension priorities.
- Walker rushed for 1,027 yards in 2025 and earned Super Bowl MVP with 135 rushing yards, and his departure would be notable historically while Seattle’s depth is thinned by Zach Charbonnet’s torn ACL.