Seahawks reportedly make final franchise-tag call on Kenneth Walker III

Back in the middle of February, it was reported that the Seattle Seahawks were "unlikely to use their franchise tag" on running back and Super Bowl LX Most Valuable Player Kenneth Walker III before the deadline to do so arrived at 4 p.m. ET on Tuesday. 

It seems that nothing changed regarding the Seahawks' handling of Walker's status over the past couple of weeks. 

Seahawks ready to say goodbye to Kenneth Walker III?

ESPN's Adam Schefter reported early Tuesday afternoon that the Seahawks will let Walker become an unrestricted free agent when the new league year opens on March 11. The "legal tampering" period of free agency gets underway on March 9, and Walker's representatives should receive plenty of interest from teams with a need at the position.

The Houston Texans and New York Jets were seen as two teams that could have pursued a dynamic ball-carrier such as Walker. However, the Texans seemingly took themselves out of the Walker sweepstakes when they agreed to acquire David Montgomery from the Detroit Lions on Monday. 

Also on Tuesday, the Jets retained the rights to running back Breece Hall for 2026 via the franchise tag. Hall is on track to earn roughly $14.293M if he plays on the one-year tag, but the two sides have until July 15 to speak about a multiyear contract. 

With Hall not hitting the open market, Frank Schwab of Yahoo Sports has Walker as the top-rated running back set to reach free agency next week. According to ESPN stats, Walker led the 2025 Seahawks with 221 carries and 1,027 regular-season rushing yards. He tallied five rushing touchdowns over 17 games, and he also contributed 31 receptions for 282 yards. 

Where could Kenneth Walker III sign?

Walker was linked with the Kansas City Chiefs before Tuesday's developments, but they reportedly could look to draft Notre Dame’s Jeremiyah Love. Back on Feb. 17, ESPN's Matt Bowen argued that the Seahawks should attempt to re-sign Walker after fellow Seattle running back Zach Charbonnet suffered a torn ACL in mid-January that could sideline him for at least part of the 2026 season. It's unclear if the Seahawks are willing to get into any kind of bidding war for Walker's services.