The Super Bowl is over, and now teams are going to start looking for ways to be the 2026 version of the Seattle Seahawks. One way to do that could be by adding some of their players who are set to be free agents in hopes of finding the secret sauce the Seahawks had.
One of those players is Kenneth Walker III, who finished with a PFSN RB Impact score of 65.8 in 2025 and is fresh off a Super Bowl MVP performance. Here are some teams that could be lining up to add the talented runner to their roster.
Chicago Bears
Before the emergence of D’Andre Swift in Ben Johnson’s offense, the Bears were sniffing around for potential upgrades at running back, and could look to do so again in free agency.
Kenneth Walker would allow them to get younger and more explosive in their run game, and he might be a better complement to Kyle Monangai.
Walker’s speed and ability to excel in the outside zones could give the Bears a more explosive element to their run game, while allowing Monangai to punish defenders between the tackles.
Carolina Panthers
Carolina had a solid 1-2 punch last season with Rico Dowdle flanking Chuba Hubbard behind Bryce Young.
Their run game helped the Panthers push the Los Angeles Rams to the brink of elimination in the Wild Card game. Despite that, Dowdle is a free agent and could look elsewhere after losing carries to Hubbard as the season wound down. That puts the Panthers in the market for a running back, and Walker could be the answer they are looking for to try to push themselves from a playoff team to one that is competing at the highest level.
Hubbard’s RBi was 51.6 a season ago, so that Walker would be an upgrade and likely start if he were to head to the opposite coast.
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos’ run game was a mess a season ago, and that was entirely on display in their 10-7 loss in the AFC Championship Game to the New England Patriots.
While the Patriots could not get much going on offense, they had some semblance of a ground game. Denver could not move the ball at all as conditions worsened and could not muster a single scoring drive that would have propelled them into the Super Bowl.
J.K. Dobbins and RJ Harvey were the primary backs for the Broncos a season ago. Dobbins missed significant time with an injury. Harvey averaged less than 4 yards per carry.
Walker would be an upgrade at both spots and would give Denver a more threatening backfield presence, complementing a fully recovered Bo Nix and a passing game that was the catalyst for their offense throughout a campaign that saw them finish with the one seed.
Kansas City Chiefs
The Chiefs are looking to retool their offense after a disastrous campaign saw them miss the playoffs for the first time in the Patrick Mahomes era.
One way to fix their offense would be to fix their ground game. Isaiah Pacheco has been solid if unspectacular as the primary running back in Kansas City, but the team needs more there.
The Chiefs have reason for optimism in the passing game with a full season of Rashee Rice and another year of development for Xavier Worthy. Travis Kelce may return for another season, but the Chiefs have yet to find that impact running back to take some pressure off their passing game.
Walker could give the Chiefs an explosive element in their run game. They’ve taken some shots there before, including using a first-round pick on Clyde Edwards-Helaire, but it has not worked. Perhaps adding the reigning Super Bowl MVP would.
Seattle Seahawks
Who says you can’t stay home? Yes, the Seahawks might be the best fit for Walker as he is set to hit free agency. He’s found a home there. He fits their offense well and was good in tandem with Zach Charbonnet.
Any goal of the reigning Super Bowl champion is to repeat the season they had the prior year, so the Seahawks have the same goal.
They do not have a replacement for Walker on the roster, and their offense was more explosive with Walker on the field than with Charbonnet. In addition, Charbonnet suffered a torn ACL in their Divisional Round victory over the San Francisco 49ers, which could make his status for the beginning of the season unclear.
Seattle’s Super Bowl window remains wide open, and keeping one of their top players should be one of their top priorities.
