Despite winning the Vince Lombardi Trophy and earning Super Bowl MVP honors less than two weeks ago, the honeymoon phase may already be over for Kenneth Walker III.
With free agency just weeks away, one NFL analyst has suggested Seattle should move on from its star running back, a proposal that has Seahawks fans extremely conflicted.
Top NFL Analyst Urges Super Bowl Winning Seahawks to Move on From MVP
On Tuesday afternoon, during “The Herd”, NFL analyst Colin Cowherd discussed potential franchise-tag candidates this offseason. Cowherd immediately shifted his focus to the Super Bowl-winning Seattle Seahawks, particularly Walker, an upcoming free agent.
Although Walker is just two weeks removed from winning Super Bowl MVP, Cowherd was blunt in his assessment, stating, “There’s a very rational argument to let him go. These are the tough decisions you have to make so a one-time championship has the potential to become a dynasty.”
During the Seahawks’ 2025-26 postseason run, the fourth year back was unstoppable. Across three playoff games, Walker averaged 4.8 yards per carry, 104.3 rushing yards per game, 34.7 receiving yards per game, along with four total touchdowns.
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Unfortunately, while impressive, it is difficult to view his playoff averages as the full picture. Over 17 regular-season games, Walker posted a 65.8 RB Impact score, ranking 20th among all running backs, according to PFSN’s Impact metric.
Cowherd didn’t seem to help Walker’s case either, noting, “He can’t catch the ball out of the backfield or passblock. Hes kind of one dimensional… He gets hurt a lot.”
The analyst closed by praising general manager John Schneider, calling him “the best in the league, probably.” “He doesn’t franchise tag. He doesn’t want to get backed into a corner… My guess is, they can’t keep him.”
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While many Seahawks fans have likely grown attached to Walker over the past four seasons, and especially during the 2025-26 playoffs, parting ways with Walker may prove beneficial in the long run.
Running backs tend to regress quickly. A second contract for Walker would mean a multi-year deal, likely worth more than $10 million a season. Meanwhile, Seattle is an organization that has drafted and developed exceptionally well over the past few seasons. With this in mind, they could very well choose to move on from their Super Bowl MVP.
As for Walker, if he does not re-sign with Seattle, expect several franchises to attempt to negotiate with him and potentially bring him in as a workhorse back. For now, the franchise tag deadline does not close until March 3, meaning fans may have to wait a couple more weeks for a final decision.
