Super Bowl LX showed the Minnesota Vikings what their top priority should be in free agency
It’s not often that a Super Bowl MVP will be available in free agency, but that’s exactly what is primed to happen in March.
The 2025 season is officially over for all 32 teams after the Seattle Seahawks defeated the New England Patriots 29-13.
The story of the game was how well the defenses played while keeping the game entertaining. Both teams were thriving defensively, and the game went into halftime with the Seahawks leading 9-0. Each team was hyper-aggressive in attacking the opposing quarterback, and head coach Mike Macdonald’s unit got the best of Drake Maye.
Minnesota Vikings need to target Kenneth Walker III in free agency
The other big story from Sunday’s game was Kenneth Walker III’s success. He wasn’t just the story of the game, but also the entire playoffs. He ran for 135 yards against the Patriots and had a touchdown late in the fourth quarter taken off the board by a holding penalty. He was the only consistent offensive player in the first half, and he won Super Bowl MVP honors.
Walker wasn’t just consistent; he was explosive throughout the game, serving as the catalyst for the first three field-goal drives. That consistency was there all postseason, as he put up 313 yards and four touchdowns on the ground, while catching nine passes for 104 yards. His performance was huge for the Seahawks, as Zach Charbonnet tore his ACL in the divisional round.
This performance sealed the deal: the Vikings need to target Walker in free agency.
The Seahawks selected Walker in the second round of the 2022 NFL Draft out of Michigan State. He was an explosive player from the jump, and that’s something that the Vikings need. They finished 27th in the NFL this past season with 410 rushing attempts, largely due to game script, but only two other teams with winning records finished ranked 20th or worse.
The Vikings’ running game is a little bit stale from a schematic standpoint, but the addition of assistant coach Frank Smith should make a serious impact on that. The one thing that the Vikings don’t have in the backfield is an explosive element. Walker would provide that, and Jordan Mason would be his Zach Charbonnet.
It feels a little odd to think that the Seahawks would move on from Walker, but he is a free agent, and the franchise tag for running backs is projected to be $14.536 million, per Over The Cap. He made just $1,856,124 in cash during the regular season, and that is primed to be significantly more next year.
This run from Sunday night would have been stuffed in the backfield with Aaron Jones or Mason, but Walker turned it upfield for over 30 yards.
The Vikings have a lot of moves to make with the salary cap, but the addition of Walker could elevate the offense to an impressive level, and maybe convince head coach Kevin O’Connell to run the ball more.