It sounds like Kenneth Walker III is setting himself up for disaster like a lot of top free agents do
Walker wants a big payday and that doesn’t always equal success after the ink dries.
Kenneth Walker III is expected to earn a huge payday once free agency (technically) kicks off in about 24 hours.
It doesn’t sound like it’ll be with the Seahawks, either. Seattle would love to have him back, but Mike Macdonald and Co. have several other key in-house free agents they want to keep, which eats into the amount of overall money they can give Walker III.
No one is saying the ‘Hawks are looking to lowball the Super Bowl MVP – they just have several other needs to address. It’s a game of balance, essentially, and the Seahawks need to optimize their Super Bowl window as much as possible.
But on the other side, it sounds like Walker III is looking to take as much money off the table as possible. And while that’s understandable, especially considering his position, the reported teams he’s considering should certainly cause one to step back and reevaluate the situation.
Walker III reportedly has interest in bottom feeders like the Titans, Giants, and Commanders
Walker III has already been linked to the Giants by a few New York reporters and outlets. The Titans, on the other hand, have been relatively unheard of, so far.
Per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, those two teams have Walker III interested, as well as the Washington Commanders. In all that’s three teams picking in the top-7 of the draft and all three have offensive line issues, as well as some questions at quarterback and receiver.
In other words: None of the above teams are considered to be “good situations”. The Commanders are on the fence thanks to Jayden Daniels, but even he has to regain some trust after a down year.
“I’m hearing Walker will consider the Giants and Commanders among his options, with the Titans as a possibility, too.” – Jeremy Fowler
Walker III is chasing the bag and that can easily blow up in his face
Again, it’s nearly impossible to blame Walker for going after the highest offer. While the market has drastically improved, running backs remain a “disposable” position for most teams. Coming off a career year and Super Bowl MVP at the age of 25, it’s 100% obvious this is Walker’s best chance at earning the biggest payday of his career.
However, in free agency, going after top dollar usually means a player is attaching themselves to one of the NFL’s worst teams. Right now, of the current top-10 in cap space, only four teams made the playoffs last year and the New England Patriots and Pittsburgh Steelers are a bit of an exception because they don’t have good quarterbacks with outrageous salaries, right now (that is until Drake Maye gets paid after this year).
The other six teams are the Raiders, Titans, Commanders, Jets, Cardinals, and Bengals. Check this out, too: All six are picking in the top-10 of the draft in 2026, with the Raiders, Titans, Jets and Cardinals all picking 1-2-3-4.
While a max payday is great, it would also behoove Walker to maybe take a few million per year less to stay with the Seahawks, who are clearly a team that will be around for awhile. Signing up with one of the three squads he’s interested in could quickly blow up in his face and put him on the outs in the near future, especially if he doesn’t live up to the deal he eventually signs.
A sustainable run with the Seahawks could, in fact, set him up for another payday down the line, as well. NFL careers end in the blink of an eye, so getting paid is important, but if Walker really wants to max out his earnings, it’s far better to stick with Seattle than try and help a rebuilding team that has the potential of being dismantled, yet again, in a couple of years.
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