3 best Kenneth Walker III free agent destinations after winning Super Bowl MVP

Story by

Story by
3 best Kenneth Walker III free agent destinations after winning Super Bowl MVP

Troy Finnegan, ClutchPoints · ClutchPoints

Wed, Feb 11, 2026 ·

5 min read

About Our Ads

3 best Kenneth Walker III free agent destinations after winning Super Bowl MVP appeared first on ClutchPoints . Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here .

Every year in the NFL, the playoffs produces new superstars around the league. The Seattle Seahawks were full of breakout stars who had big playoff games in all three of Seattle's postseason wins on its way to a Super Bowl LX title.

Perhaps none of those stars broke out more than running back Kenneth Walker III , who ran for more than 100 yards in all three games and won Super Bowl MVP on Sunday after running for 135 yards on 27 carries against the Patriots .

Now, Walker will enter free agency as one of the top running backs available along with Breece Hall , but he is a bit of an interesting evaluation. The Michigan State product is one of the most gifted pure runners in the league, with explosive speed in the open field and an incredible shiftiness to make defenders miss in tight spaces. This season, Walker became a more patient runner, willing to let plays develop instead of bouncing it outside at first chance.

However, Walker doesn't do much else outside of running the football. The Seahawks almost never asked him to stay in and pass protect, even leaning on George Holani for that role after Zach Charbonnet went down with an injury . He also is not a very good receiver, evidenced by a key drop in the Super Bowl on Sunday.

Despite that, there is no question that Walker increased his value during a playoff run that saw him rack up 417 yards from scrimmage and four total touchdowns in three games. Where are the best landing spots for the former second-round pick?

Seattle Seahawks

For much of the season, the feeling in Seattle seemed to be that Walker would be gone in 2026. Charbonnet is a productive runner and a more well-rounded back than Walker is and would be poised to step into a bigger role next season if the Seahawks let Walker walk in free agency.

Now, however, a lot has changed. Walker was a superstar in the postseason, becoming an engine of a Seahawks offense that played some of its best football. Charbonnet also suffered a torn ACL in the Divisional Round against the 49ers , and there is a good chance that he won't be ready to start the season.

That makes Walker much more valuable to the Seahawks, who will likely be more inclined to bring him back in free agency even at a steeper price. Seattle will need to stay balanced after the departure of offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak , who is now the head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders , so Walker landing back in the Pacific Northwest makes a lot more sense this offseason.

Carolina Panthers

If Walker does end up leaving Seattle, the Carolina Panthers should be one of the top landing spots for him. Chuba Hubbard recently got an extension from the Panthers, but it's clear that he is not a true workhorse back. With Rico Dowdle hitting free agency this offseason, this is a good chance for the Panthers to upgrade.

From Carolina's side, Walker represents a more explosive option than either Dowdle or Hubbard and would really add some juice to the running game. Hubbard would be able to do a lot of the third down stuff that Walker isn't as good at, making the two of them a good fit together. When Carolina was at its best this season, the running game was doing a lot of the heavy lifting and putting Young in advantageous situations, and adding Walker could keep that trend going in 2026.

From Walker's point of view, this is a good fit as well. He played his first few years in college close by at Wake Forest, the Panthers sit middle of the pack in cap space and they have a good offensive line that would give him opportunities to have big games. Walker would be the lead back in the gameplan for Dave Canales and company, so this is an ideal fit on both sides.

Kansas City Chiefs

It's no secret that the Chiefs have been yearning for more offensive artillery for a while now, and what better way to do it than by bringing in one of the best big-play backs in the league. Kansas City has actually been a successful run game from down-to-down recently, but the duo of Isiah Pacheco and Kareem Hunt has barely been able to generate any explosive runs.

Having someone that can do that would take a lot of the weight off of the shoulders of Patrick Mahomes next season when he comes back from his torn ACL injury. Despite having Mahomes and Travis Kelce , the Chiefs have shown the intention of wanting to run the ball at times. They certainly have the offensive line talent to do so, with Trey Smith and Creed Humphrey on the interior and Josh Simmons at left tackle.

The Chiefs have no cap space, but they have some wiggle room there if they restructure Mahomes' contract and cut Jawaan Taylor , who has been overpaid at right tackle. Is using that limited space on a running back the smart move here? Maybe not, but it would be a lot of fun to see what this offense could do with Walker in the backfield.

Mobilize your Website

View Site in Mobile | Classic

Share by: