Seahawks face narrow window to make final decision on Super Bowl LX MVP in 2026

The Seattle Seahawks cruised to victory over the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LX. Led by a dominant performance on the ground from running back Kenneth Walker III, it was no surprise the 25-year-old—though several NFL fans believed kicker Jason Myers or the defense were more deserving of it—was named the game’s Most Valuable Player (MVP). Now, Seattle is set to make a decision on Walker III.

The Seahawks’ pending free agents list is filled with top weapons on Mike Macdonald’s side. However, none poses a sweating decision quite like Walker III does. In that regard, the clock will start ticking shortly for the Seahawks to make their decision.

As reported by analyst Field Yates, the window for teams to use their franchise tags will open on February 17. It will close on March 3, giving every NFL organization—including the reigning Super Bowl LX champions—a two-week period to negotiate with pending free agents and decide who, if anyone, will receive the franchise tag for one more season.

Given the league-wide caution toward investing heavily in running backs, Walker III could very well be Seattle’s franchise-tag candidate in 2026. Despite his heroic performance throughout the NFL Playoffs—with Zach Charbonnet sidelined for the season—Walker III may face contract limitations due to the consistently low value the league places on the tailback position.

Kenneth Walker III #9 of the Seattle Seahawks

Walker contract situation

The half-back out of Michigan State completed his fourth season in the league in 2026. With his rookie contract, valued at $8.4 million coming to an end, Walker III is now up for an extension.

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Considering the success he’s had with Seattle and the solid foundations set in place for the Hawks to chase back-to-back Super Bowls in 2026, there aren’t many reasons to believe Walker III would want to head anywhere else.

Still, if he ends up in free agency, there’s no way of telling if another team will break the piggy bank for him. After all, Walker III has put the entire league on notice in national television. Walker III proved he is among the best, after being limited throughout the season. When it mattered the most, he was up for the challenge. Now, he has a Super Bowl ring to show for.

Seattle would love to run it back

If it were up to him—and even possible in today’s NFL—head coach Macdonald would bring everybody back in a heartbeat. He admitted that after the game, confessing that as much joy as winning Super Bowl LX brought, he wished the season wasn’t over so the group could stay together. The 2025 campaign has been a dream for Seattle, and as it comes to an end, the Seahawks only wish it’s one they don’t have to wake up from.

However, in the NFL, that’s not really possible. In fact, departures have already begun in Seattle. Offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak made an unexpected announcement after Super Bowl LX, confirming he is headed to an AFC West organization to become an NFL head coach.

There’s a reason dynasties are hard—and increasingly harder—to come by. Super Bowl–winning rosters are carved up by the rest of the league in free agency, and almost every team finds itself back at square one by the time of the NFL Draft. That’s what makes the NFL so magical: it’s virtually impossible to predict who will win year in and year out. As a result, it becomes easy to sell fans on the promise that “there’s always next year,” even after catastrophic campaigns.