The longer it goes, the less likely it feels Seattle will keep Walker, but one ESPN analyst has offered one way it could happen.
One of the biggest offseason storylines for the Seattle Seahawks is how the franchise will approach the pending free agency of running back Kenneth Walker.
With most signs pointing to the Seahawks not using the franchise tag on the Super Bowl MVP, that leaves Seattle with two options.
Let him test the market in free agency and likely lose him to another team. Or sign him to a long-term deal.
With Walker the main back for Mike Macdonald's team in 2025, with Zach Charbonnet likely out for a significant portion of 2026, there is a real chance that neither of Seattle's top two backs will be fit or on the roster for the opening of their Super Bowl defense.
That is problematic to say the least.
The big question is, how much does Seattle want to pay? We've heard Macdonald and general manager John Schneider state their desire to have Kenneth back in 2026, but money talks.
For ESPN's Brady Henderson, he's detailed the Seahawks' best hope at retaining Walker, and if we are being honest, it's a long shot at best.
"One contract analyst from a prominent agency estimated that Walker will command a three-year deal worth around $10 million in annual average," Henderson wrote. "Only nine running backs currently make that much per year.
"The best hope for the Seahawks getting a deal done with Walker is that a buyer's market for running backs keeps his price in Seattle's preferred territory."
Exactly what is Seattle's "preferred territory" is unknown, but we can't imagine it will be north of $10 million APY.
That will likely be where negotiations start.
We have even seen that Walker could get as much as $10 to $15 million APY, and that will certainly be a little too pricey for the Seahawks.
A James Cook-type deal at $12 million APY even seems too much, but the Seahawks know how valuable Walker is to their offense.
But again, money talks, and everything has a price, and we will find out how high the Seahawks will be willing to go.
Also, will Walker accept a discount? Not likely. And that makes Seattle's "preferred territory" likely to be where Kenneth won't want to land.
And that could mean he's elsewhere in 2026.