The Seahawks are facing a battle to keep Kenneth Walker, and now it might have gotten a whole lot tougher to keep the Super Bowl MVP.
Kenneth Walker is set to have the NFL world at his feet this offseason, and the Seattle Seahawks are set to be the big losers of it.
With Walker, a pending free agent, and you could argue, coming off his best-ever season in the NFL, as he helped catapult Seattle into the Super Bowl and then win it, his value has never been higher.
And that is a problem for the Seahawks.
Yes, the franchise has ample cap space, but there are a host of other in-house free agents, and don't forget, the team has to improve to defend its title as well.
So there are a host of reasons the Seahawks might find it tough to keep Walker around, with the main one being his proposed contract.
Several reports are floating around that Walker could command between $10 and $15 million APY, and we get the sense that might be a little too rich for Seattle.
But now here comes Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer with what he heard from the scouting combine, and it spells doom for Seattle's chances of keeping Walker.
"Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker III’s situation with the Seahawks remains an interesting one," Breer wrote. "Presuming the Seahawks decline to tag Walker, the Chiefs loom as an interesting suitor."
Hmm, ok.
Yes, the Seahawks have just won a Super Bowl, but you will be hard-pressed to find players who don't think the idea of playing with Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid is a superb opportunity.
Walker, it appears, has a big decision to make.
The Seahawks, if things fall their way over the coming months, could be in good shape to defend their Super Bowl title, and that might entice Kenneth.
But if the Chiefs come calling, the chance to play with Mahomes might be too hard to say no to.
Of course, money will factor in, and we aren't sure the Chiefs could match a $10 million APY offer or more, but they did want to trade for Breece Hall last season, so who knows.
But this latest news from Breer is a little shot to the Seahawks' confidence, because fending off free agent bids is one thing, but when that bid is coming from an AFC powerhouse, that might be too hard for Walker to refuse.