The Seahawks have made their franchise tag decision.
The team will not tag Kenneth Walker III before Tuesday’s 4 p.m. deadline, ESPN.com reported. The Super Bowl MVP is now set to become an unrestricted free agent when the new NFL season opens.
With the Jets tagging pending free agent Breece Hall on Tuesday morning, Walker becomes the top running back on the market this offseason.
Walker has been in Seattle since he was selected in the second round (41st overall) of the 2022 NFL Draft out of Michigan State.
In his rookie season, he racked up 1,050 yards on the ground for nine touchdowns across 11 games and added a touchdown in the Seahawks’ wild-card loss to the 49ers. He was runner-up for Offensive Rookie of the Year.
Walker didn’t reach 1,000-plus yards in the following two playoff-less seasons in Seattle. But the 25-year-old Tennessee native logged 1,027 rushing yards and five touchdowns across 17 games and 282 receiving yards this past season.
He excelled in the postseason when backfield mate Zach Charbonnet tore his ACL in the Divisional Round.
Additionally, during a Super Bowl that saw very little offense until the second half, Walker was the standout performer.
He ran for 135 yards on 27 carries and had two receptions for 26 yards, which earned him the MVP of the game in his first Super Bowl.
The Seahawks walked away with a 29-13 victory to earn their first championship since 2013.
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