Super Bowl LX will be remembered for all the noise generated around its halftime show, beyond what unfolded on the field between the New England Patriots and the Seattle Seahawks
The matchup was dull, lacking excitement, with few points scored, ultimately leaving the Seahawks as the reigning champions. However, there was one element that satisfied many observers: watching running back Kenneth Walker III rise as the game’s most outstanding player.
Now, within the championship franchise, a complicated situation is unfolding as they attempt to retain their star running back. Free agency is approaching, and if they fail to reach a favorable agreement with him, they will see him walk out of their facilities.
Seattle will not use the franchise tag on Kenneth Walker III
Time is ticking, and Seattle must act to prevent its standout runner from choosing to seek a better contract once free agency opens on March 11, 2026, at 4:00 pm ET.
According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, the team is not expected to use the franchise tag on the running back who delivered them glory in Super Bowl LX. In doing so, he would become an unrestricted free agent, and any new contract secured with another organization would likely place him among the league’s highest-paid players at his position.
Schefter wrote regarding the championship player.
It is worth recalling that in the title game he rushed for 135 yards on 27 carries, while adding another 26 yards through the air. From the outset, the franchise placed its trust in his abilities, and he did not disappoint.
A history of MVPs who leave the championship team
This would not be the first instance in which a Super Bowl MVP departs from the team with which he reached the pinnacle. On previous occasions, such scenarios have occurred, though with limited success for the new organizations they joined.
- Larry Brown won Super Bowl XXX with the Cowboys before leaving for the Oakland Raiders
- Desmond Howard captured SB XXXI and earned MVP honors with the Green Bay Packers; he later departed for the Raiders
- Dexter Jackson secured SB XXXVII with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the following year moved on to Arizona
For all of them, the glory ultimately became a memory, as with their new teams, they achieved little and never returned to play in another championship game.
That is why both sides may currently be engaged in a tug-of-war, attempting to find common ground that allows them to continue together and pursue a second championship ring in the 2026 season.
However, if no suitable agreement is reached, the running back will become a coveted asset, one who will command a multimillion-dollar contract and join a select club of victorious players whose bank accounts reflect their success.
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