One can ask Seattle Seahawks general manager John Schneider if he wants the team to re-sign Kenneth Walker in free agency, but don't ask him if the team will place the franchise tag on Walker if he isn't likely to be brought back. Schneider doesn't like giving away his plans.
Speaking with the media at the 2026 NFL combine, Seattle Times reporter Bob Condotta asked Schneider about using the tag on the running back. The GM simply responded by saying, "That's a good try, Bob."
More importantly, Schneider said that the team would "love to have Ken back." But the general manager has also been around long enough to know how the business of football works. He also knows that what the team got from Walker in 2025 might not be how things work in the future.
Seattle Seahawks general manager John Schneider definitely wants Kenneth Walker to return
Kenneth Walker is an extremely gifted back, of course. He is explosive and has surprising power. He single-handedly carried the Seahawks offense at times late in the season and was a worthy Super Bowl LX MVP. But in prior seasons, Walker missed multiple games and wasn't as consistently productive. He struggled to get to 4 yards per carry sometimes.
Does Seattle need Walker back? Yes, but Seattle shouldn't overpay for the running back, and that is where things get tricky. Running backs take a lot of punishment, of course, and the lifespan of a player who plays the position is not as long as that of most others. How well will Walker hold up in the future? It's a risk.
Is John Schneider clear in his feelings about Walker? Of course. He wants Walker to return, and maybe placing the franchise tag on the RB is an option, but not a probable one. Schneider has only placed the tag on two players in his 16 years with the team. One of those was on edge rusher Frank Clark when the team already had a tag-and-trade agreement worked out with the Chiefs.
Instead, the Seattle Seahawks almost certainly want Walker to come back on a deal for three years or so, and that has no guaranteed money after year one. This is the normal way of doing business for John Schneider, and he isn't likely to change with Walker. Having him back would be ideal, but the GM isn't going to break the proverbial bank to do so.