The Seattle Seahawks made history with an incredible 2025 Super Bowl season. But this spring, they could be on the wrong side of history when it comes to running back Kenneth Walker.
Walker could become just the fourth Super Bowl MVP to begin the following season on another team.
If Walker departs, the Seahawks will have a significant hole on offense. To potentially fill that void, CBS Sports’ Bryan DeArdo argued Seattle should take a significant risk and sign former Pro Bowler Najee Harris.
“It’s conceivable that Harris would be able to mimic what Walker has brought to Seattle’s offense,” DeArdo wrote. “While Walker may be slightly more talented and versatile as a runner, Harris is a better pass-catcher. He also wouldn’t have an issue sharing the workload with Zach Charbonnet after he was asked to do so in Pittsburgh with Jaylen Warren and Omarion Hampton in Los Angeles.”
Harris made the Pro Bowl as a rookie for the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2021. He was a workhorse during that campaign, leading the league with 381 touches.
Harris rushed for a career-high 1,200 yards and seven touchdowns while adding 74 receptions and 467 receiving yards in 2021.
Over all four of his seasons with the Steelers, Harris eclipsed the 1,000-yard rushing mark. Last year, injuries limited him to three games for the Los Angeles Chargers.
Why Najee Harris is More Cost Efficient Than Kenneth Walker
The Seahawks sit in a great salary cap situation entering 2026 NFL free agency. So, if they really want to, they can avoid becoming one of the few defending Super Bowl champions without their reigning big game MVP and re-sign Walker.
Walker rushed for 135 yards and gained another 26 yards on two receptions in the 29-13 Super Bowl win against the New England Patriots.
But regardless of the cap space available, teams often have to be careful with re-signing players to long deals. It doesn’t take many lucrative contracts for an organization get into a precarious cap situation.
Furthermore, running back is not a spot where most teams freely spend. It’s often a position where organizations try to land value.
If that’s the goal for the Seahawks at running back this offseason, Harris could be a terrific fit.
“Harris would make a lot of sense for Seattle if the Seahawks don’t re-sign Kenneth Walker, who like Harris is also slated to hit the open market. Walker, though, will likely command a higher salary as he is coming off an MVP performance in Seattle’s Super Bowl win over the New England Patriots,” wrote DeArdo.
“Walker’s current projected market value is just over $36 million over four years. Harris’ projected market value is one year for $2.95 million.”
Walker rushed for 1,027 yards and five touchdowns in the 2025 regular season. But without him, the Seahawks could depend more on Zach Charbonnet and then add another running back cheaply.
Coming off his disappointing 2025 season, Harris is expected to be very affordable.
Harris Aiming to Bounce Back in 2026
The veteran running back was the model of consistent with the Steelers. From 2022-24, he finished between 1,034-1,043 yards every season. He also never missed a game in Pittsburgh.
That changed, though, with the Chargers. Harris’s Los Angeles tenure essentially got off to a bad start when he sustained a superficial eye injury from a fireworks accident in early July. The running back missed training camp because of the ailment.
Harris returned for Week 1. But he had just nine carries in the first two games. Then during Week 3, Harris suffered a season-ending Achilles injury.
That injury will make Harris affordable on the open market. The Seahawks will likely be able to sign him to a 1-year deal.
Harris’s previous durability should ease some concern about the running back’s health going forward. The Seahawks, though, shouldn’t take for granted that Harris will be the same back immediately upon returning.
Whether the Seahawks consider Harris a true potential replacement for Walker will probably depend on if saving money on running back is worth the risk of signing a 27-year-old running back coming off a major injury.
Seahawks Urged to Replace Kenneth Walker With Ex-Pro Bowl RB in NFL Free Agency