RB Kenneth Walker III Likely To Leave Seattle?
MARCH 3: Walker will not receive the franchise tag, Graziano’s colleague Peter Schrager reports. Barring an agreement over the coming days, he will thus be able to depart in free agency. Only three previous Super Bowl MVPs have changed teams immediately winning the award, but that number could soon grow.
MARCH 1: Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker III is just three weeks removed from being named Super Bowl LX MVP, but he won’t get to revel in the glory for too much longer as he’s set to hit free agency upon the expiration of his rookie contract in Seattle. According to ESPN’s Dan Graziano, Walker is reportedly generating so much outside interest that he could be pricing himself right out of Seattle. 
Now, reasonably, one might question whether the Seahawks would allow their leading rusher in each of the past four seasons to walk in free agency, but there’s plenty to point to in order to explain how it might be the best situation for everyone. To start, Walker’s health has been an issue in the past. He missed two games in each of his first two years in Seattle and missed six games over the course of the 2024 season. While he bucked that trend in Year 4 by appearing in every game for the first time in his career, the Seahawks have been burned in the past by frequently injured running backs like Chris Carson and Rashaad Penny, and they may see Walker’s injury history as too risky to invest in long-term.
Secondly, a year after Seattle drafted Walker in the second round of the 2022 NFL Draft, the team went back to the same well, selecting second-round UCLA rusher Zach Charbonnet. Walker’s frequent injuries gave Charbonnet eight spot starts in his first two seasons of play, and he showed plenty of promise as a potential lead back in the opportunities he was given. Though Walker played in (and started) every game this season, Charbonnet continued to see increasing opportunities, posting career-highs in carries (184) and rushing yards (780) while leading the team with 12 rushing touchdowns. While Walker would certainly be missed, the Seahawks may be ready to pass the rock to Charbonnet.
The third factor would simply be price. Graziano believes that the Cowboys set the floor for the starting running back market when they extended Javonte Williams on a three-year, $24MM deal. He lists Walker as one of three backs who could surpass that annual average value of $8MM, citing increasing external interest as the driving factor. While the Seahawks’ salary cap puts them in a good position to spend in 2026, the franchise hasn’t invested long-term in a running back since the days of Marshawn Lynch.
Looking at all the factors together, it’s not looking good for fans that want to see the Seahawks run in back with their Super Bowl MVP. Retaining Walker would require Seattle to commit long-term money, and the combination of Walker’s injury history and Charbonnet’s capability make that option seem less than prudent. Instead, it appears that Walker could earn a big payday to try and take another team to the Super Bowl, while the Seahawks will get a good look at Charbonnet as RB1 as Charbonnet puts forth his best foot in a contract year for him.
RFA/ERFA Tender Decisions: 3/2/26
Three clubs made decisions on exclusive rights free agents on Monday. Here’s a look:
Tendered:
- Dolphins: CB Ethan Bonner
- Rams: OL Justin Dedich, K Harrison Mevis, WR Xavier Smith
- Seahawks: RB George Holani, S Ty Okada
As an 11-game starter for last season’s Super Bowl champions, Okada is the headliner on this list. After going undrafted out of Montana State in 2023, Okada combined for just nine appearances in his first two seasons. He barely factored in on defense then, but that changed in 2025. Not only did the 26-year-old play in all of the Seahawks’ games, but he recorded a 66.13% defensive snap share. Okada posted 65 tackles, six passes defensed, 1.5 sacks and an interception along the way.
Mevis, undrafted from Missouri in 2024, couldn’t crack an NFL roster until the Rams added him to their practice squad last fall. He later replaced the struggling Joshua Karty, whom the Rams cut in late November. Mevis converted 12 of 13 field goals and all 39 extra points in nine regular-season games. The 23-year-old was perfect during a three-game playoff run in which he knocked in six field goals and nine PATs.
2026 NFL Offseason Outlook Series
Pro Football Rumors is breaking down how all 32 teams’ offseason blueprints are shaping up. Going forward, the Offseason Outlook series is exclusive to Trade Rumors Front Office subscribers, and that link provides details on how to sign up for an annual membership.
Here are PFR’s 2026 rundowns of the 32 teams’ offseason blueprints:
AFC East
AFC North
AFC South
AFC West
NFC East
NFC North
NFC South
NFC West
Seahawks OLB DeMarcus Lawrence Considering Retirement
Going from missing most of the 2024 season with a Lisfranc injury to being part of a dominant Super Bowl LX-winning defense, DeMarcus Lawrence completed a career turnaround this past season. He is under contract for two more years, but the Seahawks edge rusher does not look to have committed to playing in 2026.
The longtime Cowboys defensive end starter has not informed the Seahawks if he is returning, ESPN.com’s Brady Henderson said during an appearance on Seattle Sports’ Bump and Stacy. Those in Lawrence’s camp are also not certain of the player’s plans, per Henderson. Lawrence is tied to a three-year, $32.5MM contract.
[RELATED: Examining Super Bowl Champions’ Offseason Blueprint]
Seattle took a chance on the 12-year veteran, who reunited with DC Aden Durde via his free agency commitment, and was rewarded. Lawrence finished with six sacks and two fumble-sixes, scoring both his touchdowns in the same half of a game against the Cardinals, and he then registered sacks in both the Seahawks’ NFC playoff wins.
The regular-season work earned Lawrence a Pro Bowl invite, representing a resurgence after his 2024 season ended four games in (the Pro Bowl nod brought an additional $500K). Lawrence worked as the Seahawks’ OLB starter opposite Uchenna Nwosu, who had also battled injury problems in recent years. The team has both under contract for 2026. Lawrence, 34 in April, is due $8.15MM in base salary; of that total, $5MM is guaranteed. The Seahawks would be left with a few million in dead money if Lawrence passed on that 2026 salary and retired on top.
Drafted shortly after the Cowboys released DeMarcus Ware, Lawrence was later franchise-tagged twice after becoming Dallas’ lead pass rusher. He transitioned to a sidekick role once the Cowboys obtained Micah Parsons, but the veteran still earned two Pro Bowl nods — the second of which as an alternate — during his Parsons partnership. Lawrence has 67.5 career sacks and has been solid against the run during his career as well.
Losing Lawrence would give the Seahawks a bit of a need on the edge. The team dangled Boye Mafe in trades during his contract year, benching the previously productive pass rusher with Nwosu and Lawrence staying healthy. Mafe is two weeks away from free agency, but the Seahawks still have Derick Hall under contract for one more season. Seattle pursued Von Miller even after signing Lawrence last year. It would stand to reason, especially with Mafe unsigned, the team would seek OLB help if Lawrence walks away.
Offseason Outlook: Seattle Seahawks
The Seahawks entered the 2025 season having not won a playoff game in six years. They had lost steam from the prime Russell Wilson period. Bobby Wagner's 2024 move to the Commanders severed roster ties to the Legion of Boom Super Bowl years, with Pete Carroll being fired shortly before that defection. John Schneider, however, remained and was in the process of transforming the roster.
Schneider and Mike Macdonald -- the NFL's youngest head coach in 2025 -- completed a level jump last season, revitalizing Seattle's defense and making key changes on offense. Shipping out Geno Smith and D.K. Metcalf, the Seahawks built a championship roster on the backs of those swaps and the seminal 2022 Wilson trade. After winning the Rams rubber match, the Seahawks demolished the overmatched Patriots in Super Bowl LX. They now have several starters from that roster unsigned, as a title defense mission commences.
Coaching/front office:
- Offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak became Raiders' head coach
- Hired Brian Fleury as OC replacement
- Quarterbacks coach Andrew Janocko became Raiders' OC
- Run-game coordinator Rick Dennison joined Kubiak's Raiders staff
- Hired Zach Orr as inside linebackers coach
- Blocked Justin Outten from Raiders interview, promoted Outten to run-game coordinator
- DC Aden Durde interviewed for Browns, Falcons' HC jobs
- DBs coach Karl Scott interviewed for Cardinals, Commanders' DC jobs
- WRs coach Frisman Jackson interviewed for Raiders' OC job
- Pass-game coordinator Jake Peetz interviewed for Lions' OC job
Just as the Legion of Boom-era team lost coordinators (Gus Bradley, Dan Quinn) to HC jobs, Macdonald's staff saw Kubiak draw extensive interest. It became known before Super Bowl LX the first-year Seattle OC was bound for Las Vegas. Despite a spree of coach and GM turnover this decade, the Raiders convinced Kubiak to take his HC shot in a loaded AFC West.
Seahawks WR Jaxon-Smith Njigba Discusses Potential Extension
After winning Offensive Player of the Year and a Super Bowl in 2025, Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba is eligible for a contract extension this offseason. The Seahawks will prioritize a new deal for the three-year veteran, but they would unsurprisingly have to pay a steep price to lock him up.
Smith-Njigba told Jonah Javad of WFAA he’s “not too pressed” to work out an extension right now. At the same time, though, the 24-year-old declared, “I believe I deserve to be the highest paid at my position.”
That’s not an outlandish statement, especially with the salary cap constantly on the rise. The cap in 2025 was $279.2MM. It’s poised to climb anywhere from $301.2MM to $305.7MM next season. Smith-Njigba and Rams rival receiver Puka Nacua, who’s also in line for an extension this offseason, should be among the beneficiaries.
Both JSN and Nacua have arguments to surpass the contract the Bengals’ Ja’Marr Chase secured last March. Chase inked a four-year, $161MM pact with $112MM in guaranteed cash last March. He now tops his position in total money, average annual value and guarantees.
Since the Seahawks drafted Smith-Njigba 20th overall in 2023, he has emerged as yet another star receiver from Ohio State. Smith-Njigba, who has never missed a game, has seen his production steadily increase in each season.
A starter in just three games as a rookie, Smith-Njigba hauled in 63 receptions for 628 yards and four touchdowns. He became a full-time starter in Year 2, during which his numbers skyrocketed to 100-1,130-six. The uptick in production led to the first of two straight Pro Bowls for the 6-foot, 197-pounder.
Smith-Njigba spent the vast majority of his first two years working with a middling quarterback in Geno Smith, but the Seahawks shook up their QB room to great results in 2025. A few days before the free agent market opened, the Seahawks agreed to send Smith to the Raiders for a third-round pick. That temporarily left them without a starter, but the Seahawks addressed the vacancy a few days later.
After a long-awaited and unexpected breakout 2024 with the Vikings, former first-rounder Sam Darnold joined the Seahawks on a three-year, $100.5MM pact. Now a championship-winning QB, Darnold hit it off with Smith-Njigba in their first season together. The wideout ranked first in the league in yards (1,793), tied for first in 20-plus yard receptions (27), fourth in catches (119), fifth in targets (163), and tied for sixth in TDs (10). Along with OPOY and Pro Bowl honors, he was named a first-team All-Pro.
While Smith-Njigba has one more guaranteed season on his rookie contract, the Seahawks will sign off on his fifth-year option by May 1. Doing so would at least temporarily set Smith-Njigba up to play 2027 on a projected $24.39MM salary. That looks like a bargain for JSN, who may land a record extension before then.
Seahawks Have Not Held Talks With Coby Bryant, Riq Woolen
After capping off the 2025 season with a win over the Patriots in Super Bowl LX, Seahawks safety Coby Bryant and cornerback Riq Woolen are among their notable contributors heading for free agency. Despite playing key roles for the champs, Bryant and Woolen recently revealed that they had yet to engage in contract talks with the team, according to Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times.
The Seahawks and Bryant discussed a new deal before the season. Nothing came together then, but there is no animosity on Bryant’s part. He said last week that he “would definitely love to be here,” per Condotta. It’s fair to say the 26-year-old’s asking price has gone up in the past few months, though.
A Seahawk since they chose him in the fourth round in 2022, Bryant is fresh off his first season as a full-time starter. The former Cincinnati Bearcat played 15 games in the regular season and notched career highs in interceptions (four) and passes defensed (seven). Pro Football Focus ranked his performance 28th among 91 qualifying safeties.
On the heels of a 66-tackle regular season, Bryant added another 10 (and two more PDs) over three playoff victories. A return to Seattle is now up in the air, but if he reaches the open market in March, Bryant will be among the most sought-after safeties available.
Bryant’s potential departure would not leave the back end of the Seahawks’ defense in dire straits. They would still have Julian Love, Ty Okada and the versatile Nick Emmanwori, who excelled as a rookie, as options. Okada is unsigned for now, but as an exclusive rights free agent, the Seahawks won’t have any trouble retaining him. The same can’t be said for Bryant, who will cash in after playing for a relative pittance on his rookie contract.
Woolen, another of general manager John Schneider‘s draft steals, joined the Seahawks as a fifth-rounder in 2022. As a rookie out of UTSA, Woolen burst on the scene with a league-leading seven interceptions. He also earned a Pro Bowl nod then, his lone 17-game season to date, but Woolen hasn’t gotten a second invite.
While Woolen went on to start in 29 of 30 appearances from 2023-24, he came off the bench in nine of 16 games in 2025. With his playing time diminishing, multiple pre-deadline reports identified Woolen as a trade candidate. He wound up staying put and finishing the regular season with 41 tackles, 12 passes defensed and a career-low one pick.
Woolen, who chipped in eight tackles and four PDs in the postseason, was on the field for 49 of 71 defensive plays in the Super Bowl. That may go down as his last game with the Seahawks.
Seattle is facing further uncertainty at cornerback, where Josh Jobe is also unsigned. Jobe ate into Woolen’s playing time over a career-high 15 starts in 2025, but the latter has the more impressive resume. That might make it “easier for the team to keep Jobe,” Condotta writes. The Seahawks may end up retaining one of them, but keeping both appears unlikely, especially with No. 1 corner Devon Witherspoon eligible for a big-money extension this offseason.
Seahawks Promote Justin Outten, Hire Thomas Hammock As RBs Coach
Seahawks assistant coach Justin Outten missed out on the team’s offensive coordinator job, but he will still get a promotion after his success in 2025.
Formerly Seattle’s run game specialist and assistant offensive line coach, Outten is set to become the team’s run game coordinator, per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, a title bump that is likely to come with a pay raise. It seems to be well-deserved, as the Seahawks ranked third in rushing yards, second in rushing touchdowns, and first in yards per attempt last year, his first on the coaching staff.
Continued success at that level will likely make Outten an offensive coordinator candidate in future hiring cycles. His previous play-calling experience as the Broncos’ OC in 2022 went poorly, but Nathaniel Hackett and Russell Wilson seemed to be more foundational problems with that team. Outten also has served under a number of notable head coaches, including Dan Quinn, Mike LaFleur, and Mike Vrabel, in addition to his current boss, Mike Macdonald. His strong coaching network may help him garner more interest for OC jobs and fill his staff if he lands one.
The Seahawks are also hiring Northern Illinois head coach Thomas Hammock as their running backs coach, per ESPN’s Pete Thamel. Hammock will replace Kennedy Polamalu, who suddenly left the team before the playoffs. Outten, along with offensive assistant Michael Byrne, filled Polamalu’s role in the interim. Hammock will now take on the full-time gig after receiving interest from multiple NFL teams, and he will do so as the highest paid RBs coach in the league.
Hammock, 44, was a star running back at NIU before a medical condition forced him to retire after his senior year. He immediately went into coaching, starting as a graduate assistant at Wisconsin. He then served as the RBs coach at his alma mater and Minnesota before returning to Wisconsin in 2011. Hammock then got his first NFL job as the Ravens’ RBs coach, a position he held from 2013 until 2018, when a head coaching offer from NIU drew him back into the college ranks.
Though the Seahawks hope to keep Kenneth Walker, they are not expected to use the franchise tag on him. If he leaves Seattle this offseason Outten and Hammock would be tasked with getting Zach Charbonnet ready for a lead back role in 2026.
Rashid Shaheed ‘Would Love’ To Re-Sign With Seahawks
As the Saints’ offensive coordinator in 2024, Klint Kubiak coached Rashid Shaheed during an injury-limited season for the wide receiver. Kubiak left to take the same job with the Seahawks last year, but he and Shaheed reunited at the Nov. 4 trade deadline. Then 6-2 and seeking a field-stretching receiver/returner, the Seahawks sent a 2026 fourth- and fifth-round pick to the Saints for the speedy Shaheed.
Shaheed, who never caught more than 46 passes in a season from 2022-24, had already totaled 44 through nine games when the Seahawks acquired him. With 499 yards, he was also on pace to surpass the career-best 719 he notched in 2013. However, Shaheed’s offensive production dipped as a member of the Seahawks, with whom he caught 15 passes for 188 yards and no touchdowns in six regular-season games.
While Shaheed joined the Seahawks with a pair of touchdown catches, he didn’t add to that total after the trade. But the 6-foot, 180-pounder made up for it with three return TDs, including a crucial 58-yard runback against the NFC West rival Rams in Week 16.
The Seahawks trailed 30-14 when Shaheed lined up to catch the punt. His return set the wheels in motion on a furious comeback that led to a 38-37 win. It also played a major role in Seattle securing a division title. The Seahawks, who improved to 12-3 that night, finished 14-3 to earn the No. 1 seed in the conference.
Shaheed did not make a huge impact as a receiver during a three-game postseason in which he caught three of 10 targets for 78 yards. However, he set the tone in taking the opening kickoff to the house in a 41-6 blowout of the 49ers in the divisional round. That began a triumphant Seattle playoff run which culminated in a 29-13 victory over New England in Super Bowl LX.
Thanks to his blend of offensive and special teams skills, the 27-year-old Shaheed is on track to earn a significant raise in free agency next month. Kubiak is now gone, having taken the Raiders’ head coaching job, but Shaheed told NFL Network that he wants to “run it back” with the reigning champions (via Eric Edholm of NFL.com).
“Conversations are definitely going to be heating up towards March,” Shaheed said. “But you know, I would love to come back. I loved my experience here, I’m loving the Pacific Northwest, and obviously the organization is second to none.”
With a little under $62MM in salary cap space (via OverTheCap), the Seahawks have ample breathing room as free agency approaches. That could increase the odds of re-signing Shaheed, though general manager John Schneider also has decisions to make on several other important free agents-to-be.
Super Bowl MVP-winning running back Kenneth Walker III joins Shaheed as a high-profile offensive contributor without a contract. On the other side of the ball, key defensive backs Coby Bryant, Josh Jobe and Riq Woolen are all unsigned. The Seahawks are unlikely to retain all five of those players, which could lead to Shaheed exiting for a pay raise someplace else.
Raiders Add Travis Smith, Rick Dennison To Coaching Staff
FEBRUARY 19: The Raiders confirmed on Thursday that Dennison’s title will be offensive line coach, to little surprise.
FEBRUARY 16: The Raiders hired Travis Smith to be their defensive line coach under new head coach Klint Kubiak, per a team announcement.
Smith is returning to Las Vegas after three years in Chicago (defensive line coach) and one in Tennessee (defensive run game coordinator). He was announced as the Titans’ senior defensive assistant/pass rush specialist on Robert Saleh‘s staff, but is instead opting to reunite with the Raiders, for whom he coached from 2012 to 2021. He served in a variety of roles on the defensive side of the ball and worked closely with Maxx Crosby at the beginning of his career.
Also joining Kubiak’s staff is Rick Dennison, per CBS Sports’ Matt Zenitz. Dennison, 67, has spent the last three decades coaching in the NFL, primarily working with offensive linemen with coordinator stints in Denver, Houston, and Buffalo. He and Kubiak have worked together since 2016, Dennison’s last year as the Broncos’ OC and Kubiak’s first as an offensive assistant.
The two then overlapped in Minnesota from 2019 to 2021, after which Dennison stepped away from coaching. He returned to the NFL in 2024 to join Kubiak’s offensive staff in New Orleans as a senior assistant and followed him to Seattle last year. Dennison then served as the Seahawks’ run game coordinator/senior offensive advisor in 2025 and will now join the Raiders in a yet-to-be announced role.
Kubiak is still looking to fill the quarterbacks coach position on his staff, and Vikings asst. OC/asst. QBs coach Jordan Traylor is a candidate for the job, per KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson. He previously worked under Kubiak in New Orleans in 2024, on the same staff as Dennison and now-Raiders OC Andrew Janocko.