For a Seattle team that won its second Lombardi Trophy whose strength was the “Dark Side” defense, it’s understandable if general manager John Schneider would prefer to keep as much of that unit together as possible. That makes more sense when you consider Walker has only broken 1,000 yards twice in four seasons and was part of a backfield with Zach Charbonnet until the latter suffered a season-ending injury in the playoffs.
Unlike the top seven quarterbacks on the payroll, Walker is not an indispensable asset in Seattle. He played a vital role in the Seahawks’ quest for the Lombardi Trophy in 2025 and displays a silky-smooth running style that maximized a significant portion of his carries during the campaign, but isn’t so vital to the Seahawks’ operation that he should command top dollar — or the average of the top five salaries at the position, the No. 226 he would have been paid.
Maybe the Seahawks will let Walker test the market to gauge his value and hope Walker returns to Seattle. It’s a risk, but if Schneider can’t make a deal with Walker before free agency begins, the Seahawks seem willing to take.