NFL Rumors on Sam Darnold's Contract, Kenneth Walker III's Seahawks Future Ahead of Free Agency

After Super Bowl LX against the New England Patriots on Sunday, the Seattle Seahawks will have some decisions to make regarding the respective futures of quarterback Sam Darnold and running back Kenneth Walker III.

According to ESPN's Dan Graziano, Darnold has a $15 million roster bonus due on Feb. 13, and while the Seahawks could technically cut him before then and owe him no additional money, he noted that they will "happily" pay him the bonus and his 2026 salary for a total of $27.5 million after he led them to a Super Bowl berth in his first season with the team.

The bigger question relates to whether the Seahawks will look to extend Darnold's contract, which has two years remaining. Graziano noted that the Seahawks have been "reluctant" to do that with other players.

As for Walker, he is eligible to become an unrestricted free agent during the offseason if Seattle doesn't re-sign or franchise tag him.

Per Graziano, Walker is expected to have plenty of interest in free agency, and it is "fair to wonder" if the Seahawks may be priced out due to their need to sign other key players to extensions in the near future, such as wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba and cornerback Devon Witherspoon.

Darnold, 28, has finally found a home in Seattle after being something of a journeyman over his first seven NFL seasons.

The No. 3 overall pick in the 2018 NFL draft spent time with the New York Jets, Carolina Panthers, San Francisco 49ers and Minnesota Vikings before signing a three-year deal with the Seahawks.

Last season in Minnesota, Darnold finally reached his potential by throwing for a career-high 4,319 yards and 35 touchdowns, and he parlayed it into an opportunity in Seattle.

Darnold led the Seahawks to a 14-3 record and the No. 1 seed in the NFC, and he completed 67.7 percent of his passes for 4,048 yards, 25 touchdowns and 14 interceptions during the regular season.

After not needing to do much in an NFC Divisional Round win over the 49ers, Darnold was at his best in the NFC Championship game against the Los Angeles Rams, throwing for 346 yards, three touchdowns and no picks.

▶️ Full Rams-Seahawks Recap

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With another game like that, there is a good chance Darnold will hoist the Lombardi Trophy for the first time in his career.

The 25-year-old Walker was a second-round pick out of Michigan State in 2022, and he has been a highly productive player when given the opportunity.

Walker rushed for over 1,000 yards as a rookie, and while he didn't reach that mark the next two seasons, he finished 2025 with 1,027 yards and five touchdowns, and a career-high 1,309 yards from scrimmage.

While Walker has largely split carries with Zach Charbonnet over the past three seasons, Charbonnet tore his ACL late in the 2025 regular season.

As a result, Walker has clearly been the go-to guy in Seattle's backfield during the playoffs, and he has delivered with 178 rushing yards and four touchdowns, plus seven receptions for 78 yards in two postseason games.

The Seahawks may be compelled to re-sign Walker since Charbonnet's status for the start of the 2026 season is far from certain, but it remains to be seen how much money general manager John Schneider is willing to invest in the running back position.