Fresh NFL Rumors on Kenneth Walker, Travis Etienne Jr. & Rico Dowdle's Landing Spots in Free Agency

It's not every offseason the reigning Super Bowl MVP is available, but Kenneth Walker III is headlining the running back group after helping lead the Seattle Seahawks to the Lombardi Trophy last season.

ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported Sunday on Walker and some of the other headline running backs and noted there "is a hotter market than usual" for the position after the New York Jets used a $14.3 million franchise tag on Breece Hall.

While Walker is the "market-setter" ahead of Monday's start of the legal contact period for free agents, Fowler reported "Travis Etienne Jr. will be right there in the mix" with the possibility of a presumed market ceiling of $12 million from some teams increasing if enough are involved.

By comparison, Dan Duggan of The Athletic reported Walker's market could end up in the $15 million per year range.

The Denver Broncos and Kansas City Chiefs could check on both Walker and Etienne, per Fowler, with the New York Giants, Washington Commanders and Tennessee Titans possible suitors for the former Seahawk as well.

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Rico Dowdle is also "linked to the Commanders" after he surpassed 1,000 rushing yards in back-to-back seasons.

With Jayden Daniels at quarterback and Terry McLaurin at wide receiver, the Washington offense could be poised to return to the league's elite if everyone remains healthy. But adding an impact running back would take plenty of pressure off the young quarterback and bring another dimension to the attack.

Then there is the Chiefs, who didn't have a single running back surpass 611 yards on the ground last season. With Patrick Mahomes coming off a torn ACL, they may need to rely more on the rushing attack than usual in 2026 even if the star quarterback does return to the field.

"Most around the league suspect Kansas City will come away with a running back, whether one of the top players or a player in the middle tier," Fowler reported.

If the AFC West team doesn't land Walker or Etienne, it could turn its attention toward the NFL draft.

B/R's NFL Scouting Department projected the Chiefs to land Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love with the No. 9 pick in its most recent mock draft in a move that would give Mahomes and Co. one of the top overall playmakers in this year's rookie class.

That would be a problem for the rest of the AFC West, but it sounds like the Chiefs are going to be adding a running back at some point even if it isn't a transformational rookie like Love.