The Seattle Seahawks face a major backfield question after Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker III signed a three-year, $43.05 million deal with the Kansas City Chiefs. General manager John Schneider had signaled the team wouldn't engage in a bidding war, even with one of the NFL's healthiest salary cap situations, prioritizing roster flexibility over top-five running back money.

Seattle's disciplined approach extends beyond Walker. Safety Coby Bryant joined the Chicago Bears on a three-year, $40 million deal, and the team could receive four compensatory picks in 2027. The departures of Walker, Bryant, and potential losses of cornerback Riq Woolen and linebacker Boye Mafe create significant holes to fill, particularly the need for speed in the post-Walker backfield.

The Seahawks added power runner Emanuel Wilson on a one-year, $2.1 million deal but missed out on Tyler Allgeier and watched Chris Rodriguez Jr. sign elsewhere. With George Holani and Zach Charbonnet recovering from ACL injuries, Seattle's backfield lacks the big-play threat Walker provided. The team re-signed Rashid Shaheed for $51 million to maintain offensive explosiveness through receivers, but the draft remains their likeliest path to finding speed in the backfield.