Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker is about to receive a massive contract, and his return to the Seahawks could lead to a Zach Charbonnet trade. After splitting carries throughout the regular season, Walker came alive in the postseason after Charbonnet suffered a season-ending injury. The former second-round pick dominated the rest of the way, recording 313 rushing yards and four touchdowns on the team’s three-game run to a championship.
Kenneth Walker is easily the best impending free agent running back and should receive a massive contract. While he will get big money, CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones says that there is “little doubt” Walker will return to the Seahawks. Seattle currently has the financial resources to retain him and Charbonnet, but it won’t be anything more than a one-year arrangement. Charbonnet will be a free agent after the 2026 season, and there’s no way they can re-sign him and Walker.
Zach Charbonnet is a starting-caliber running back who should draw some interest on the trade market, assuming he’s healthy and recovering from his torn ACL. If Seattle decides to maximize its return for Charbonnet’s services, it could send him to one of the following teams.
Seahawks Could Trade Zach Charbonnet If They Re-Sign Kenneth Walker
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs must do something about the running back position. Seventh-round pick Isiah Pacheco had a promising start to his career, but he hasn’t done much of anything over the past two seasons. Chances are, the Chiefs will let the impending free agent walk and join a different organization. Zach Charonnet won’t make anyone forget about prime Jamaal Charles, but the Chiefs could still trade for him. If acquired, he’d easily be this team’s best running back since Kareem Hunt’s original run with Kansas City. Seeing as Patrick Mahomes is coming off a season-ending injury of his own, the Chiefs should invest in a good running back to help take pressure off the recovering two-time MVP.
Houston Texans
Woody Marks had a solid rookie season, but the former fourth-round pick isn’t a 220-touch type of player. While the USC product did the best he could filling in for an injured Joe Mixon, he only averaged 3.6 yards per attempt and is better off in a supporting role. Mixon, meanwhile, is well past his prime, and the Nick Chubb experiment did not work out. This team needs a reliable running back, and they should consider a Zach Charbonnet trade. C.J. Stroud is due for an extension before long, and Houston should go all-in on winning a championship before the quarterback’s cap number explodes.
New Orleans Saints
Alvin Kamara is one of the greatest players of his generation, but age comes for us all. The running back looked like a shell of himself last year, and he probably won’t find a step as he enters his age-31 season. New Orleans has struggled to draft an adequate replacement, so they might as well trade for a proven option in Zach Charbonnet. Quarterback Tyler Shough looked like the real deal as a rookie, so the Saints should aggressively build around him and attempt to return to the playoffs for the first time since the Drew Brees Era.
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