The Carolina Panthers went into the 2025 NFL season with their running back situation figured out: Chuba Hubbard would be the bellcow, and Rico Dowdle would be the complementary piece. Then the tables turned when Dowdle thoroughly outplayed Hubbard and rightfully earned the starting job.
After weeks of dominance, many felt that Dowdle could be an extension candidate in the offseason. After all, he signed just a one-year deal with the Panthers, and he was playing like his hair was on fire. And then, he completely fell off the map. And Hubbard didn't exactly pick up the slack.
Carolina went from an embarrassment of riches at the position to having no surefire solutions. With Dowdle now set to test free agency, the Panthers are in need of a replacement. Seattle Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker III could have been a great one, but he won't hit free agency now.
Kenneth Walker's Super Bowl outing means Carolina Panthers won't sniff him in free agency
Seattle waltzed into Super Bowl LX with their high-powered offense, and the expectation was that the Seahawks might pass the ball a bit more with Walker's backfield companion, Zach Charbonnet, out due to injury. Sam Darnold couldn't connect early, however, so it was all on Walker's shoulders.
And he delivered. Big time.
Walker contributed 94 first-half rushing yards, and by the end of the third quarter, he had 132 all-purpose yards. He finished with 135 rushing yards, the most in a Super Bowl since Terrell Davis' 157 in Super Bowl XXXII, and 151 all-purpose yards. Walker won Super Bowl MVP for his efforts.
Hailing from Arlington, Tennessee, and playing some of his college football at Wake Forest, coming to Carolina could have been a coming home of sorts for Walker. But life in the Pacific Northwest seems to be treating him quite well.
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Now, with Charbonnet's emergence this year, and other promising pieces like George Holani in the room, there was at least a chance that Walker hit unrestricted free agency this offseason. Dan Morgan would have had a fair chance at him, but Seattle won't likely let him leave the building now.
Between his strong showing in the Super Bowl and Charbonnet's injury, however, the Seahawks should now make re-signing Walker a priority. After getting to the NFL's mountaintop, conventional wisdom would say Seattle would want to run it back with as many of the same pieces as possible.
While adding a top-flight running back may not be at the very top of Morgan's priority list this offseason, the Panthers need to find a surefire solution to their run game woes. Walker would have been the best in the free agency class, but John Schneider won't let him hit the open market.
Carolina may now have to pivot to other names like Breece Hall, JK Dobbins, Travis Etienne, Rachaad White, Najee Harris or Nick Chubb. Heck, they could even try to run it back with Dowdle and Hubbard. But Walker seems to be out of the cards at this point for Morgan and Co.