Kansas City’s Kenneth Walker III joined the Chiefs on March 9 after saying his return to the Seattle Seahawks was “not close.”
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Kansas City Chiefs running back Kenneth Walker III said his return to the Seattle Seahawks was “not close” after he won Super Bowl MVP while with Seattle, a decision that set up a Sunday matchup between the teams on Oct. 25.
Walker signed a three-year, $43 million contract with Kansas City on the first day of free agency, March 9. The agreement included $28.7 million guaranteed and up to $45 million with incentives.
This is the first time a player has won Super Bowl MVP and then faced his former team the next season. Walker spent four seasons with the Seahawks and finished second in Offensive Rookie of the Year voting in 2022.
Through Week 7, Walker has been leading the league with 665 rushing yards and has six rushing touchdowns, along with two receiving scores. The Chiefs have also been undefeated to start the season, while Seattle sits at 3-3 heading into the Oct. 25 game. Walker has outgained the Seahawks’ team total, with Seattle posting 643 rushing yards as a unit. Emanuel Wilson leads Seattle with 303 yards.
Seahawks general manager John Schneider said the team did not use the franchise tag to try to keep Walker during free agency. Schneider described Walker as “outstanding” and characterized the deal as a “great, great contract for a running back.” He also pointed to work done by George Holani down the stretch and the addition of Wilson from the Green Bay Packers.
Seattle also used the 32nd overall pick of the draft—its last selection of the first round—to add running back Jadarian Price, but Price is on injured reserve with a chest injury suffered two games into the season. Zach Charbonnet has not yet returned to practice.
In recent comments, Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald said Walker is “playing really great football” and described what he sees on film. Macdonald said, “No one has tackled this guy yet,” and added that Walker is strong, decisive, and has “great vision,” while also “come alive in the pass game.”
Walker said the bond with his teammates was what he missed most after leaving Seattle. He described the months after winning Super Bowl MVP as “busy,” and said he did not negotiate his next contract directly, adding, “Really just being patient and letting my agents do everything.”
Walker also discussed the factors he wanted in his next situation, saying, “Really being able to compete, try to make it to the playoffs, make it to the Super Bowl,” and that, with Patrick Mahomes and others already on the roster, he felt “we got that great chance.”
As of the time of the report, Walker said he has not experienced a loss with Kansas City and believes he can bring “explosiveness” and “great vision.”
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