The Seattle Seahawks are losing their Super Bowl MVP.
NFL insider Tom Pelissero reported on Monday that running back Kenneth Walker III was leaving to join the Kansas City Chiefs, filling a major need for a team looking to jump back into Super Bowl contention.
“Former Seahawks RB Kenneth Walker III is signing with the Chiefs, sources tell The Insiders,” Pelissero shared in a post on X. ‘A payday and a new home for the Super Bowl MVP on a deal negotiated by @davidcanter and @nessmugrabi of @aurasportsgroup.”
Seahawks Had Been Expected to Lose Kenneth Walker III
The Seahawks had faced some dire predictions on Walker in the days leading to the start of the legal tampering period of free agency on Monday. ESPN’s Dan Graziano predicted that Walker would benefit from the big price that New York Jets paid to keep running back Breece Hall on a franchise tag.
Graziano predicted Walker would land a three-year, $44 million contract — which would have been too rich for the Seahawks to match.
“The Super Bowl MVP hits free agency with the benefit of a market full of teams looking for explosive running backs,” Graziano wrote. “With Breece Hall having set the market with a $14.3 million franchise tag from the Jets, Walker can play multiple teams off each other and land at just above that number with the first year (and a chunk of the second year) fully guaranteed. He ran for 1,027 yards last season and can make plays out of the backfield as a pass catcher (31 receptions).”
While the exact terms of Walker’s new contract with the Chiefs was not immediately available, other analysts joined in predicting that he would be priced out of Seattle’s market as free agency began.
Walker is expected to play a significant role with the Chiefs, who lacked consistent production from their backfield in a disappointing 2025 season. The Chiefs struggled on offense throughout the season, falling to 6-11 and missing the playoffs for the first time in more than a decade.
Seahawks Have Other Options at Running Back
The Seahawks will likely hand a larger workload to fellow running back Zach Charbonnet, who suffered a season-ending injury in 2025.
Fox Sports analyst Greg Auman also predicted the Seahawks could take a run at free agent tailback Tyler Allgeier, who could replace some of the production they lost with Walker’s departure.
“With Kenneth Walker III likely moving on to greener pastures and finding a more lucrative deal elsewhere, Allgeier provides a good fallback option for Seattle,” they note in the piece. “The bruising runner out of BYU is a good fit for Seattle’s zone running scheme and should pair nicely with Zach Charbonnet once he returns from season-ending knee surgery.”
The Seahawks could explore other options in free agency, including two who are expected to depart from the Chiefs with Walker’s signing. Kareem Hunt and Isiah Pacheco, who split time in Kansas City’s backfield, are both headed to the open market and could come to Seattle on relatively low-cost contracts.
Seahawks Lose Kenneth Walker III to AFC Super Bowl Contender