Seahawks GM says Kenneth Walker III chose odd place to discuss new contract

Seattle Seahawks general manager John Schneider speaks during the Super Bowl LX trophy celebration at Lumen Field. Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Seahawks GM John Schneider claims Super Bowl LX MVP Kenneth Walker III chose odd place to discuss new contract

By Clark Dalton | Last updated Feb 11, 2026 11:42 PM ET

Seattle Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker III should've chosen a better place to negotiate his contract if what general manager John Schneider said at Wednesday's Super Bowl parade was true.

Super Bowl LX MVP Walker is set to become a free agent this offseason. The GM said he tried to negotiate a new contract before he stepped to the podium.

John Schneider discusses Kenneth Walker III supposedly asking for new contract at Super Bowl parade

"Ken Walker being the MVP, let's go," the GM said in front of a raucous Seattle crowd at Lumen Field. "He tried negotiating with me five minutes ago. It was really weird."

Walker denied the claim on Instagram and implied the GM may have had a little too much to drink during Wednesday's festivities (h/t NFL Media's Mike Garafolo).

Kenneth Walker III already thinking about next season

(via @fox13seattle) pic.twitter.com/Y9zjS0ekpm
— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) February 11, 2026

Sober or not, Seattle fans should consider it a positive that the GM is already thinking about negotiating a new deal with the 25-year-old RB. He played an instrumental role in the team's second Super Bowl title.

Walker rushed for 1,027 yards in 17 regular-season games in 2025, No. 16 in the NFL. He played even better in the playoffs. The RB averaged a solid 4.8 yards per carry in the postseason after recording 4.6 in the regular season.

In the 29-13 Super Bowl LX win over the New England Patriots, he ran for 135 yards on 27 carries, becoming the first RB to win a Super Bowl MVP since former Denver Broncos standout Terrell Davis in Super Bowl XXXII.

A strong run game opened up the play-action passing game for Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold. Pro Football Focus credited him with 1,714 yards on play-action passes in 2025 (including playoffs), No. 2 in the NFL.

Re-signing Walker won't be cheap for Seattle. His value has only increased since the championship run. Spotrac estimates his market value is a four-year deal worth $9M annually.

There may be some haggling, but expect both parties to reach an agreement in contract negotiations, unless they've downed too many cocktails beforehand. They should save those for after he signs the deal... or a future Super Bowl parade.

Clark Dalton

Dalton is a 2022 journalism graduate of the University of Texas at Austin. He gained experience in sports media over the past seven years — from live broadcasting and creating short films to podcasting and producing. In college, he wrote for The Daily Texan. He loves sports and enjoys hiking, kayaking and camping.

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