Kenneth Walker III capped his Super Bowl MVP performance with a championship parade on Wednesday, but Seattle Seahawks GM John Schneider turned the celebration awkward with a bizarre contract claim.
The 25-year-old running back rushed for 135 yards on 27 carries in Seattle’s 29-13 win over the New England Patriots. The milestone it represented placed him as the first running back to earn Super Bowl MVP honors since Terrell Davis in 1998. He also became the first player since Davis to post 100-plus rushing yards in a Super Bowl.
Walker’s breakout postseason run included 313 rushing yards and four touchdowns across three playoff games. By winning the MVP trophy, he raised his market value significantly at the perfect time, as Walker is set to hit unrestricted free agency in March after finishing the final year of his four-year, $8.44 million rookie deal.
Kenneth Walker accuses GM John Schneider of lying
Schneider grabbed a microphone during the parade andtoldnearly a million fans that Walker “tried negotiating with me five minutes ago. It was really weird.” The GM appeared visibly loose with a red cup in hand, with Walker standing on the side, shaking his head and smiling.
Walker hopped on Instagram later that night and clapped back at Schneider’s claim hilariously, writing, “Must’ve been da liquor he drinking cuz I never said dat shi😭😭!” His IG story has since turned viral, with fans speculating whether Schneider’s public “negotiation” talk inflated Walker’s asking price heading into free agency discussions.
walker story
screenshot via IG story/@kenneth_walker9
The timing couldn’t be worse for Seattle’s front office. Walker posted career highs in scrimmage yards (1,309) during the 2025 regular season, rushing for 1,027 yards on 221 carries with five touchdowns. It is also worth noting that he played all 17 games for the first time in his four-year career.
Kenneth Walker III’s leverage peaked at the perfect time. After backup Zach Charbonnet tore his ACL in the Divisional Round, Walker took over the backfield entirely, proving he could handle a heavy workload.
Market projections now place his value at over $13.5 million per year. While Seattle has about$73 million in cap space, GM Schneider’s recent comments at the Super Bowl parade likely made the negotiations more expensive.
Walker hasn’t hidden his stance, telling reporters before the Super Bowl that he wants to stay in Seattle if the team meets his price. Now, Schneider has to smooth things over with his Super Bowl MVP before free agency begins on March 12. The GM may have been speaking loosely during the celebrations, but securing Walker will require a more disciplined approach at the bargaining table.