Richard Sherman
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(Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
On March 9,ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter reported, citing sources, that Super Bowl LX MVP Kenneth Walker III will be leaving the Seattle Seahawks to join the Kansas City Chiefs.
Moreover,ESPN’s Brady Henderson reported, citing sources, that Walker and the Chiefs agreed to a three-year deal with a $43.05 million base value and $28.7 million in fully guaranteed money.
With the Walker era over in Seattle, former Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman shared his thoughts on the two sides parting ways, noting that it was best for both to go their separate paths.
“They lose the Super Bowl MVP, which is something I predicted because of the number that he was going to get to,”Sherman said on the March 9 edition of “The Richard Sherman Podcast.“ “I thought other teams, like the Kansas City Chiefs, would be higher on him and have a higher number. And he gets what I believe is the highest per year for a free agent running back in the history of the National Football League at $15 million a year. And he deserves it.
“He’s going to go out there and do fantastic for the Chiefs, and I think the Seattle Seahawks will be fine. I don’t think this is going to be something that is incredibly detrimental to what they have going. I think this is a situation where what’s best for both sides kind of happened.”
Seahawks Choose the ‘Lesser’ Evil With Kenneth Walker III Exit
Still, Sherman understands that the Seahawks have to look ahead, as they will need to pay players like Jaxon Smith-Njigba who are coming up for an extension.
“Could the Seattle Seahawks maintain and keep all the guys that they’re going to have to pay [Devon] Witherspoon and JSN, and all the rest of the guys who they are going to have to shell out some money, too, and keep K9? I don’t think they would,“ Sherman added.
“So I think they took the lesser of these evils and said, ‘Hey, K9, this is what we can offer you. If you can go out there and get a huge bag, then congratulations, we love you. You’ll be a Seahawk for life. You’ll be a Super Bowl MVP with the Seattle Seahawks for the rest of your life.‘
“And that’s going to be a beautiful thing. But I don’t think they wanted to prohibit him from going out there and getting his bag, which is what he did.”
Seattle Running Back Outlook for 2026
Walker topped 1,100 yards from scrimmage and scored nine touchdowns in each of the first two seasons of his career. Injuries became a concern during that stretch, as he missed four games early on and another six in 2024 because of oblique, calfand ankle issues.
Entering a contract year, Walker made changes to his diet and sleep routine before the 2025 season, and the results showed. He stayed on the field and delivered the most productive campaign of his career. Even while splitting carries with Zach Charbonnet, Walker finished the regular season with 1,309 yards from scrimmage and averaged 4.6 yards per carry, both career highs.
Sherman believes Seattle will be fine with Charbonnet and perhaps finding another running back in the draft.
“I think they’ll be able to find an explosive running back that they feel comfortable with,“ Sherman said. “I think they feel good about Zach Charbonnet and him coming back into the fold, obviously coming off an injury, but I think what he was doing throughout this season is something they felt really good about.”