Despite winning Super Bowl MVP with the Seattle Seahawks this past season, Kenneth Walker III wasn't retained by the team in free agency.
Walker had 3,555 rushing yards and 31 total touchdowns during his four-year run with the Seahawks. He saved his best performances for this past postseason, rushing for 313 yards and four touchdowns in a three-game stretch.
As soon as the legal tampering window opened, Walker agreed to a three-year, $43.05 million deal with the Kansas City Chiefs. He's expected to immediately elevate Andy Reid's rushing attack for the 2026 season.
The Seahawks weren't exactly racing to find Walker's replacement. They let the market settle down before signing former Green Bay Packers running back Emanuel Wilson, who finished the 2025 season with 496 rushing yards and three touchdowns.
© Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images.
During an appearance on Seattle Sports, Seahawks general manager Jon Schneider was asked about his team's backfield heading into the NFL Draft. Let's just say he's not worried about replacing Walker's impact.
"That’s a position that you can find guys," Schneider said.
The Seahawks have a proven game changer in Zach Charbonnet, but they'll have to wait for him to recover from a torn ACL. While it's possible they list Wilson as their No. 1 option for the start of the 2026 season, we can't rule out Schneider drafting Walker's replacement.
What's Kenneth Walker's outlook in Kansas City?
Leaving the defending Super Bowl champions can't be easy, but Walker seems pretty happy that he's now on the Chiefs.
"It means a lot," Walker said, via the Kansas City Star. "You feel appreciated and wanted — that’s what everybody wants. So I’m just happy to get in here and get to know the guys and work."
Walker pointed out that Kansas City knows what it takes to win a championship. That's certainly a strong selling point for free agents.
