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Seahawks GM John Schneider jokes Kenneth Walker attempted to negotiate new contract during Super Bowl parade

Stephen Samraby: Steve Samra02/11/26SamraSource

Seattle Seahawks general manager John Schneider couldn’t resist having some fun during the team’s Super Bowl parade. Especially when the conversation turned to Kenneth Walker III, the unlikely hero of the biggest game of his career.

As Walker soaked in chants of “MVP” from the crowd, Schneider cracked a joke that quickly went viral. It had to do with Walker’s future with the Seahawks.

“Ken Walker being the MVP, let’s go!” Schneider stated. “He tried negotiating with me five minutes ago. It was really weird. M-V-P! M-V-P!”

The humor landed for a myriad of reasons, one being the reality behind it. Walker, who captured Super Bowl MVP honors, is set to become a free agent in March. After delivering one of the most memorable performances in franchise history, the timing couldn’t have been more ironic.

Walker capped a storybook weekend by starring in the Seahawks’ 29–13 victory over the New England Patriots. He finished with 27 carries for 135 rushing yards, averaging 5.0 yards per attempt, and added two receptions for 26 yards. 

His dominance came early, as Walker piled up 94 rushing yards in the first half, the most in a Super Bowl first half since at least 1991, according to Up & Adams producer Matt Hamilton, and the highest since Timmy Smith’s 122 yards in Super Bowl XXII.

Despite Seattle managing only three field goals in the opening half, Walker’s ability to consistently rip off chunk gains set the tone and kept the offense afloat. His effort earned him the honors, making him the first running back to win the award since Terrell Davis in Super Bowl XXXII in 1998, and snapping a streak of three straight quarterback winners.

The night was made even more special by who was in the stands. Walker’s father attended his first-ever NFL game, and it happened to be the Super Bowl.

“He don’t like crowds,” Walker stated. “So this is his first NFL game, and we won a Super Bowl. That means a lot to me.”

Walker explained that his father often travels to Seattle but watches games from afar, avoiding the stadium atmosphere. This time, encouragement from Walker’s agent convinced him to step out of his comfort zone, even getting mic’d up during the broadcast.

“It’s a dream come true,” Walker added. “A lot of people play their whole career and never make it this far.”

Now comes the business side of the whole ordeal. Walker’s performance couldn’t have strengthened his leverage more as free agency approaches, making Schneider’s parade joke feel more like foreshadowing than anything.

— On3’s Nick Kosko contributed to this article.