Seattle Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker III has been named Super Bowl MVP after helping his team to glory in San Francisco.
Walker became the first running back to win the prestigious award since 1997, and quarterbacks have won it in five of the last six years.
But on a night devoid of QB brilliance, Walker stepped forward – quite literally – with 27 carries and 135 yards rushing, as well as 26 yards receiving.
He collected his award on the field at Levi’s Stadium as confetti fell, thanking Seattle’s raucous fanbase in the process.
Incredibly, the 25-year-old is heading into free agency with his Super Bowl MVP award under his arm this offseason.
He capped a prolific postseason with another big performance on the ground to help the Seahawks beat the Patriots 29-13.
Kenneth Walker III beams after winning his first Super Bowl with the Seattle Seahawks
Walker stepped up to help his team beat the Patriots on a huge night in San Francisco
While the defense carried Seattle for much of the postseason, Walker was once again the engine of the offense.
Walker stepped up his game after backfield mate Zach Charbonnet went down with a season-ending knee injury and it couldn’t have come at a more important time for the Seahawks or a more opportune time for Walker.
The 25-year-old running back is in the final year of his rookie contract and is slated to become a free agent in 2026. Thanks to his playoff run, Walker figures to be in line for a significant pay bump.
Walker gained 413 yards from scrimmage in the three wins for Seattle this postseason. He became the first player to top 100 yards from scrimmage in every playoff game for a Super Bowl champion since Terrell Davis did it in back-to-back seasons in 1997-98 for the Broncos.
Walker gained 413 yards from scrimmage in three wins for Seattle during the postseason
On stage he showed himself to be an introverted character thrust into the spotlight
While fantasy football owners and Walker were sometimes frustrated that he didn’t carry a bigger load of the offense, especially in the red zone, in the regular season, the job share with Charbonnet did mean Walker was fresh for the playoffs when he was at his best.
Walker averaged less than 15 touches from scrimmage per game in the regular season when he delivered his first 1,000-yard rushing season since his rookie year.
But he averaged nearly 25 touches per game in the playoffs when he showed he’s capable of being a bell-cow back.
Walker started fast with a 10-yard run on the opening snap and had 55 yards in the ground on a field-goal drive later in the first half for the most by any player on one drive in the Super Bowl in 20 years.
