Despite having helped the Seattle Seahawks win their first Super Bowl trophy in over a decade, it seems like Kenneth Walker III had a messy divorce that led him to join the Kansas City Chiefs. Retaining the Super Bowl MVP should have been an easy decision, but the Seahawks had a lot of things going on in the background, and as part of their massive franchise restructure less than a month after winning the Lombardi trophy, they let Walker join the Chiefs. Having joined the new team and ready to once again compete for a championship, the player has revealed what his exit from the Seahawks was like.

“No, it’s a business. I kind of figured during the season how things were going that I wasn’t going to be there,” Kenneth Walker III said during an interview with Athlon Sports. “You can feel the energy, bro. So I pretty much knew.”

This statement from Kenneth Walker has certainly raised eyebrows over the Seattle Seahawks, especially after the running back played such a crucial role in their Super Bowl run. In the playoffs, Walker led the Seahawks with 65 carries for 313 rushing yards and four touchdowns in just three games. He capped this stellar run with a 135-yard rushing performance in the Super Bowl, culminating in him being named Super Bowl LX MVP.

Walker was not the only player who left the Seahawks in the offseason. The team parted ways with their offensive coordinator, Klint Kubiak, and several other key players, including Boye Mofe, Coby Bryant, Riq Woolen, and Dareke Young.

Despite his incredible effort, Walker was never slated to move forward as the RB1 in Seattle. According to the News Tribune, the star was “privately irked” by splitting carries with Zach Charbonnet, with hopes of making him their primary running back from the 2026 season. Hence, they split the responsibilities between the two. During the regular season, Walker received 47 percent of the offensive snaps, and Charbonnet received 49 percent for the Seahawks.

This plan was gradually working out for the Seahawks as Charbonnet recorded 730 yards and 12 touchdowns during the regular season, but suffered an ACL injury during the divisional round playoff win over the San Francisco 49ers on January 17, 2026. His injury meant Walker received the majority of postseason snaps, and he made good use of that opportunity.

With this extended role resulting in a Super Bowl MVP, Kenneth Walker III had a change of agents and decided to maximize himself by signing a massive three-year deal with a $43.05 million base value and $28.7 million fully guaranteed.

Now, as the focus shifts to the 2026 season, Walker has clearly moved on from any lingering frustration with the Seahawks. Now fully locked in as a Chief, he has already begun building relationships with the biggest names in the locker room.

Kenneth Walker III talks about interacting with Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce

After missing the playoffs for the first time since 2014, the Kansas City Chiefs were required to make a big splash this offseason to bolster a roster that looked like a shell of its former self. Hence, when Brett Veach and Co. brought in Kenneth Walker III, the NFL world took notice. Now, as the NFL season nears closer day-by-day, Walker revealed his first interactions with the likes of Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce.

“Yeah, I’ve been talking to Pat for a minute now,” Kenneth Walker III said during an interview with Athlon Sports. I was able to meet him in person. I’m always talking to him every day I see him. I haven’t met Travis in person, but I talked to him on the phone. He’s a vet as well. I know he’s gotta get his body right. But it was cool. It’s cool to be able to meet those guys and just really pick their brains and understand who they are.”

With Walker now on the roster, Kelce has another outlet to help him on the offensive side of things. While his regular-season stats stand out, Walker III showed that he is not afraid of the bright lights in the postseason with his performance in the Super Bowl.

Kenneth Walker III arrives in Kansas City with a chip on his shoulder and something to prove. He left Seattle feeling undervalued, but he now lands in a situation where he is the clear RB1. With early bonds already forming with Mahomes and Kelce, Walker looks primed to hit the ground running in 2026. If his Super Bowl MVP performance is any indication, the Chiefs may have just found the missing piece they needed.