Kenneth Walker III Just Revealed When He Knew the Seahawks Were Done With Him

Kenneth Walker III is gone, and he's not keeping quiet about it. The former Seahawks running back, who just signed a massive three-year deal worth $43.05 million with the Kansas City Chiefs, sat down with NBC Sports NFL insider Mike Florio and dropped a truth bomb about his exit from Seattle: he saw it coming mid-season.

"I would say, if I'm being honest, sometime during the season," Walker told Florio on May 4. "Things didn't work out how I expected, and that's all right because it worked out for the team. But yeah, it was during the season, and then once free agency came around, you pretty much knew you weren't going to be there anymore. Me personally, I knew I wasn't going to be there anymore."

Walker's Final Season Was Elite, But It Wasn't Enough

Here's the wild part: Walker put up one of the best seasons among NFL running backs in his last year wearing midnight blue and green. He earned an 88.4 overall grade from PFF, ranking second out of 55 qualified backs at the position. His rushing grade of 90.2 placed him third on that same list.

The numbers backed it up. Walker carried the ball 221 times for 1,027 yards and five touchdowns, averaging 4.6 yards per attempt. He forced 61 missed tackles and averaged 3.0 yards after contact per carry, showing real elite running ability. In the passing game, he was reliable too, catching 31 of 34 targets for 282 yards.

None of it mattered. The Seahawks made their choice, and Walker landed in Kansas City on a contract that includes $28.7 million fully guaranteed. He'll now step into the lead back role with the Chiefs after splitting carries in Seattle.

The Chiefs Saw This Coming From a Mile Away

Chiefs GM Brett Veach knew early. By November and December, he was already circling Walker as a free agent target. But when Walker went on that playoff tear and had a long run called back during the Super Bowl, Veach got nervous. He actually texted Patrick Mahomes during the Super Bowl, worried another team would snatch Walker up because there weren't many running backs hitting the market.

"I think Kenneth saw the fit here and saw the vision here," Veach said on the Pat McAfee Show on May 1. "And once that window opened, I think it was pretty clear how much we coveted him."

Seattle Already Moving Forward

The Seahawks didn't dwell on the departure. They used the 32nd overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft on April 23 to grab former Notre Dame running back Jadarian Price, signaling they were ready to turn the page immediately.

GM John Schneider praised the pick and the player. "Great player, great person," Schneider said. "The person's outstanding, the competitor. He's a Seahawk. It's really cool."

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.