Seattle Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker III is seen here in the fourth quarter against the New England Patriots during Super Bowl LX at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif.Santiago Mejia/The Associated Press
Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker and Kansas City have agreed to a three-year deal worth up to US$45-million, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press on Monday.
The deal includes US$28.7-million guaranteed and US$43.05-million in base value, said the person, who spoke on condition of anonymity because contracts cannot become official until the new league year begins Wednesday.
Walker fills perhaps the biggest need for Kansas City as it tries to bounce back from a disastrous 6-11 season. Kareem Hunt and Isiah Pacheco, the team’s top two running backs, are both free agents, leaving only second-year pro Brashard Smith under contract.
The deal came as Kansas City was nearing an agreement to bring back four-time all-pro tight end Travis Kelce for his 14th season, a person familiar with those negotiations told AP. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because that contract was not yet final.
Walker, a second-round pick in the 2022 draft, ran for 3,555 yards and 29 touchdowns over four seasons with the Seahawks. He had 1,027 yards and five scores last season, and he was even better in the playoffs, running for 116 yards and three TDs against the 49ers, another touchdown against the Rams, and 135 yards in a 29-13 win over the Patriots in the Super Bowl.
He is the fourth Super Bowl MVP to change teams the following season: Larry Brown went from the Cowboys to the Raiders, Desmond Howard from the Packers to the Raiders, and Dexter Jackson from the Buccaneers to the Cardinals.
K.C. has long survived at running back behind a patchwork of late-round draft picks and bargain free agents. But they were desperate to improve the position after ranking 25th in the NFL in rushing last season with just 106.6 yards per game.
Hunt finished with 661 yards rushing and Pacheco with 462 yards. The team’s third-leading rusher was quarterback Patrick Mahomes, with 422 yards and five touchdowns, and he missed the final three games of the season with a torn knee ligament.
Kansas City tight end Travis Kelce looks up during the second half of a game against the Las Vegas Raiders in the final week of the NFL's 2025 regular season.John Locher/The Associated Press
The team had been linked to Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love in the upcoming NFL draft, but his strong scouting combine may have pushed him so far up draft boards that he will be unavailable when Kansas City is due to pick at No. 9 overall.
K.C also has the No. 29 pick in the first round as part of their deal to send cornerback Trent McDuffie to the Rams. And by signing Walker in free agency, they have more flexibility in the draft to address some of their other pressing needs, including a weak pass rush, the interior of their defensive line, their offensive line depth and wide receiver.