Kenneth Walker III Talks Goals With Chiefs, Brilliance in Super Bowl
Kenneth Walker III is riding high as he prepares for the 2026 season.
The reigning Super Bowl MVP cashed in big this offseason after signing a three-year, $45 million contract with the Kansas City Chiefs. The deal made him one of the highest-paid running backs in the NFL. It was well earned considering Walker became the first running back since the Denver Broncos’ Terrell Davis to win Super Bowl MVP honors (in 1998) after rushing for 135 yards in the Seattle Seahawks’ win over the New England Patriots.
As Walker prepares for his first season with the Chiefs, he took the time to sit down for a one-on-one interview, talking about his departure from the Seahawks, his objectives for the 2026 season in Kansas City, and the running backs he looked up to.
Interview with Kenneth Walker
Q: Do you have any concrete objectives as you begin your first season in Kansas City?
Walker: I would say with the team, just make a positive impact in whatever way I can. I would say for me, just stand on top of my routine, making sure I get this playbook down, go out there and ball.
Q: You’re coming off the biggest game of your career in the Super Bowl. Obviously, it’s a big deal. Zach Charbonnet suffered the injury earlier in the playoffs. Did you envision rushing for 135 yards in the Super Bowl and that you would be the focal point?
Walker: I guess so. I watched Terrell Davis the night before. He was the latest running back to be Super Bowl MVP. I definitely watched his highlights before. I just had a mindset of just going out there and balling whatever way I could. I ended up getting the ball and really being a focal point on offense.
Q: Out of curiosity, did TD or any of the all-time greats reach out to you after that game?
Walker: People don’t reach out to me. I’ve never talked to him (Davis). But I talked to Shaun Alexander (Seahawks great). I always talk to him, he’s pretty cool.
Q: What did Shaun say to you? He was one of the best running backs and an MVP 20 years ago.
Walker: Yeah, it was just really conversations over the years. We’ve always talked. After the game, he was proud of me. I think, before the game, got to see his kids, I think he had like 12 or 13, so I talked to them, and got to take pictures with them. But we always have conversations.
Q: Who was the running back you looked up to most while growing up? Who would you mold your game after?
Walker: I don’t really mold my game. Well, I don’t mold my game after any running back, honestly. But I do watch highlights of guys. I love watching Adrian Peterson, just like how aggressive he ran with the ball, how good AP was. It’s just cool to watch his highlights. I’m at the Chiefs now, so I love watching Jamal Charles too. I was watching him when I was younger, but it’s cool to watch him again. And being at the Chiefs, it all makes sense.
Q: It’s funny you brought up Jamaal Charles, I’ve spoken to him before, he’s a great guy. Have you spoken to Adrian Peterson or any of these other guys?
Walker: I ain’t never talked to either of them. Like the only guy I talked to was Shaun Alexander. Another guy I watch is LeSean McCoy, so I talked to him a little bit. But that’s pretty much it. I ain’t really talked to many backs at all.
Q: Any notable advice from McCoy?
Walker: He’d be a lot of times, you see in the media, people can talk down on you, but he was one of the few to really speak highly of me, so I appreciate him.
Q: If I put you on the spot and asked you to name your one favorite player while growing up, who would you say?
Walker: Yeah, Adrian Peterson has got to be. Because I watched his stuff so much growing up, bro. I’m talking about before middle school games, I watch his highlights. So I gotta say AP.
Q: That makes sense. You’re a powerful running back, but he had speed. You have speed too, so it’s like you blend the two together. I want to ask you, how did your mindset change during the Seahawks’ playoff run after the Charbonnet injury?
Walker: My mindset was always the same. Really just when I get my opportunity to make the best of it, it was just my opportunity to start to happen more often than it was when Zach was in. It was really just making the most of my opportunities whenever I got the ball.
Q: Have you talked to any of your Seahawks teammates since you left? Maybe exchanging texts and wishing them the best of luck or them to you and vice versa?
Walker: A few of my teammates reached out over social media or text. I talked to Zach. I still talk to Zach. I talk to Coby (Bryant). all those guys. I talk to most of the guys still, but yeah, a few of them reached out.
Q: I’m guessing you and Zach, obviously two running backs that teamed up together and killed in the running game, you guys are always going to remain close?
Walker: Yeah, definitely, yeah. We’re always close. The media will try to separate you, say this, say that, but like we knew off rip that we were going to be close, making sure we had that bond no matter what. So yeah, I still talk to Zach pretty much daily.
Q: As you enter your fifth year, what is the biggest difference between the Kenneth Walker of now compared to his rookie year?
Walker: I know a lot more, more detailed in my game, passing, running, everything. Like I’m more detailed. Rookie year was just really figuring everything out, how the playbook was and everything. But I feel like I’m much more detailed, and I got an understanding of everything.
Q: Is there a certain area where you want to improve entering the season?
Walker: Really just everything I can improve on, everything. You never want to get satisfied. I feel like once you get satisfied, you might as well just stop playing — not just football, but anything in life. You might as well just stop doing it. So I want to just improve my game everywhere. I feel like I can do anything.