The Seattle Seahawks could have used running back Kenneth Walker through the first part of this season, but he left in free agency and has been a star for the Kansas City Chiefs. He never had a chance to stay in the Pacific Northwest because Seattle reportedly never made Walker an offer.
That is according to The Athletic's (subscription required) Michael-Shawn Dugar, who also pointed out in a recent article an awkward moment that happened during the Seahawks' Super Bowl parade a few days after the team defeated the New England Patriots for the title.
While speaking to fans, and with Walker standing behind him, Schneider said, "To Ken Walker being the MVP, let’s go! He tried negotiating with me five minutes ago; it was weird."
Seattle Seahawks general manager John Schneider likely regrets words about Kenneth Walker
What was weird, even at the time, was Schneider saying those words. The general manager isn't known for being arrogant, but that is how he came across at the time. But the irony is what made the entire situation more cringe-worthy. Walker, of course, hadn't tried to negotiate with Schneider because Schneider didn't want to negotiate a potential new deal with him.
Later, the GM apologized for what he said about Walker, claiming it was a poor attempt at humor and that he was having "a panic moment." Mistakes happen, and Schneider can obviously be forgiven, but he might have made an effort to bring back the running back.
Schneider is one of the best GMs in the NFL. He is the only general manager in the history of the league to have won two Super Bowls while each team had a completely different roster and coaching staff. That doesn't happen by accident.
The intentional decision to not talk to Walker about returning has proven to be a mistake, though. Maybe the running back would have signed elsewhere anyway. He landed with Seattle's Week 7 opponent, and KC might have outbid the Seahawks for his services.
But Schneider made that a moot situation by not offering any kind of contract to the player who led Seattle's offense in the Super Bowl when the rest of the group was faltering.
As with any position, John Schneider has a monetary value that he is uncomfortable exceeding. He understands that building an entire roster is more important than having one or three stars, but Seattle had no answer to Walker's departure at the time, especially with Zach Charbonnet being out for months after hurting his knee in the playoffs.
While Schneider's team has started 3-3, a lack of a consistent rushing attack has been a key reason why. Quarterback Sam Darnold has been forced to carry too much of an offensive load over the last month, and that has failed.
Seattle chose running back Jadarian Price in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft, but he's been on injured reserve with a chest injury. Counting on a rookie to be the main back after the team had relied on the two-headed attack of Walker and Charbonnet for the last three years was a poor decision.
Meanwhile. Walker has played in five games for the 5-0 Chiefs, and he is having his best season. He leads the NFL in rushing yards with 665 and is averaging 6.3 yards per attempt. If the Seahawks had retained Walker, the team might be 4-2 or 5-1. Instead, Seattle is struggling to make the playoffs, and Walker is a superstar for unbeaten Kansas City.
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