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Nowadays, viral moments seem to emerge from championship parades, for better or worse.
For Seahawks general manager John Schneider, the Super Bowl LX parade in Seattle on Wednesday saw an awkward moment involving the game’s MVP, running back Kenneth Walker III, which went viral after what he said to the crowd.
Walker had a great Super Bowl, capping an excellent postseason run for the 25-year-old who will hit free agency this offseason with his rookie contract up.
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Seattle Seahawks general manager John Schneider speaks during the Super Bowl LX trophy celebration at Lumen Field on February 11, 2026. (Kirby Lee/Image Images)
Well, Schneider, holding a red Solo cup in his right hand, decided that the podium in front of the entire city, with Walker on his left shoulder, was the best place to start negotiations on a new deal.
“Ken Walker is the MVP, come on!” Schneider shouted to the cheering crowd. “He tried to negotiate with me five minutes ago. It was really weird. Anyway, hey, MVP! MVP!”
Walker smiled and shook his head, and social media users believed he looked uncomfortable at the time. But then he addressed Schneider’s comments on Instagram.
“It must have been the liquor he drank because I never said that!” he captioned a post on his Instagram Stories with Schneider’s video, accompanied by two laughing emojis.
Seattle Seahawks general manager John Schneider celebrates with fans during the Seattle Seahawks Super Bowl LX Victory Celebration and Parade at Lumen Field on February 11, 2026 in Seattle, Washington. (Alika Jenner/Getty Images)
Walker carried the Seahawks offense throughout the low-scoring affair until he scored a combined 30 points in the fourth quarter against the New England Patriots. Walker finished with 135 rushing yards on 27 carries, while racking up 26 receiving yards on two receptions.
In a split backfield with Zach Charbonnet this season, Walker still rushed for 1,027 yards on 221 carries with five rushing touchdowns and 282 receiving yards on 31 receptions. It was the Michigan State product’s second season rushing for more than 1,000 yards, including a breakout rookie campaign after Seattle selected him in the second round in 2022.
However, the Seahawks were without their two-headed monster in the backfield in the playoffs, as Charbonnet suffered a season-ending injury. Walker made the most of the heavier workload, rushing for 313 yards on 65 attempts with four touchdowns, three of which came in a 41-6 rout of the San Francisco 49ers.
Seattle Seahawks general manager John Schneider celebrates with the Vince Lombardi Trophy after winning Super Bowl LX against the New England Patriots at Levi’s Stadium on February 8, 2026 in Santa Clara, California. The Seattle Seahawks defeated the New England Patriots 29-13. (Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
It would benefit the Seahawks, who currently have $72.28 million in projected cap space this offseason, to re-sign Walker. Spotrac currently projects his market value at around $9 million per season, but it may be even higher after his playoff run.
Either way, negotiations will begin when both sides are ready to sit down at the table, sober. The excitement of winning the Super Bowl is still fresh, as it should be after a hard-fought season.
