Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker III Rare Ray of Light for Erratic Seahawks Offense

Entering Super Bowl Sunday’s clash between the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots, there had been a total of 22 individual 100-yard rushing performances. However, no player had topped the century mark on the ground since Kansas City Chiefs’ running back Damien Williams rushed for 104 yards and one touchdown on 17 carries in the team’s 31-20 win over the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl LIV.

Seahawks’ running back Kenneth Walker was determined to end that drought after 30 minutes of play, and wound up getting the job done by game’s end. He finished the first half with 94 yards on 14 carries as Mike Macdonald’s team took a 9-0 lead at intermission. In fact, the fourth-year performer touched the ball 15 times in the first half and gained 100 total yards, more than half the yards (183) Seattle gained in the first two quarters.

This run by Kenneth Walker III is exactly why lateral agility & explosiveness are important when I evaluate RBs. Can you jump-cut and exchange gaps when the inside gaps are clogged?

Walker is a stud!pic.twitter.com/i1QlXLzRvd
— Damian Parson💰 (@DP_NFL) February 9, 2026

It’s not as if Seahawks’ quarterback Sam Darnold was lighting up New England’s defense. He finished the first half with only 88 yards through the air, hitting on just nine of his 22 attempts.

By game’s end, Macdonald’s club finished with 335 total yards. Darnold finished with 202 yards passing, and managed to finish the game with a 50.0 completion percentage (19-of-38). The ‘Hawks were a dismal 4-of-16 on third down.

Walker named MVP — Feb 8, 2026; Santa Clara, CA, USA; Seattle Seahawks head coach Mike MacDonald and running back Kenneth Walker III (9) celebrate with the Vince Lombardi trophy after defeating the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LX at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Meanwhile, there was the reliable Walker. He wound up running for 135 yards on 27 carries, tied for the eighth-most rushing yards in a Super Bowl. His 161 yards from scrimmage was almost half of Seattle’s total (335) for the game. And the fourth-year pro was named the game’s Most Valuable Player, the first running back to garner those honors since Denver’s Terrell Davis in Super Bowl XXXII vs. the Green Packers.

The Seahawks’ 29-13 victory over the Patriots was more about Seattle’s defensive unit than the ‘Hawks’ offense. There were six sacks of Drake Maye, who lost one fumble and had one of his two interceptions returned for a touchdown. But the other side of the ball belonged to Walker, the team’s most reliable performer on offense on Sunday.

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