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Seattle Seahawks general manager John Schneider cracked a quick joke about Kenneth Walker III’s contract during the team’s Super Bowl celebration, and Walker made it clear (just as quickly) that it wasn’t true.
(Updated, 6:47 p.m. ET)
Seahawks GM John Schneider (wasted) on Kenneth Walker:
“He tried negotiating with me 5 minutes ago, it was really weird”
Schneider told the crowd that Walker “tried negotiating with me five minutes ago, it was really weird” drawing laughs in the moment, and a visible “nope” reaction from the running back standing nearby. Walker later posted on Instagram implying the comment was parade chatter, not reality.
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And while the exchange was clearly played for humor, it hit a nerve because the timing is real: Walker’s rookie deal runs through the 2025 season, and he’s set to be an unrestricted free agent after that.
Walker previously told Heavy he wants to stay in Seattle.
John Schneider’s parade quote went viral, and Walker immediately pushed back
Video from the parade showed Schneider on the mic giving Walker a shoutout and adding the line about Walker trying to negotiate “five minutes ago.”
Walker’s response is what turned it into a story. He shared the moment on Instagram and suggested Schneider’s comment was the kind of thing that happens when everyone’s celebrating.
Fans are eager to know what the Seahawks will do with Walker. Fresh off a Super Bowl MVP, and emerging as a clear No. 1 running back after the injury to Zach Charbonnet has left fans feeling like the Seahawks should throw as much money to lock up Walker as needed.
The Seahawks, of course, have other contracts to balance the books, too.
Why it matters: Walker’s contract timeline is now the Seahawks’ biggest “next step”
Whether or not anyone was “negotiating” at the parade, the Seahawks really do have a major decision coming.
Walker signed a four-year rookie contract that expires after the 2025 season. That means the Seahawks’ front office has a narrow window to decide if it wants to:
Extend him early (before free agency opens),
Let him test the market, or
Use tag/bridge tools if they want negotiating rights without a long-term deal (teams typically make those calls quickly once the offseason calendar turns).
The money side is where Seattle has flexibility. Cap sites currently list the Seahawks with roughly $72-$73 million in 2026 cap space (depending on methodology/updates), which is enough room to handle a big-ticket extension if they want to prioritize Walker.
The real takeaway: this was a joke, but it spotlights a real leverage moment
Walker’s rebuttal doesn’t have to mean there’s tension. If anything, it reads like a player making sure the public record is clean: he didn’t corner the GM for contract talk in the middle of a championship celebration.
But it also highlights something Seattle can’t ignore: once a player’s deal is nearing its end, everything becomes contract-adjacent: usage, workload, role security, and who the team adds behind him. The Seahawks don’t need to rush because a parade clip went viral, but they also can’t pretend the business side isn’t coming fast.
What happens next
If this follows the usual NFL pattern, the next meaningful updates will be practical, not viral: offseason comments from the coaching staff, any reporting around extension talks, and whether Seattle makes moves that signal how it views the backfield heading into 2026.
Erik Anderson is an award-winning sports journalist covering the NBA, MLB and NFL for Heavy.com. He also focuses on the trading card market. His work has appeared in nationally-recognized outlets including The New York Times, Associated Press , USA Today, and ESPN. More about Erik Anderson
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