Kenneth Walker III Q&A: Super Bowl MVP Opens Up on Fit with Chiefs, Mahomes & Kelce
Kenneth Walker III is on top of the world as he enters his first season with the Kansas City Chiefs.
The 25-year-old running back is the reigning Super Bowl MVP after leading the Seattle Seahawks to a decisive win in the big game over the New England Patriots. Walker ran for 135 yards in the 29-13 win over the Patriots, the most by a player in a Super Bowl game since Denver Broncos' Terrell Davis tallied 157 in Super Bowl XXXII.
Walker parlayed that performance into a sizable pay day, signing a three-year, $45 million deal with the Chiefs. The contract made Walker the fourth-highest paid running back in the NFL on an average annual basis.
As Walker prepares for his first season in Kansas City, he spoke one-on-one with Athlon Sports about a wide range of topics, including why he signed with the Chiefs, his first conversations with Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce and his partnership with Oral-B. Here's what transpired:
[Editor's note: This transcript has been lightly edited for readability.]
Q: You're coming off the Super Bowl MVP with the Seahawks. Talk about your decision to sign with the Chiefs.
Walker: Yep, you know how the business side works. Everything doesn't work out how you planned it after the Super Bowl. Agent did the talking about free agency and everything like that. But I feel like me and my pops talked it over, and we felt like the Chiefs were a great fit.
Q: The Chiefs are a year removed from a Super Bowl appearance. They were the dominant team in the AFC for many years. Talk about that fit and how that excites you. You got Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce coming back.
Walker: Yep, you got so many weapons on the field, offense and defense. Like you said, they have a winning culture. Everybody wants to win in the league, so I feel like that's a great fit because I'm a competitor.
Q: Did you talk with [head coach] Andy Reid or [general manager] Brett Veach before you made that decision to sign?
Walker: No, I didn't. My agents did most of the talking. After we ended up signing, I was able to talk to those guys. We went to dinner, talked to everybody, got to know everybody. The next day, I was able to talk to Andy Reid as well. We talked about life and football, and it was cool to meet him.
Q: I want to ask you, the running back market has kind of been reinvigorated. Saquon Barkley kind of led that. Now you're seeing the running backs sign big money deals. Were there a lot of teams showing interest in free agency. Were there substantial discussions with the Seahawks?
Walker: Yeah, it was a few teams, probably, like three or four. I didn't really hear much from the Seahawks, at least when I talked to my agent, I didn't hear much. But yeah, it was a few teams, you know, that's pretty much it.
Q: Did that surprise you about the lack of communication or interest from Seattle?
Walker: No, it's a business. I kind of figured during the season how things were going that I wasn't going to be there. You can feel the energy, bro. So I pretty much knew.
Q: I'm gonna talk about Kansas City right now. I feel like this is a great fit because the Chiefs are under the radar because of the season that they just had. But you get all these weapons healthy. You get Mahomes back healthy. That's got to excite you. You're the unquestioned No. 1 running back over there. You're jumping to a team that could compete for a Super Bowl as soon as this season if all the pieces are healthy.
Walker: Yeah, it's great, but we also got to execute right away. Get to know each other, bond, and get on the field and execute. I'm really learning the playbook now, all the terminology, and getting acclimated with that. But I feel like it's gonna be a great season for us.
Q: I know you're really new to the team, but have you talked to Patrick Mahomes yet? Have you talked to Travis Kelce?
Walker: Yeah, I've been talking to Pat for a minute now. I was able to meet him in person. I'm always talking to him every day I see him. I haven't met Travis in person, but I talked to him on the phone. He's a vet as well. I know he's gotta get his body right. But it was cool. It's cool to be able to meet those guys and just really pick their brain and understand who they are.
Q: What stood out to you most about Pat? What was the most interesting thing you guys talked about?
Walker: It's really two things - just how humble he is and how competitive he is. He's always looking for ways to get better. I just got here, but you can see how he runs the routes and how goes through the plays. It's very detailed.
Q: Pat is coming off the knee injury, but when he's on the field he's one of the best in the game. Playing with him has got to open up a lot of things for you in this offense. Did you guys go in depth about that yet?
Walker: No, me and him haven't, but I feel like we understand that, and I feel like that's part of the reason they wanted me here, is that we can be a threat in the run game and pass game. They can't really load the box when you got Pat Mahomes out there, so yeah, it'll be a problem."
Q: Everybody knows Travis Kelce, one of the best tight ends of all time. You said you talked over the phone, what's the most notable thing you guys talked about?
Walker: It was really like a text. He hit me up, he was really excited that I got to the team, that I'm a Chief, and made me feel appreciated. Those guys, they're happy to have me on the team. I'm ready to go out there and ball on the side of them.
Q: Talk about what you're doing with Oral-B.
Walker: We recently partnered up. It's important for me, because I make sure to keep that in my routine, with keeping my hygiene, my teeth good. I feel like people overlook oral hygiene a lot, and it can have an effect on different places in your body. I've been partnered with them for a few months.
Q: You brush your teeth as part of your pregame routine. Talk about that.
Walker: Waking up, I always brush my teeth leading into the game, have a smoothie, or sometimes I don't eat before. I get to the stadium, get ready to get dressed, do my little treatment, and then brush them again and then get ready to go warm up and play.
Q: How long have you been doing that for?
Walker: Really since my career began. That's been my main thing, just brushing my teeth before the game and just brushing my teeth in general.
Q: Talk about this electric toothbrush, what makes it so great?
Walker: Oral B, the iO series electric toothbrush. It's great because it's got these personal lines to your teeth, It has the timer on it also. If you're not brushing long enough, it has a sad face, or the face changes the longer you brush it.
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This story was originally published May 11, 2026 at 5:05 AM.