The Seattle Seahawks rolled past the New England Patriots thanks to their immaculate defense and an incredible performance from running back Kenneth Walker III.

Walker logged 135 rushing yards on 27 attempts, averaging 5.0 yards per carry. The fourth-year running back also added 26 receiving yards on 2 receptions. Despite winning the MVP, Walker didn’t find the end zone in his big performance.

Walker is the first Super Bowl MVP-winning running back to not score a touchdown.

Walker was the X factor for the Seahawks offense on Sunday night. Quarterback Sam Darnold was under distress all night, and they couldn’t get the pass game going. The 5-foot-9 running back showcased an elite level of patience, finding the gaps despite the Patriots’ defense penetrating through the offensive line.

After cementing his name in the history books, where does Walker’s performance place him among the elite club of Super Bowl MVP running backs?

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Other MVP Performances by Running Back

The last running back to win the MVP was Denver Broncos Hall of Famer Terrell Davis. The legendary running back put together an all-time performance, rushing for 157 yards and 3 touchdowns. His three scores set a Super Bowl record.

Hall of Famer Marcus Allen has the most rushing yards of the group, rushing for 191 yards on only 20 attempts, averaging a ridiculous 9.6 yards per carry.

Larry Csonka was the first to win the award. Csonka logged 145 yards and 2 rushing touchdowns.

Ottis Anderson had the fewest yards among MVP running backs, with 109 total yards.

The Other RB MVP performances

(2026) Kenneth Walker III: 27 ATT, 135 Rush YDS, 5.0 YPC, 2 REC, 26 REC YDS
(1997) Terrell Davis: 30 ATT, 157 Rush YDS, 5.2 YPC, 3 TD, 2 REC, 8 REC YDS
(1993) Emmitt Smith: 30 ATT, 132 Rush YDS, 4.4 YPC, 2 TD, 4 REC, 26 REC YDS
(1990) Ottis Anderson: 21 ATT, 102 Rush YDS, 4.9 YPC, 1 TD, 1 REC, 7 REC YDS
(1983) Marcus Allen: 20 ATT, 191 Rush YDS, 9.6 YPC, 2 TD, 2 REC, 18 REC YDS
(1982) John Riggins: 38 ATT, 166 Rush YDS, 4.4 YPC, 1 TD, 1 REC, 15 REC Yards
(1974) Franco Harris: 34 ATT, 158 Rush YDS, 4.6 YPC, 1 TD
(1973) Larry Csonka: 33 ATT, 145 Rush YDS, 4.4 YPC, 2 TD

Where does Kenneth Walker’s performance rank statistically?

Walker’s performance is hindered quite a lot by not finding the end zone, but he ranks well in terms of yardage. Walker has the sixth most rushing yards among the eight running backs, and his 161 total yards rank fourth. The 25-year-old running back is tied with Emmitt Smith for most receiving yards (26).

Kenneth Walker’s 5.0 yards per carry are the third most among Super Bowl MVP running backs, and his 13 yards per reception is the second most. Walker has the third-lowest number of rushing attempts.

The Eye Test

It’s hard to put Walker’s numbers up against other Super Bowl MVP performances. Walker was the first of the 21st century to do it, and he was the best offensive performer in a new pass-heavy generation of football. While the league has slowly turned to running the football more, running backs remain undervalued, with the quarterback being the focal point of building an offense.

Kenneth Walker also made his own plays. He wasn’t running through wide open gaps against a bad run defense. The Patriots had the sixth-best run defense in 2025, with star players such as Milton Williams making impact plays.

There were plenty of times when Walker turned what should’ve been a loss into a 10+ yard run.

A combination of the young running back’s patience and burst speed allowed him to take over the game against a good run defense. The Seahawks’ six offensive scoring drives can all be credited to Walker’s performance, with offensive coordinator Klinkt Kubiak even choosing to run the ball on third down on multiple occasions.

Kenneth Walker’s Overall Ranking

So, where does Walker’s MVP-winning performance rank?

A lack of scoring is hard to justify, but Kenneth Walker embodied what being the most valuable player means. Without the fourth-year running back, I’m not sure Seattle leaves Santa Clara with the win. Obviously, their defense played a big part in the win, but Walker accounted for nearly half of Seattle’s total offense against one of the best run defenses in the league.

Walker’s numbers clearly outclass Ottis Anderson‘s 109 total yards, but the impact of scoring can’t be overlooked. Accounting for his fourth-ranked yards and total offensive impact, but lack of scoring, we’d place Walker with the sixth-best Super Bowl MVP performance from a running back.

Final List

1. Marcus Allen: 209 TOT yards, 2 TD
2. Terrell Davis: 165 TOT yards, 3 TD
3. John Riggins: 181 TOT yards, 1 TD
4. Emmitt Smith: 158 TOT yards, 2 TD
5. Larry Csonka: 145 TOT yards, 2 TD
6. Kenneth Walker III: 161 TOT yards
7. Franco Harris: 158 TOT yards, 1 TD
8. Ottis Anderson: 109 TOT yards, 1 TD