Kansas City Chiefs running back Kenneth Walker III was branded a "sore loser" on social media after he bypassed shaking hands with his former Seattle Seahawks teammates and instead ran directly to the locker room following the Chiefs' 20-3 defeat. Walker, who was named Super Bowl LI MVP, was held to his worst performance of the season in his return to Seattle, recording just 36 rushing yards.
As the game concluded, NBC cameras captured Walker jogging toward the locker room without acknowledging his former teammates. He was later seen embracing a Seahawks staffer before exiting the field. The incident sparked widespread criticism on platforms like X, with users questioning his sportsmanship.
"Losing is never easy, especially against your former team, but sportsmanship matters in victory and defeat," one user commented. Another expressed disappointment, suggesting that a "classy move would have been to stick around, shake hands & let the fans, former teammates & staff congratulate him."
Walker addressed his actions after the game, stating, "S***, we lost. I was frustrated. That's about it. I [saw] them over there celebrating and s***. That's about it."
Seahawks players acknowledged their motivation to limit Walker's impact. "I ain't going to lie, I did," said Seahawks safety Nick Emmanwori when asked if he wanted to hold Walker under 100 yards. "I definitely did want to hold him under 100 [yards]. I don't really listen to all the media noise, but that was my motivation. I know a lot of dudes on the defense, that was their motivation, too, to stop him under 100 and play lights out on defense. I think we did that."
With the loss, the Chiefs' record falls to 5-1, leaving the Minnesota Vikings as the only remaining undefeated team. Walker and the Chiefs are scheduled to play the Denver Broncos next week, while the Seahawks will face the Chicago Bears on Monday Night Football.