SANTA CLARA, Calif. — The drought is over. For the first time since 2014, the Lombardi Trophy belongs to the Pacific Northwest. The Seattle Seahawks dismantled the New England Patriots 29-13 in Super Bowl LX on Sunday night, turning Levi’s Stadium into a chaotic sea of Action Green. But the night belonged to Kenneth Walker III, who shattered a 28-year stigma against his position by becoming the first running back this century to be named Super Bowl MVP.
Ground & Pound: How Seattle Won It
This wasn’t the aerial circus pundits predicted. It was a street fight. Seattle’s defense suffocated Patriots quarterback Drake Maye, forcing three turnovers and sacking him six times. The Patriots’ offense looked lost, managing only two field goals until a garbage-time touchdown.
While the passing game sputtered—Sam Darnold finished a pedestrian 19-of-38—Walker put the team on his back. The 25-year-old slashed through New England’s defensive front for 161 total yards on 29 touches. His 30-yard burst in the third quarter broke the spirit of the Patriots’ defense, setting up the touchdown that effectively iced the game.
Walker’s MVP selection marks a massive shift. No running back had claimed the award since Terrell Davis in 1998. In an era obsessed with quarterbacks, Walker forced the world to watch the run game.
Bad Bunny Turns the Field into Puerto Rico
Before the confetti fell, Bad Bunny hijacked the Super Bowl. With the Seahawks grinding out a gritty 9-0 lead at halftime, Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio injected pure adrenaline into the stadium. The field dissolved into a vibrant Puerto Rican barrio, complete with market stalls and a mock wedding that felt more like a block party than a halftime show.
Opening with “Tití Me Preguntó,” the global icon didn’t miss a step. He cycled through hits like “Yo Perreo Sola” before dropping tracks from his Grammy-winning Album of the Year, DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS. The energy shifted noticeably when he closed with “VOY A LLeVARTE PA PR,” leaving the crowd buzzing just as the Seahawks returned to finish the job.
“They said the running back position was dead. They said you can’t win a ring running the rock in 2026. Watch me. I told the O-line, ‘Give me a crease, and I’ll give you a ring.’ We stand on business here.” — Kenneth Walker III, Super Bowl LX MVP
“It wasn’t pretty. We don’t do pretty. We do physical. We hit them in the mouth on the first drive and didn’t stop until the clock hit zeroes. That’s Seahawks football.” — Mike Macdonald, Seahawks Head Coach
What’s Next: The Cost of a Ring
The parade will happen Tuesday in downtown Seattle, but the front office has a headache coming. Walker is set to hit unrestricted free agency this March. After an MVP performance on the world’s biggest stage, his price tag just skyrocketed. Can Seattle afford to pay a running back top-tier money, or was this Walker’s swan song in the Emerald City?
For New England, the loss stings, but the window remains open. Maye is young, but Sunday proved he still has ghosts to exorcise when the lights get brightest.
