Wyman and Bob’s dark horse Super Bowl MVP candidates for Seahawks

The list of Super Bowl MVPs includes a slew of legendary names known by many.

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Tom Brady, Joe Namath, Joe Montana, Emmitt Smith, Aaron Rodgers and Ray Lewis are just a handful of the Hall of Famers or future Hall of Famers whose names dot the list Super Bowl heroes.

But sometimes the winner of the Pete Rozelle Trophy isn’t a household name. The Seattle Seahawks perhaps know that better than anybody. Super Bowl XLVIII MVP Malcolm Smith is considered to be one of the most unlikely winners of the award in the game’s history.

Generally, a quarterback ends up taking home the award, though. Fourteen out of the 18 past Super Bowl MVPs, including five of the past six, have been quarterbacks. So if the Seahawks do win it all on Sunday, odds are that quarterback Sam Darnold will be the next player to etch his name on the exclusive list.

If it isn’t Darnold, then who might it be? Seattle Sports’ Wyman and Bob made their picks for the Seahawks’ “dark horse” Super Bowl MVP candidates on Tuesday.

Wyman’s pick

Seahawks Radio Network analyst and former NFL linebacker Dave Wyman went with running back Kenneth Walker III.

“The way that K9 has been playing, he’s just been electric,” Wyman said. “And we’ve talked about that a lot, that he just looks different now.”

Walker produced at least 100 yards from scrimmage in four of the Seahawks’ first 14 games this season. He’s matched that total in the five games since, including two games with more than 100 yards on the ground and a three-touchdown performance against the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Divisional Round.

Wyman has seen Walker’s confidence grow with big games down the stretch, which is another reason he feels the Michigan State product is a strong candidate.

“The one touchdown where he bounced it outside and ran through a tackle – that was against the 49ers – it looked like a whole new level with him,” Wyman said. “… That’s really when you make plays is when you’re totally confident. Whether you’re playing a defense or offense or whatever, you know what your assignments are, you look at the look on defense and everything looks good to you and you’re just confident, and I think that’s when you play fast.”

145 total yards
3 Touchdowns

Kenneth Walker III got a hat trick and a trip to the NFC Championship 🎩 @seahawks pic.twitter.com/QOvRNaCZpl

— NFL (@NFL) January 18, 2026

Walker may seem like an obvious pick due to his prominent role in the offense, but history isn’t on his side. No running back has won the award this century. The last was to do it was Denver’s Terrell Davis in Super Bowl XXXII during the 1997 season.

Bob’s pick

Wyman and Bob co-host Bob Stelton went to the other side of the ball for his pick, taking linebacker Ernest Jones IV.

“I’m gonna go defense, and I’m gonna go Ernest Jones, who’s gonna come up with a big play,” Stelton said. “He’s either gonna force a turnover with a hit or stripping the ball, or he’s going to come up with a pick because he leads this team in picks. He’s a guy that just seems to be there to make plays.”

Jones has been a key figure for the Seahawks since arriving in a midseason trade last season, which coincided with a surge from Mike Macdonald’s defense. He led the team 126 tackles and five interceptions during the regular season this year, the latter of which was tied for the second-most in the league and the most among linebackers. He also had a pick in the NFC Divisional Round.

Ernest Jones with his 6th pick of the year 🤯

📺 FOX pic.twitter.com/q0VNPaZBUv

— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) January 18, 2026

Stelton was also considering defensive backs Devon Witherspoon and Nick Emmanwori, but he ultimately landed on Jones.

“He’s just been a big-play guy throughout the season, and I know defense is probably less likely than somebody on offense. I think he can come up with a huge, maybe game-turning play in this game if they need one,” Stelton said. “I’m not sure that they’ll need it because I feel like as long as they’re not turning the ball over, they’re gonna have a comfortable win. But Ernest Jones is my guy. I just think he’s got a nose for the ball. I think there’s an intensity to him. I think he is just probably eating this moment up. I think he is ready to perform.”

If Jones were to win the award, he’d be the first off-ball linebacker since Smith to do so, and just the fourth all-time.

Hear the full conversation here or in the audio player in this story. Listen to Wyman and Bob weekdays from 2-7 p.m. or find the podcast on the Seattle Sports app. 

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