The unbeaten Kansas City Chiefs travel to Lumen Field on Sunday to face the Seattle Seahawks, and the biggest storyline has nothing to do with the standings. Running back Kenneth Walker III, the former Seahawks star and Super Bowl LX MVP who signed with Kansas City in free agency in March, returns to the building where he built his career. The Kenneth Walker Seahawks return comes with Kansas City at 5-0 and Seattle at 3-3, and it headlines a matchup between an NFL-best rushing attack and a defense that hasn’t allowed a 100-yard rusher in 35 straight games.
Chiefs Vs Seahawks Game Information
- Date: Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026
- Time: 8:20 p.m. ET
- Venue: Lumen Field, Seattle, Washington
- TV/Streaming: NBC and Peacock
- Weather: 52 degrees, 25% chance of precipitation
What Does Kenneth Walker’s Return To Seattle Mean?
Walker played four seasons with the Seahawks but appeared in all 17 games just once, and general manager John Schneider let him walk in free agency in part because of his injury history, according to FOX Sports. Kansas City signed him to a three-year, $43.05 million contract, and he has rewarded that investment by leading the NFL with 665 rushing yards on 106 carries through five games, with six touchdowns, a 6.3 yards-per-carry average and 133 yards per game, also both NFL-best marks.
Walker kept his comments measured ahead of the trip back. “I’m just focused on critiquing the mistakes we made. Once we get to that point, we’ll see,” he said Wednesday, via the Associated Press.
Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes offered a different perspective on what the moment means. “I know it’s going to be a special moment for him to get back to the place where you kind of built your career, and won a Super Bowl,” Mahomes said Wednesday. “But at the end of the day, we have to win a football game.”
Coach Andy Reid added that Walker’s former teammates “will try to get after him a little bit” but called him “a pretty level-headed guy” who plays with one speed no matter the opponent.
Can Seattle’s Defense Slow Down Walker?
The Seahawks lead the NFL in total yards allowed per game at 237 and are tied for the league lead with 11 takeaways, and they have not given up a 100-yard rushing performance since Week 8 of the 2024 season. Walker has topped 100 yards in four of his five games this year, setting up a direct test of that streak. Linebacker Ernest Jones IV runs Seattle’s defensive calls, and the Seahawks’ run defense has held up even as the team’s offense has stumbled at times.
Seattle’s issues have shown up on the other side of the ball. The Seahawks have 12 giveaways, tied for third-most in the league, and rank 30th in red zone defense. Their three losses have come by a combined eight points, a margin that points to a team competitive in most games but unable to finish them.
What Is Sam Darnold Dealing With Under Pressure?
Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold has completed 90 of 149 passes for 1,033 yards with seven touchdowns and seven interceptions this season. He has been pressured on 42.3% of his dropbacks and hit on a league-high 22% of those pressured plays, per Next Gen Stats cited by FOX Sports. Seattle also shifted its offensive approach under new coordinator Brian Fleury, moving to a 56-44 passing split compared to an even 50-50 split in 2025, even as Darnold’s play-action efficiency dropped from 11.3 yards per attempt last year to 8.55 this season.
On the Chiefs side, Mahomes has completed 105 of 158 passes for 1,309 yards with nine touchdowns and three interceptions. Kansas City brought back Eric Bieniemy as offensive coordinator and has leaned into balance, running a roughly 53-47 run-pass split after passing 60% of the time in 2025. Mahomes has also gotten more out of play-action, averaging 9.65 yards per attempt this season compared to 8 yards in 2025, while Kansas City’s play-action passing yards have jumped from 10.8% of total passing yards last year to 33.4% through five games.
Who Are The Projected Starters And Injury Questions?
Mahomes is expected to start at quarterback for Kansas City, with Walker as the starting running back. Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce is listed as questionable with a leg and ankle issue, and wide receiver Rashee Rice is questionable with a hamstring injury. Cornerback L’Jarius Sneed is also questionable with a knee issue. Kansas City placed offensive tackle Josh Simmons on injured reserve with a back injury, and the team signed linebacker Aiden Fisher to the practice squad on Oct. 20.
Darnold is expected to start for Seattle. Running back Zach Charbonnet, recovering from a knee injury suffered in the playoffs, is listed as questionable and according to USA Today may be deemed ready to play Sunday. Linebackers Uchenna Nwosu, DeMarcus Lawrence and Drake Thomas are all questionable with leg-related injuries, and tight end Elijah Arroyo remains on injured reserve following shoulder surgery. Seattle’s starting right guard has returned to practice this week, according to USA Today.
What To Watch
Kansas City enters Week 8 as the only unbeaten team in the AFC West, sitting at 5-0 with a plus-57 point differential this season, while Seattle sits at 3-3 in a tightly packed NFC West behind the 6-0 San Francisco 49ers. A Chiefs win would extend their perfect start to six games. For Seattle, snapping a stretch of close losses, each decided by one score, would keep the team within range in the division.
The Walker storyline will draw attention throughout the broadcast, but the numbers underneath it carry the game. Seattle’s defense has been stingy against the run all season, and Walker has been nearly unstoppable. Whichever trend wins out will go a long way toward deciding whether Kansas City stays unbeaten or Seattle snaps back into the win column.
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