Kenneth Walker III stepped onto the Lumen Field turf on Sunday night, October 25, 2026, wearing a Kansas City Chiefs uniform for the first time against the franchise he carried to a championship. The Chiefs' Sunday Night Football matchup was going to be all about running back Kenneth Walker, who returns to Seattle for the first time since signing a three-year, $43,000,000 contract with Kansas City in the offseason. The Week 7 showdown pitted the league's last unbeaten AFC team against the defending Super Bowl champions.
A Quiet Return to a Loud Stage
Walker is not one to make headlines with his words, and he made clear this week that he was not treating the trip back to Seattle as anything extraordinary. “I'm treating it like any other week,” Walker said. “You can't make it bigger than what it is.”
His quarterback in Kansas City sees it differently. “It's going to be a special moment for him,” said Chiefs quarterback Mahomes. “You get to go back to the place where you built your career, where you won a Super Bowl.”
From Super Bowl MVP to Free-Agent Departure
Just eight months earlier, Walker was the centerpiece of Seattle's championship run. Walker scored a hat trick against the San Francisco 49ers in the divisional round, had 111 scrimmage yards in the NFC title game victory over the Los Angeles Rams and racked up 135 rushing yards in the Seahawks' 29-13 Super Bowl win over the New England Patriots. That performance earned him Super Bowl LX MVP honors before he hit free agency.
Why Seattle Let Him Walk
Rather than committing big money to Walker, the Seahawks prioritized other pieces of their roster. Seattle chose instead to extend cornerback Devon Witherspoon and wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba, while also reportedly having durability concerns about Walker. Walker ultimately signed a three-year, $43.05 million contract with Kansas City in free agency, reshaping the Chiefs' backfield.
A Statement Start in Kansas City
The move has paid off immediately for Andy Reid's offense. Walker leads the NFL in rushing and has the Chiefs' run game ranked first, while Seattle's run game has fallen to 18th. Heading into the Seattle trip, Walker had averaged 133.0 rushing yards per game, scoring at least one touchdown in each contest. The week before, Kansas City won 22-6, once again leaning heavily on Walker, who rushed for 128 yards and two touchdowns against the Los Angeles Chargers.
What Was at Stake Sunday Night
The game carried real stakes beyond the storyline. Kenneth Walker III made his return to Seattle as a member of the Kansas City Chiefs (5-0) to face his former team, the Seahawks (3-3), on Sunday Night Football. Mike Macdonald's club arrived desperate for a win after a rocky stretch. Seattle had lost two in a row, both three-point losses to very good teams, the 49ers and Broncos.
A win for Kansas City would keep alive one of the best starts in franchise history, while a Seahawks victory would be a signature statement in their title defense. The matchup fit into a broader run of marquee storylines across the NFL this fall, with Seattle looking to steady itself after a shaky stretch similar to the one it showed in its recent loss to the Broncos.
How to Watch
For fans wanting to follow the action live, the broadcast details were set well in advance. Kansas City Chiefs vs. Seattle Seahawks aired Sunday, October 25 at 8:20 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock, live from Lumen Field in Seattle. Announcers were Mike Tirico on play-by-play and Chris Collinsworth as analyst, with Melissa Stark reporting from the sideline.
What Comes Next
Regardless of Sunday's outcome, Walker's emergence has already reshaped the season-long conversation around the Kansas City Chiefs, who remain in the thick of the race after a memorable earlier win that featured a big day at Arrowhead. Seattle, meanwhile, must figure out how to replace the production it lost when it chose not to keep its Super Bowl MVP, a decision that will continue to be scrutinized as the season progresses.