SEATTLE, Wash. — Kenneth Walker III returned to the city where his NFL career began Sunday night, but what was supposed to be a highly anticipated homecoming quickly turned into a frustrating evening for the former Seattle Seahawks running back.
Behind a dominant defensive performance and another historic outing from wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba, the Seahawks defeated the previously unbeaten Kansas City Chiefs 20-3 at Lumen Field, handing Patrick Mahomes and company their first loss of the 2026 season.
Seattle held Kansas City to just 213 total yards, 11 first downs and three points, delivering one of the most impressive defensive performances against Mahomes since he became the Chiefs’ starting quarterback in 2018.
The victory improved Seattle to 4-3, ending a two-game losing streak and providing the defending Super Bowl champions with a much-needed victory. Kansas City, meanwhile, fell to 5-1 after entering the matchup as one of the NFL’s final undefeated teams. (Seattle Seahawks)
Kenneth Walker’s Highly Anticipated Return Ends in Frustration
Sunday night’s matchup carried additional significance because of Walker’s return to Seattle for the first time since departing the organization during the offseason.
Walker spent the first four seasons of his NFL career with the Seahawks after being selected in the second round of the 2022 NFL Draft. He developed into one of the league’s most explosive running backs and played an important role in Seattle’s championship run last season, earning Super Bowl LX MVP honors.
However, Walker departed Seattle during free agency, signing with Kansas City and immediately establishing himself as a centerpiece of the Chiefs’ offense.
Entering Sunday’s game, Walker had rushed for 665 yards and six touchdowns on 106 carries across five games, leading the NFL in rushing yards while averaging an extraordinary 6.3 yards per attempt.
His production had helped Kansas City begin the season undefeated, and his return to Seattle offered an opportunity to demonstrate his value against the organization that originally drafted him. (NFL.com)
Instead, Walker encountered a Seattle defense that appeared determined to prevent its former star from taking over the game.
The Seahawks limited Walker to just 36 rushing yards on 14 carries, an average of 2.6 yards per attempt. He also caught four passes for 21 yards, finishing with only 57 yards from scrimmage.
For a running back who had exceeded 100 rushing yards in four of his previous five appearances, the performance represented a dramatic departure from his early-season dominance.
Seattle consistently closed running lanes, prevented Walker from reaching the second level and forced Kansas City into passing situations that favored the Seahawks’ defense.
The performance was particularly impressive considering Seattle had not allowed an individual 100-yard rusher in its previous 35 games.
Walker entered the matchup as one of the NFL’s most productive offensive players. By the end of the evening, his former teammates had delivered one of the most effective defensive performances against him in recent memory. (Seattle Seahawks)
Seahawks Defense Completely Shuts Down Patrick Mahomes
While Walker’s return dominated much of the pregame discussion, Seattle’s defense ultimately became the biggest story of the evening.
The Seahawks held Kansas City scoreless throughout the first half, limiting Mahomes and the Chiefs to an unusually ineffective offensive performance.
Mahomes completed just 19 of 33 passes for 165 yards, throwing one interception and finishing with a passer rating of 58.3.
It was one of the least productive performances of his career, with Seattle consistently applying pressure, limiting explosive plays and forcing Kansas City into difficult third-down situations.
The Chiefs converted just three of their 11 third-down opportunities and failed to reach the red zone for the entire game.
According to NBC Sports, it marked the first time Kansas City had failed to reach the red zone in a game started by Mahomes, including postseason appearances.
Kansas City’s 213 total yards were less than half of Seattle’s 410, illustrating the significant difference between the two offenses throughout the evening. (NBC Sports)
The Seahawks also controlled possession for nearly 36 minutes, preventing Mahomes from developing any consistent offensive rhythm.
Kansas City’s only points came on a 50-yard field goal from Harrison Butker late in the third quarter.
Butker missed two additional attempts, including a 45-yard opportunity in the fourth quarter that could have reduced Seattle’s advantage to seven points.
Instead, the Seahawks maintained control and eventually put the game out of reach.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba’s Historic Start Continues
While Seattle’s defense controlled Kansas City, Smith-Njigba continued putting together one of the most remarkable starts to a season by a wide receiver in recent NFL history.
The reigning Associated Press Offensive Player of the Year finished Sunday night’s victory with nine receptions for 150 yards and a touchdown, leading Seattle’s passing attack and repeatedly creating problems for the Chiefs’ secondary.
His biggest play came during the second quarter, when quarterback Sam Darnold connected with him for a 28-yard touchdown that extended Seattle’s lead to 10-0.
By halftime, Smith-Njigba had already accumulated 129 receiving yards and a touchdown on six receptions.
He finished with his sixth 100-yard receiving performance in just seven games this season, continuing a level of consistency rarely seen from even the NFL’s most accomplished receivers.
Through seven games, Smith-Njigba has accumulated 867 receiving yards and eight receiving touchdowns.
That production places him alongside Jerry Rice in 1986 and Cooper Kupp in 2021 as the only players to record at least 800 receiving yards and eight receiving touchdowns through their team’s first seven games of a season.
Smith-Njigba has also recorded at least 120 receiving yards in five of his seven appearances, further illustrating how consistently he has dominated opposing secondaries. (Seattle Seahawks)
His 867 receiving yards put him on pace for more than 2,100 yards across a 17-game regular season, a total that would surpass Calvin Johnson’s NFL single-season receiving record of 1,964 yards established in 2012.
Although maintaining that production throughout an entire season would be an extraordinary accomplishment, Smith-Njigba’s opening seven games have already placed him among some of the greatest receiving performances in league history.
The consistency has been especially important for Seattle’s offense, which has experienced occasional struggles despite possessing considerable talent.
Darnold finished Sunday’s victory completing 20 of 28 passes for 257 yards, one touchdown and one interception, with Smith-Njigba accounting for more than half of his passing yardage.
At just 24 years old, Smith-Njigba is continuing to establish himself as one of the NFL’s premier offensive players, and his performance against Kansas City provided another example of why opposing defenses have struggled to contain him.
Travis Kelce Passes Marvin Harrison on NFL’s All-Time Receptions List
Despite Kansas City’s difficult offensive performance, tight end Travis Kelce reached another significant milestone in his Hall of Fame-caliber career.
Kelce recorded four receptions for 44 yards against Seattle, increasing his career total to 1,104 catches and moving past Pro Football Hall of Famers Marvin Harrison and Cris Carter into fifth place on the NFL’s all-time receptions list.
Harrison finished his career with 1,102 receptions, while Carter retired with 1,101.
Kelce officially moved ahead of Harrison during the fourth quarter when Mahomes connected with him for a 19-yard completion, giving the veteran tight end another historic achievement in his 14th NFL season.
The milestone was especially fitting because it occurred on National Tight Ends Day, an annual celebration of the position that Kelce has helped redefine throughout his career. (NFL.com)
Kelce now trails only Jerry Rice, Larry Fitzgerald, Tony Gonzalez and Jason Witten on the NFL’s career receptions leaderboard.
He also surpassed Gonzalez for the most receiving yards by a tight end when combining regular-season and postseason production, adding another remarkable accomplishment to his résumé.
Although Kansas City’s offense struggled throughout the evening, Kelce’s performance served as another reminder of his longevity and consistency at a position where sustained production is particularly difficult.
For the Chiefs, however, the individual achievement offered little consolation following their first defeat of the season. (CBS Sports)
Seattle Controls the Game From Beginning to End
The Seahawks established control early, preventing Kansas City from finding the offensive rhythm that had helped produce five consecutive victories.
After a scoreless opening quarter, Seattle broke through with a 25-yard field goal from Jason Myers.
The Seahawks then capitalized on an interception by safety Ty Okada, who picked off Mahomes on a pass intended for Jalen Royals.
Darnold converted a critical third down with his legs before finding Smith-Njigba for a 28-yard touchdown, extending Seattle’s advantage to 10-0 before halftime.
The Chiefs had an opportunity to put points on the board before the break, but Butker’s 58-yard field goal attempt fell short.
Seattle extended its lead to 13-0 during the third quarter on another Myers field goal before Kansas City finally responded with Butker’s 50-yard conversion.
However, the Chiefs never seriously threatened to take control.
Following Butker’s second missed field goal in the fourth quarter, Seattle put together its final scoring possession, capped by a 21-yard touchdown run from Emanuel Wilson with 3:47 remaining.
Wilson finished with 100 rushing yards on 24 carries, providing the Seahawks with a physical presence in the running game that complemented Darnold’s passing attack.
Seattle finished with 410 total yards, converted 11 of 16 third-down opportunities and controlled possession for 35 minutes and 51 seconds.
Kansas City, meanwhile, managed just 50 rushing yards and failed to score a touchdown for the entire evening. (Associated Press)
Seahawks Send a Message to the Rest of the NFL
Sunday night’s victory represented considerably more than simply ending a two-game losing streak.
Seattle entered the matchup facing questions about its offensive consistency and ability to compete with the league’s strongest teams.
Against an undefeated Kansas City squad led by Mahomes, Walker and Kelce, the Seahawks responded with one of their most complete performances of the season.
The defense neutralized one of the NFL’s most productive running backs, prevented Mahomes from reaching the end zone and consistently won critical situations.
Meanwhile, Smith-Njigba continued his extraordinary opening stretch, establishing himself as a legitimate candidate to challenge one of the NFL’s most prestigious receiving records.
For Kansas City, the loss exposed vulnerabilities that had largely remained hidden during its undefeated start.
Walker had been virtually unstoppable through the Chiefs’ first five games, but Seattle demonstrated that even the NFL’s leading rushing attack could be contained with disciplined defensive execution.
Mahomes also struggled to create opportunities when the running game failed to produce, an issue Kansas City will need to address as its schedule becomes increasingly challenging.
The Seahawks will now turn their attention toward a Monday night matchup against the Chicago Bears, while Kansas City prepares to face the Denver Broncos in another important AFC West contest.
For Walker, his return to Seattle was undoubtedly memorable, although not for the reasons he might have envisioned.
The running back who helped deliver a championship to the Seahawks returned wearing an opposing uniform, only to watch his former teammates produce a defensive performance that completely disrupted his new team’s offense.
And while Walker’s homecoming dominated the discussion entering Sunday night, it was Seattle’s defense and the continued brilliance of Smith-Njigba that ultimately defined the evening.
