Seahawks Face First Must-Win Scenario of 2026 vs. Chiefs

At risk of falling to 3-4, the Seahawks are hosting Kenneth Walker III for the first time since he left.

Sep 20, 2026; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Seattle Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald looks on in the fourth quarter against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Eight months after winning the second Super Bowl in franchise history, the Seattle Seahawks are at risk of their worst seven-game start of the Mike Macdonald era when they host the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 7.

The Chiefs come in at 5-0, while the Seahawks (3-3) have lost three of their last four games after a solid beginning to 2026. Seattle has not begun a season 3-4 since 2022, and they went on to win just nine games.

Macdonald and the Seahawks are in must-win territory, especially with all the other storylines circling the matchup.

Why Week 7 vs. Chiefs is critical

Former Seahawks running back and Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker III is leading the NFL in rushing yards (665), even though the Chiefs have already had a bye week. 

Walker is averaging 6.3 yards per carry in KC, while the Seahawks are averaging 3.9 as a team between their multiple running backs. That’s probably been the biggest hole on Seattle’s roster this season, after Walker and Zach Charbonnet were one of the best tandems in the league from 2022-25.

Oct 18, 2026; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs running back Kenneth Walker III (9) rushes during the fourth quarter against the Los Angeles Chargers at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The common criticism, of course, has now been that the Seahawks shouldn’t have let Walker leave in free agency. That notion is misguided, however, as Walker said he knew “sometime during the season” that he would sign elsewhere in free agency. Walker signed with the Chiefs quickly after free agency began.

Should the Seahawks have worked harder to retain Walker? Probably, but we aren’t privy to every conversation that happened between the two sides. 

Either way, Walker is thriving with his new team, and the Seahawks are struggling to run the ball without him and Charbonnet on the field. That’s where both sides stand.

So, with the stakes of falling to 3-4 on the line and the storylines that would emerge from Walker running all over the Seahawks’ defense on Sunday, Macdonald and Seattle must beat the Chiefs.

Seattle Seahawks Leonard Williams (99) and Ernest Jones (13) tackle Cardinals tight end Trey McBride (85) during a game at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz. on Sept. 20, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Two things are working against each other: Walker is averaging 133 rushing yards per game, and the Seahawks haven’t allowed a 100-yard rusher in 35 games — the longest such streak in the NFL.

The Seahawks have given up just 96 rushing yards per game this season, as their defense has continued to be one of the best units in the league. Now their former teammate will give them their toughest test of the 2026 season.

In the scope of the standings, Seattle has to try to keep pace with the 5-0 San Francisco 49ers (pending the result of Monday Night Football). They also need to stay ahead of the Arizona Cardinals and Los Angeles Rams, who are both 2-4. 

Expectations were high heading into this season, coming off a championship, and those expectations haven’t changed. The Seahawks have to prove they are still better than their rivals and that they can win without Walker.

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