The Kansas City Chiefs signed Kenneth Walker III as their big offseason prize in the hopes he would reinvigorate the offense for a full 17 games after losing 11 of them a year ago. But Walker undoubtedly has been waiting for the NFL's regular-season schedule to circle one matchup in particular.
The Chiefs knew ahead of Walker's arrival that they would be visiting the Seattle Seahawks at some point on the 2026 calendar. Reports emerging before Thursday's complete schedule drop are pointing to Week 7 as the predestined time.
Even after winning six games a year ago, the Chiefs remain a primary draw for the league's broadcasting partners, and the ability to host their game against the defending champs position that particular game as one of the most anticipated on the entire NFL slate. Walker's ability to enact some "revenge," for lack of a better word, on his former employer is the cherry on top of an already very appetizing Sunday for viewership.
Kenneth Walker gets a chance to show the Seahawks what they're missing in Week 7.
The chance to see some old faces, even on the opposing sideline, has to be an appealing scenario for Walker after signing a three-year deal to change addresses to Kansas City this spring. The Chiefs committed to pay him upwards of $45 million to bolster a backfielkd that has been completely overhauled this offseason after multiple seasons of subpar production fueled by oft-injured veterans and low-level draft assets.
Last year, Walker has 221 carries for 1,027 rushing yards and 5 touchdowns with another 31 catches for 282 receiving yards. However, he put on a clinic in the postseason—with 313 rushing yards, 4 touchdowns, and 17 first downs—on his way to earning Super Bowl MVP honors. The Chiefs will lean on him in a heavier role than in Seattle, where he split time with Zach Charbonnet.
Walker entered the NFL as Seattle's second-round choice in the 2022 NFL Draft (No. 41 overall) out of Michigan State and went on to a second-place finish in Offensive Rookie of the Year voting. He was positioned as this year's free-agent prize of all running backs, and the Chiefs' contract was the ultimate reward for his fine playoff performance.
Now, Walker will get a chance to go back to a familiar environment and show what he can still do for a team that's reinvented their own running back corps. The Seahawks are likely going to roll with their first-round pick Jadarian Price (Notre Dame), which means the Week 7 matchup will feature the past and future in a pivotal non-conference showdown for both teams.
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