The 2026 season didn’t start the way the Seattle Seahawks and their fans had hoped, with the offense struggling with turnovers on the heels of a 2025 season that saw the team win the Lombardi Trophy after beating the New England Patriots 29-13 in Super Bowl LX.
Back-to-back losses to the division-rival San Francisco 49ers and once-division-rival Denver Broncos put Seattle at 3-3, the eighth-best record in the NFC. Of course, with only the top seven teams making the playoffs, that would leave the Seahawks on the outside looking in as they prepare for a key matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs.
At 5-0, the Chiefs are one of three undefeated teams in the NFL, their offense rejuvenated thanks to the return to health of Patrick Mahomes and the little-discussed addition of Kenneth Walker as a free agent this offseason.
Walker leads the NFL in rushing yards through the first six weeks of 2026, even though Kansas City already had its bye week, meaning they’ve only played five games. Averaging 133 rushing yards per game, Walker is expected to face a defense that hasn’t allowed a hundred rushing yards since October 27, 2024.
However, even though Walker will have to contend with a Seattle run defense that has played at an elite level thus far in 2026, this is a group that is far from healthy, especially the front seven.
Starting linebacker Drake Thomas missed the Week 6 game against the Broncos and did not participate in practice Thursday, while Demarcus Lawrence and Uchenna Nwosu were both limited Thursday. Lawrence did not practice Wednesday as a veteran’s off day, but had a knee injury noted on Thursday’s injury report, while Nwosu is now dealing with a hip issue according to the report.
Linebacker depth could be tested, as backups Tyrice Knight, Chazz Surratt and Connor O’Toole are also all listed on the report. These three haven’t contributed as much on defense so far this year, but they have been mainstays on the special teams units, which will be something to keep in mind if the game remains close and comes down to special teams.
On the good news side, Zach Charbonnet, Anthony Bradford and Rashid Shaheed were all full participants in the offense, which could help a struggling Sam Darnold against a Kansas City defense that is second in the NFL in points allowed thanks to a strong run defense, the ability to hit the quarterback and force turnovers.
And now let’s move on to Friday’s injury report.
Gn sports
