The landscape of the NFL has undergone a dramatic transformation since February. Just eight months ago, the Seattle Seahawks were celebrating the winningest season in their franchise’s history and a second Lombardi Trophy. In contrast, the Kansas City Chiefs were navigating the fallout of their first losing season under head coach Andy Reid, with quarterback Patrick Mahomes recovering from significant knee surgery.
As the league enters Week 7, those roles have been entirely reversed. The Chiefs currently stand as the AFC West’s only undefeated team. Meanwhile, the Seahawks have fallen three games back in the NFC West, struggling to maintain a .500 record. While team fortunes are rarely tied to a single transaction, the offseason move of running back Kenneth Walker III from Seattle to Kansas City has emerged as the most consequential factor in both teams’ current trajectories.
Historically, the Chiefs’ offense under Mahomes has been defined by the pass, never once fielding a top-15 rushing attack. That has changed with Walker in the backfield. Kansas City now boasts the second-ranked rushing offense in the league, averaging 159.8 yards per game. Walker himself is the NFL’s leading rusher with 665 yards. Remarkably, he holds this lead despite having played one fewer game than the league’s other top rushers—Bijan Robinson, James Cook III, and Derrick Henry—due to the Chiefs’ Week 5 bye.
In Seattle, the absence of a reliable ground game has created a cascading set of problems. The Seahawks have yet to produce a 100-yard rusher in any game this season. This imbalance has placed an unsustainable burden on quarterback Sam Darnold. Without the threat of a run game to keep defenses honest, Darnold has struggled with turnovers, recording seven interceptions over the past four weeks.
The divergence in performance has brought Seattle’s free agency decisions into sharp focus. During the offseason, the Seahawks chose to prioritize their receiving corps, re-signing wide receiver Rashid Shaheed to a three-year, $51 million contract. This decision came at the expense of keeping Walker, who ultimately signed with Kansas City for less money—a three-year deal worth $43.05 million.
As both teams prepare for their upcoming matchups, the fallout from that transaction continues to dictate the narrative. The Chiefs have successfully added a physical dimension to their offense that was previously missing, while the Seahawks are left searching for answers to a stagnant rushing attack that has hindered their ability to compete in the NFC West.
