The Kansas City Chiefs used to play in Seattle every year. But after the reorganization of divisions in 2022 and the Seahawks’ move out of the AFC West — where they resided from 1976-2001 — and into the NFC West, the Chiefs now come here only sporadically.
In fact, the Chiefs have played at Lumen Field just three times in the regular season since Seattle switched conferences, and Patrick Mahomes only once (a 38-31 Seattle win in 2018).
Mahomes also played in Seattle as a rookie in the 2017 preseason, showing some brief signs of what was to come by going 8-of-15 for 70 yards after taking over for starter Alex Smith in a 26-13 Seattle win.
Mahomes will be back at Lumen Field for each team’s second preseason game at 7 p.m. Friday.
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Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold smiles after the NFL football team’s training camp Tuesday, Aug. 12, 2025, in Renton, Wash. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
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Whether he will step foot on the field is another matter as coach Andy Reid said Wednesday that he hadn’t decided whether starters will play, while seeming to hint many might not, adding there’s “a good chance” Mahomes would be among those sitting out. That might also hold true for tight end Travis Kelce.
Seattle, though, is expected to give most of its starters a series or two, with coach Mike Macdonald saying “our guys are going to start the game out” and then they’ll take it from there.
What does Macdonald want to see from the starters?
That’s among the five questions we’re asking heading into Friday’s game:
What will Seahawks see out of the starters?
A few offensive-line starters got some work in a preseason-opening 23-23 tie with the Raiders on Thursday last week. But Friday figures to be the first chance for any starting member of defense that also looms as the strength of the team to get some snaps.
Macdonald said he’ll try to put the defense in position to do what it does best while not exposing too much of the team’s scheme.
“We don’t want to be vanilla because that isn’t really our philosophy,” Macdonald said. “It is a balance of being able to handle the scheme, adjustments and see how they think on the fly in real time against an offense they haven’t really spent a lot of time watching. Probably going to show the guys Kansas City tape for the first time (Thursday) just to get them primed for the game. … You want the guys to go out there and play fast, go make sure they can put their best foot forward, so there is a balance there.”
Macdonald said QB Sam Darnold will play. While Darnold doesn’t need to prove anything, Macdonald feels “it’s the best thing for us” to get him some snaps.
Can Seattle again run it well?
It can be dangerous to read too much into preseason games. Recall that the Seahawks rushed for 156 yards on 39 carries in their preseason opener against the Chargers a year ago, then ended up as one of the worst rushing teams in the league.
That’s not too far off the 170 on 32 carries Seattle had against the Raiders, which elicited no small amount of excitement.
Seattle, though, got a lot of its rushing yards last week when the Raiders had many starters on the field, gaining 68 on nine carries in the first quarter, including runs of 24 and 19 by George Holani.
That seemed to add a little validity to the numbers.
“I saw our guys play like they practice,” offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak said. “They were physical. They were detailed. Some of those young backs did a great job. George Holani was running behind a physical offensive line.”
Seattle will look for more of the same this week, though starting running back Kenneth Walker III would seem unlikely to play.
Will Jalen Milroe take another step?
Darnold would figure to get a series or two at most, with backup Drew Lock and third-teamer Jalen Milroe likely to finish it out.
Lock played the first half last week and Milroe the second half. Milroe, the 92nd overall pick in the 2025 draft, would figure to again get some significant time.
He completed 6 of 10 passes for 61 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions and ran three times for 38 against the Raiders.
But the night ended with some disappointment as the Milroe-led offense couldn’t convert a late fourth down that might have sealed a win, and then couldn’t move it on a final series after the Raiders had tied the game, going three-and-out.
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Macdonald said he anticipates that experience helping Milroe this week.
“You’ve got a lot of stuff going through your mind,” Macdonald said. “First game going out there, and I think he realized, ‘I’m going to go play quarterback the way that I’m trained to play quarterback,’ and see what happens. He’s only going to get better, which is a beautiful thing.”
Will there be more progress for the rest of the rookies?
Most of the rest of Seattle’s 2025 draft class will also again get significant action.
First-round pick Grey Zabel figures to start at left guard with the rest of the starting OL and get a few series, and second-round pick safety Nick Emmanwori also might get more than the 11 snaps he had against the Raiders.
Also sure to play plenty of snaps again is receiver Tory Horton, who got 29 against the Raiders and had three receptions on seven targets for 31 yards and a TD.
“Every time we’ve asked him to do something, he’s knocked it out of the park and keeps stacking it,” Macdonald said. “He’s off to a great start, but it’s about doing it day in, day out, which he will. He’s the type of guy that’ll do it.”
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Horton’s emergence has come somewhat at the expense of veteran Marquez Valdes-Scantling, who signed a one-year deal in March with the thought he’d be the third receiver behind Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Cooper Kupp.
As Horton has come on in camp, he has often worked as the third WR in three-receiver sets, with Horton and Valdes-Scantling working as the receivers with the second-team offense in two-receiver sets.
Valdes-Scantling, though, got plenty of work with the starting offense this week, often when Horton was with the twos.
That could just be the Seahawks prepping him to get some snaps this week after he sat out with most of the rest of the starters against the Raiders.
Some have wondered if the Seahawks could consider cutting Valdes-Scantling given the way Horton has emerged, though his contract includes $3 million fully guaranteed.
But both Macdonald and Kubiak this week seemed to indicate they anticipate a role for Valdes-Scantling this season.
“All our receivers are playing fast,” Macdonald said. “(I) feel Quez (Valdes-Scantling) out there. I felt like his best days have been in the last week or so. He’s playing fast.”
Said Kubiak: “He’s had a really good camp. He’s battling with a lot of guys, but his speed really shows up. Coach (Macdonald) has done a phenomenal job of keeping the top off of our offense with some of their coverage looks. Some of the stuff that he’s shined, hasn’t shown up as much, but I see the guy winning on his routes, see the guy with a great attitude, and see a big-time player for us.”
Bob Condotta: bcondotta@seattletimes.com. Bob Condotta covers the Seahawks for the Seattle Times. He provides daily coverage of the team throughout the year.