The buildup to Week 7’s “Sunday Night Football” matchup between the Kansas City Chiefs and Seattle Seahawks has centered on one player. Chiefs running back Kenneth Walker returns to Seattle on Sunday to face the team that drafted him and the team he helped win a Super Bowl.

Walker earned Super Bowl MVP honors with the Seahawks in the 2025 postseason before signing with Kansas City in free agency this offseason. Seattle is now chasing back-to-back Super Bowl titles, something the Chiefs have done before. Walker’s job is to help his new team make sure that doesn’t happen, starting with a Week 7 win.

Chiefs coaches aren’t worried about Kenneth Walker’s homecoming

Chiefs coaches have fielded questions all week about the return, and they don’t expect it to get in the way of the task at hand. Their description of Walker was simple: Level-headed.

His comments throughout the week reflect just that. Walker says he’s treating this like any other week.

“It’s been smooth,” Walker said. “You know, I’m treating it like any other week. Just getting the plan down, you know, and just getting ready for Sunday night.”

When media members asked whether he’d feel more emotion on Sunday night, he said the matchup hasn’t been on his mind.

“I haven’t really thought of that either,” Walker said. “I know I talked to EB about it and stuff, but I guess we’re gonna see how it goes Sunday night.”

That’s no small feat. Walker is going against the team that drafted him and the team that made him a world champion. Walker hasn’t gone into the week completely on his own, though. He sought feedback from someone on the Kansas City coaching staff who has been in a similar position.

Eric Bieniemy offered Walker insight from his own playing days

Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy never returned to face a former team as a reigning world champion. He did face his former team as a player, though. The San Diego Chargers drafted Bieniemy in the 1991 NFL Draft, and he eventually played for the Cincinnati Bengals.

Bieniemy didn’t see the Chargers until Week 2 of the 1996 season. He had only two touches in that game: one carry for a 7-yard loss and a 9-yard reception. Regardless of the stat line, the experience gave Bieniemy insight into the emotions Walker could be feeling on Sunday night.

Walker’s RBs coach, DeMarco Murray, has also been through the same thing as a player. He faced the Dallas Cowboys as a divisional rival twice with the Philadelphia Eagles in the 2015 NFL season.

Walker insists he won’t make this matchup bigger than what it is.

“It was mainly me and EB talking about how he went to a former team and how he felt about stuff, and you know, just giving me pointers on stuff like that,” Walker said. “But you just can’t make it bigger than what it is. You know, I’m not the only one on this team. Everybody’s going out there to play a game. I don’t feel like it should be just about me.”

That’s the mentality of a true team player, and that outlook is part of what has made Walker’s integration into Kansas City so seamless. He simply gets it.

What it all means for Chiefs RB Kenneth Walker on Sunday night

From the outside, it didn’t look like the Seahawks made much effort to retain Walker in the 2026 offseason. The star running back says he left it all up to his agent, and he harbors no ill will because of it.

“I was blessed to be able to get drafted by Seattle and go through all my four years there,” Walker said. “I enjoyed my experience there.”

Walker still talks with former teammates, including running backs like Zach Charbonnet and George Holani. His focus this week, though, hasn’t been on Seattle’s offense. Instead, he’s been preparing for a Seahawks defense that has been one of the league’s best through the first six weeks.

Walker believes that unit is just as good as it was last season, if not better.

“Just as good or better as they were last year,” Walker said. “You know, a great defense, real detailed. They play sound football, and they got great players all across the board. So we got to be detailed and locked in on the details.”

Walker appears to be in the right headspace to face his former team, regardless of what happens Sunday night. Kansas City shouldn’t see any difference in his play. He should still be the same player the Chiefs have seen in his first five games of the season, and the same player who cut his teeth in Seattle.