The status of Seahawks and Chiefs starters for Friday’s preseason game
Looks like Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce and their regular Kansas City friends won’t play.
Sounds like Sam Darnold, Cooper Kupp and the Seahawks starters will.
Coach Mike Macdonald said following practice Wednesday at Seattle’s training camp Darnold, Kupp and his veteran starters who rested and watched the first preseason game will play Friday night in the second one. The Seahawks and Chiefs play at Lumen Field (7 p.m., KING-5 television locally, NFL Network nationally).
“Might be a couple guys we’ll bury based on whether they get out there or not. Still kind of working through (that) right now,” Macdonald said of his starters.
“But, yeah, our guys are going to start the game out.”
Lead back Kenneth Walker seems a prime candidate to be one of the few Seahawks starters who does not play Friday. Walker participated Tuesday in his first full-pads practice in more than a week. Then Wednesday he rested. He’s been doing that about every other day the last couple weeks of camp.
Macdonald said this week “we have a plan for Ken, and we’re sticking to the plan.”
Walker missed six of 17 games last season and went on injured reserve in December with an ankle injury. He’s yet to play a full season among his first three in the NFL with Seattle.
How long will the Seahawks starters play Friday?
“(We’ll) see how it goes,” Macdonald said.
Darnold, Kupp and fellow lead wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba, plus Walker and a starting offensive line that’s not yet settled are installing new offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak’s schemes. The coaches want to see the players’ grasp and execution of that scheme against a defense and players they aren’t familiar with in an uncontrolled environment, for a change.
“I don’t think we need to,” Macdonald said. “But I think it’s the best thing for us.”
Chiefs starters not playing?
Macdonald had said last week in the minutes following the Seahawks’ first preseason game, against the Las Vegas Raiders, that his starters were playing the second exhibition. He mentioned coach Andy Reid typically has his Chiefs starters play in these preseason games. Seattle’s coach wanted ones versus ones in the game.
But Wednesday in Missouri, Gardner Minshew ran Kansas City’s first-team offense in practice. Mahomes led the second-team. Reid then told reporters at the Chiefs’ training camp in St. Joseph, Missouri: “I’m still figuring out who’s going to play, not play (Friday). There’s a chance I sit a couple of starters, or at least be short with them.
“We want to make sure we get a good look at these young guys.”
The Kansas City Star reported that when discussing a division of the quarterbacks’ playing time in Seattle Reid said, “Pat would be the one that gets slighted.”
The Star reported that Kelce and defensive tackle Chris Jones are among other starters who may not play. The Chiefs are expected to start most if not all their five starting offensive linemen, two of whom are first- and second-year players.
Seahawks offensive line
That isn’t settled yet.
Olu Oluwatimi watched and did not participate for the sixth time in seven practices. Jalen Sundell again was the starting center.
Oluwatimi didn’t play in the preseason opener. He has a back issue. He tried to return Saturday, but left the field when his back tightened after position drills at the start of practice.
“He’s good. He’s just progressing. It’s coming along,” Macdonald said.
The coach said he can’t give a day on Oluwatimi’s expected return, but “it should be soon.”
Center and the right-guard job are the two of five not yet settled. Anthony Bradford yielded some first-team snaps to Christian Haynes Wednesday for the first time since the first days of the month. Bradford had an ice pack on his right shin for a few minutes, then returned to practice. He was on the first- and second-team offense for two 11-on-11 series late in the workout.
Kubiak described why Bradford seems to have won the right-guard spot.
“A.B. has been great strides,” Kubiak said this week. “Obviously, the physical presence, but you see more consistency in his game throughout camp. So I see a guy that’s playing more confident.”
As for center, the offensive coordinator said he “has to be the smartest guy on the field” — and that in Sundell and Oluwatimi “we have two really smart centers.”
“Really tough competition,” Kubiak said.
Shaquill Griffin’s progress
Shaquill Griffin was the second-team left cornerback for the second consecutive day. He had started the week on the third team, and doing conditioning drills on a side field with a trainer.
The 30-year-old, ninth-year veteran signed back to Seattle this summer, back to the team that drafted him in 2017. Griffin missed all but the first day of training camp’s first two weeks away tending to an undisclosed personal matter.
“He’s coming along. He’s coming along,” Macdonald said.
“I mean, you guys know Shaq, shoot, better than I do,” the coach said of the Seahawk and starter from 2017-20. “He’s just a great guy to have around. The guys love him. He’s playing fast. But we’re still on a progression here for him coming back. We’ll see what happens the rest of this week, how much time he plays in (Friday’s) game — if he plays in the game — and into Green Bay week.”
The Seahawks fly to Wisconsin next Wednesday, Aug. 20, for a joint practice with the Packers in Green Bay Aug. 21 and final preseason game Aug. 23 at Lambeau Field.
This story was originally published August 13, 2025 at 5:01 PM.
