Through seven weeks, the AP Offensive Player of the Year race already has a pair of names standing above the rest: Seattle Seahawks wideout Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Kansas City Chiefs running back Kenneth Walker III.
Smith-Njigba has put together the kind of start that turns heads every Sunday. In seven games, he has 58 catches on 78 targets for 867 yards and eight touchdowns, plus 29 rushing yards.
He’s topped 100 receiving yards in six of those seven outings, and five of them have gone for at least 120 yards. At his current pace, he is tracking toward about 2,105.5 receiving yards, which would put him in range of Calvin Johnson’s single-season record of 1,964.
Walker has been just as productive in a different way, and the numbers are close enough to keep him firmly in the conversation. Through six games, thanks to Kansas City’s early bye, he has 701 rushing yards, which leaves him only three yards behind the NFL rushing leader, Bijan Robinson. Walker also has 116 receiving yards and 817 scrimmage yards, a workload that makes his output especially impressive.
Robinson, Jahmyr Gibbs and Brock Purdy are still very much in the mix, but the gap at the top is tight. Walker is just three rushing yards and 90 scrimmage yards behind Robinson despite playing one fewer game. Smith-Njigba’s steady production and historic pace make him a co-leader in the race right now, and another big Week 8 could push him into the lone top spot, especially after Walker’s down game in Week 7.
In Other News...
Seahawks Just Got An NFC West Opening Fans Have To Watch
The NFC West has a way of turning one teams bad break into another teams opening, and the Rams are dealing with enough injury trouble to make the division race feel a little more fluid than it did a few weeks ago. With Myles Garrett and Davante Adams both part of the conversation around what has gone wrong in Los Angeles, the Seahawks suddenly have a clearer path to chip away at the standings if they can keep taking care of business themselves.
Seattle does not need a perfect finish to benefit from the situation, but it does need to stay attentive to how the division unfolds around it. The Rams health issues have already affected their performance, and the Seahawks are positioned to make that matter if they can capitalize on the next stretch of games. For a team trying to climb in a tight race, this is the kind of opening that can disappear quickly if it is not seized. [Read more 🡒]
Seahawks Backfield Just Got Much More Interesting Before Monday Night
The Seahawks backfield is about to get a lot more crowded on Monday night, with Zach Charbonnet expected to make his 2026 season debut against the Bears after working his way back from a torn ACL. Charbonnet, who was hurt in last seasons playoffs, has gone through surgery and a lengthy rehab process, and his return adds another layer to a rushing group that already had to adjust without him.
Charbonnet and teammate Jadarian Price both carry no injury designations and are expected to play, giving Seattle another healthy option as it heads into a nationally televised matchup. For a team trying to sort out how its backfield will look moving forward, this is the kind of development that can change the conversation quickly, even if the full picture wont be clear until the game unfolds. [Read more 🡒]
Seahawks Face One Costly Problem That Could Decide Monday Night
The Seahawks get a prime-time chance to build on their win over the Chiefs, but Monday night brings a different kind of test against a Bears team that has found real rhythm on offense under Caleb Williams and Ben Johnson. Seattle has plenty to like after beating Kansas City, yet the margin for error shrinks fast in a game like this, especially when the opponent can stress a defense with speed and a quarterback who can extend plays.
For Seattle, the biggest concern is not just matching Chicago score for score, but cleaning up the details that can swing a close game. Red zone efficiency and pre-snap penalties loom as the most obvious trouble spots, and the Seahawks will need sharper execution to avoid giving away chances in a matchup that could come down to a few possessions. [Read more 🡒]