Seattle Seahawks Star Uchenna Nwosu Could Face Costly Punishment After Patrick Mahomes Hit

Patrick Mahomes is back in action as the Chiefs quarterback.© X/@NFL

The Seattle Seahawks had plenty to celebrate after shutting down the Kansas City Chiefs, but a single play could leave Uchenna Nwosu with a hefty bill. His third-quarter tackle on Patrick Mahomes drew a flag during Seattle's 20-3 victory, and the incident could cost him nearly $18,000. During the match, the penalty was canceled out by a holding call against Kansas City, but the NFL still had a lot of reason to review the tackle. The Seahawks did a convincing win, but Nwosu's night could prove expensive after disciplinary decisions.

Why there is a fine for Uchenna Nwosu

Nwosu grabbed Mahomes by the back of his jersey collar as the quarterback tried to escape pressure and managed to throw a short pass to running back Kenneth Walker III. Officials called a horse-collar tackle, a violation that carries a serious fine under the NFL's player-safety rules.

“Nwosu is expected to garner a significant fine, with the league's guide on fines stating that a horse-collar tackle garners $17,911 for a first infraction or $23,882 for a second offense,” Heavy's Nathan Dougherty wrote on Wednesday,

The NFL announced fines for the previous week's games on Saturday, leaving Nwosu to hit his paycheck days after Seattle's victory. The canceled penalty did not erase the tackle from review.

The league and NFL Players Association had also emphasized dangerous tackling techniques for the 2026 season. Under their joint safety policy, a player who committed three violations in designated categories during one season faced a one-game suspension. The rules covered horse-collar tackles, hip-drop tackles, launching, hits on defenseless players, and blindside blocks.

Seattle Seahawks defense dominated Patrick Mahomes

Nwosu's potential fine came after a defensive performance that left the Kansas City Chiefs struggling throughout the night. Seattle limited Mahomes to 165 passing yards on 19 completions from 33 attempts, with one interception and no touchdowns. Kansas City finished with  213 total yards and failed to score a touchdown.

The Seahawks also kept the Chiefs from converting consistently on third down, allowing only three conversions on 11 attempts. Seattle controlled possession for 35 minutes and 51 seconds, while Kansas City held the ball for 24 minutes and nine seconds.

Mahomes acknowledged the team's poor performance after the loss, saying, “If you don't come ready to play, you can get your tail kicked in this league.”

Seattle's defense had already accumulated $19,530 in fines from Week 6 violations involving safety Ty Okada and defensive lineman Mike Morris. Nwosu's expected punishment could add another significant amount to that total, even as the Seahawks celebrated a statement win over the Chiefs.