Walking into Lumen Field on October 25, the Seattle Seahawks had too much pressure on their shoulder as they were going to face off against an undefeated Andy Reid’s squad. But ultimately, they won over their fear, handing the Chiefs a 20-3 defeat. However, not everything went to the Seahawks’ favor that night.
Watch What’s Trending Now!
“Seahawks edge rusher Uchenna Nwosu was fined $17,911 for his horse-collar tackle of Patrick Mahomes. It was the only fine on either team,” reported SB Nation’s Mookie Alexander.
Facing a third-and-7, the Chiefs committed a holding penalty that threatened to take them out of field goal range. However, Nwosu was called for a 15-yard horse-collar tackle after grabbing Mahomes during his scramble. With the two penalties offsetting each other, Kansas City avoided losing yardage and managed to put points on the board a few plays later.
During the play, as Mahomes tried to escape defenders, Nwosu seemed to grab onto the back collar of the QB’s jersey before bringing him down.
In the 2026 NFL Rulebook, Rule 12, Section 2, Article 16; 15, Section 9, the rule is explained clearly.
“No player shall grab the inside collar of the back or the side of the shoulder pads or jersey, or grab the jersey at the name plate or above, and pull the runner toward the ground,” it states. “This does not apply to a runner who is in the pocket area or in the area defined by close-line play. If his knees are buckled by the action, it is a foul, even if the runner is not pulled completely to the ground. Penalty: For a Horse-Collar Tackle: Loss of 15 yards and an automatic first down.”
Per the NFL’s disciplinary guidelines, players penalized for a horse-collar tackle face a $17,911 fine for their first violation and $23,882 for a repeat offense.
This is not the first time this season the NFL has taken action for a horse-collar tackle by a player. During the Los Angeles Rams’ preseason game against the Chiefs, Rams linebacker Darryl Peterson III was penalized for a horse-collar tackle on running back Emmett Johnson. Peterson later received a $4,935 fine for the infraction.
The penalty on Nwosu came at a time when Kansas City was already on the back foot. Down 13-0, this was the first time in the game that the Chiefs were able to breach Seahawks territory. Ultimately, they had to settle for a field goal at the end of the drive.
It was a tough night for the Chiefs, who were handed their first loss of the season, and it was not pretty. They could never enter Seattle’s red zone, and limited star running back Kenneth Walker III to 36 yards. It forced the Chiefs offense to play one-dimensional, and Seattle got the better of Patrick Mahomes.
As Seattle might want to move on, their worries for Nwosu, who helped the team win the Super Bowl last season, are still not over.
Uchenna Nwosu Faces Another Setback After Costly Penalty
Uchenna Nwosu’s troubles don’t end with the fine. He is currently injured, delivering a blow to the stalwart Seahawks defense.
“Seahawks injury report for Monday: Out: Charles Cross, Rashid Shaheed, Velus Jones; Doubtful: Uchenna Nwosu; Questionable: Anthony Bradford, Drew Lock, Patrick O’Connell, Brandon Pili,” reported Seahawks senior reporter John Boyle.
According to the injury reports, Nwosu’s availability is in question due to an ankle issue that has also caused him to miss consecutive practices. The Athletic’s Michael-Shawn Dugar claimed that his absence would be a “big blow”, particularly in the run game.
Nwosu had gained enough trust that the Seahawks chose him as one of the four captains for the Los Angeles face-off.
He quickly won over Seahawks fans by bolstering Seattle’s pass rush in 2022 with 9.5 sacks and becoming a key contributor to the Dark Side defense. He also made an impact in the Super Bowl last season, picking Drake Maye off and returning the ball for a much-needed touchdown.
This season so far, he has racked up 15 total tackles and came up with three QB hits. With his status still not confirmed for the Chicago Bears game, Seattle might be down a productive player on defense.