The Seattle Seahawks are inching closer to real games again. On Wednesday, September 9, the team will begin the journey to defending its Super Bowl title from last season against the New England Patriots. Some of the players who will likely make an impact in that game for Seattle are making an impact in training camp already.
Head coach Mike Macdonald's team began camp on July 25, and Week 2 got underway with light drills on Monday. The first preseason game is less than two weeks away. 12s can likely sense the regular season already.
But which players have put themselves in a good position to help the team win games this season? And which haven't? Talking negatively about a title-defending team isn't easy, but some of the players below do not to improve as training camp continues.
The first week of camp is already reshaping Seattle Seahawks roster battles
Winner: Elijah Arroyo
Possibly the standout from the first seven days of camp, Arroyo has looked every bit like what the Seahawks hoped he would be when he was chosen in the second round of the 2025 NFL Draft. He is 6'5" and 255 pounds and runs like a receiver. If he can't become an elite blocker, that might not be a horrible thing.
What matters is his ability to be explosive as a receiver. He's caught several touchdown passes, according to various media reports, and is building a great rapport with quarterback Sam Darnold. He could be the team's breakout player of 2026.
Loser: Jalen Milroe
The second-year quarterback has no obvious path to play for Seattle, as Darnold is hopefully the long-term QB1, and Drew Lock doesn't appear to be going anywhere either. To earn playing time, though, Milroe must be better in practice.
He has once again struggled with consistent accuracy, which was one of the knocks on him coming out of Alabama. That he hasn't seemed to improve this past offseason is a real issue that he needs to remedy immediately.
Winner: Anthony Bradford
While right guard has been a problem for the Seahawks for many years, and that includes the play of Bradford, he still appears to have a firm grasp on the starting spot. In the first week of training camp, he was getting almost all of the first-team reps while rookie Beau Stephens was doing spot work. If Stephens is going to overtake Bradford on the depth chart, he needs to make his move soon.
One player who seems to almost be forgotten is Christian Haynes. He's not been good in practice the last two seasons, and the Seahawks may have lost faith in him. If he is a roster cut, the move would not be surprising.
Loser: Kenny McIntosh
The running back hurt his knee in July 2025 and missed the season. That was the second knee injury of his career, and he was only entering his fourth season. He clearly wasn't ready to help the team this coming season, as he was outright released before the first week of training camp was done.
He has visited with at least one team since his release, however. The problem is that he is entering the final year of his rookie contract, and if he cannot contribute due to his injury from last season, he might not be able to find a new team right away.
Winner: Jadarian Price
The Seattle Seahawks were correct, it appears. The team chose the running back with its first-round pick in 2026 with the hopes that he would be a well-rounded, explosive back, the kind that could replace former starter Kenneth Walker III. Walker left in free agency and signed with the Kansas City Chiefs.
In training camp so far, Price has proven he can catch the ball out of the backfield effectively and understands how to hit holes in the offensive line. The next step is to prove he can pass-protect in real games so that Sam Darnold doesn't get hit. All signs indicate that Price will be able to do almost everything well.
Winner: Tory Horton
Horton isn't just back from a shin injury that sidelined him in the second half of last season, including the playoffs, but he is participating fully in camp. He has shown no signs of the ailment and appears ready to pick up where he left off in the first half of last year, when in eight games he scored six touchdowns.
The wide receiver adds yet another explosive weapon for Darnold. He is tall with speed and appears to have excellent hands. Playing off of WR1 Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Horton could have a breakout season and show he can be a long-term WR2 for Seattle.
Winner: The team in terms of Devon Witherspoon
General manager John Schneider signed edge rusher Derick Hall and cornerback Jaxon Smith-Njigba to extensions this past offseason, and Witherspoon seems likely to be next. The fact that he hasn't agreed to a new deal yet could mean there is an issue. Hopefully, that isn't the case, but anything is possible.
The best part is that Witherspoon hasn't acted as if he is unhappy with his contract situation. He is ultimately signed through 2027 anyway, as the team picked up his fifth-year option. But unlike some other players around the league in the same scenario, Witherspoon is practicing fully, smiling in practice, and being the leader his team needs him to be.
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