Maybe the best news that came out of the first day of Seattle’s organized team activities (OTAs) was a little item delivered by Mike Macdonald. The coach told reporters that second-year wide receiver Tory Horton had received some “good news” regarding the shin injury that caused him to miss the second half of his rookie year.
As reported by Mynorthwest.com’s Cameron Van Til, Macdonald announced that Horton could be on track to begin activities by June 9, when the Seahawks hold their minicamp. That is a more optimistic timeline for a player who could see a bigger role in Brian Fleury’s offense this season. His health, and his ability to begin running plays with quarterback Sam Darnold, will be essential for that growth.
The Seahawks have a decent corps of receivers, led by reigning offensive player of the year Jaxon Smith-Njigba. But there are questions about all the players behind JSN, including Horton.
The club still has savvy vet Cooper Kupp. Rashid Shaheed, who arrived via trade after Horton’s injury, was re-upped on a three-year deal earlier this year. General Manager John Schneider chose Emmanuel Henderson in the sixth round of the Draft in April. All should be in the mix for targets this year.
Tory Horton has an excellent chance of becoming a major part of the Seattle Seahawks offense
Still, after JSN, no one is a sure thing. Kupp clearly can still contribute, but his days as an elite option are in the past. His targets, receptions, yards, touchdowns, and first downs in 2025 were the lowest since his second season back 2018. At 32, he remains a quality possession receiver who will make some big plays. But Cooper Kupp, at this point, is a WR3 at best.
Shaheed has never proven to be an elite pass catcher. His play-making ability is tantalizing but it showed much better as a kick returner than as a wideout last year.
Of course, arriving late and not being in sync with Darnold and the offensive scheme might have contributed to that, but the fact remains that in his four seasons, Shaheed has not posted a receiving success rate above 50% since his abbreviated rookie season.
He is likely to be a valuable part of Seattle’s club in 2026 as a runner, returner, and receiver. It remains to be seen whether he can seize control of the WR2 title.
Henderson, who profiles a lot like Horton, could be a diamond in the rough as both a perimeter threat and a special teams star. But that too is little more than wishful thinking at this point.
Jake Bobo, Cody White, Ricky White III, and the recently acquired Irv Charles all are known more for their special teams prowess more than their pass catching. Bobo is most likely a lock for the roster while the others battle it out for the final spots.
That means the door is open for Tory Horton, if he is healthy enough to step through. After a modest start in his rookie year, he had his best game the week he was hurt. Against the Washington Commanders, Horton caught all four of his targets for 48 yards and his first two offensive touchdowns. He had scored his first NFL touchdown on a punt return against New Orleans in week three.
Horton is not yet a polished receiver. However, he has the size, length, and speed to be special. Against Washington, he beat fellow rookie Trey Amos on a quick slant early, then out-muscled veteran Marshon Lattimore on a cross for a short touchdown.
He showed off his route running and speed by blowing past Mike Sainristil on a deep post for his second score, and caught a dump off in the flat for his final reception. He also had a sideline out called back on account of a penalty.
That’s five different routes against five different coverages and he looked very good on all of them. Unfortunately, that was the last Seahawks fans saw of him.
But it now looks as if he will be full strength at some point this summer and ready to hit the ground running when the season begins. He will have a role this year, either as a receiver, or as a returner – or perhaps as both.
And he could make a serious run at that WR2 spot. Along with the expected healthy return of tight end Elijah Arroyo, Seattle’s under-the-radar pass-catching depth could be in for a big step forward in 2026.
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