Episode 3 of the 2026 edition of Hard Knocks focused on the Seattle Seahawks reserves. The episode was building to the first preseason game of the season, and since the starters would be sitting this one out, it was an ideal time to look at some of the longshots.
In fact, if you were a starter, you had to do something pretty special to get some screen time this week. Like signing a 100 million dollar-plus extension, making you the highest-paid cornerback in league history. That earned Devon Witherspoon a scene or two. If your 41-week pregnant wife managed to go into labor during the game – as did Brady Russell’s wife – that got you a scene as well.
Otherwise, the episode focused on three players who may not play a single down for Seattle this season, as well as a few others who figure to be reserves. Here’s what we learned in Episode 3.
7 takeaways for Seattle Seahawks fans from Hard Knocks third episode
A good chunk of Seattle’s week – particularly in the front office – was devoted to a single player. From the outside, fans knew the Hawks had an interest in cornerback Terrion Arnold. He is entering his third season, and his future remains in doubt with criminal kidnapping and robbery charges hanging over him.
His former team, Detroit, released him when the story broke, and it caused a bit of a feeding frenzy in the NFL. Young, talented cornerbacks like Arnold are valuable, and plenty of teams kicked the tires on his situation. The Seahawks were at the front of the line.
General manager John Schneider appears to have talked to anyone and everyone to gauge Arnold’s character, even while admitting that had he been in Detroit’s position, he would have been forced to release Arnold.
In the show, we get some firsthand testimony from Arnold’s Alabama teammate Robbie Ouzts. We do not hear from Jalen Milroe, who Ouzts described as Arnold’s best friend. It has been reported that Milroe’s character reference was crucial in Schneider’s decision to offer Arnold a contract.
Speaking of Milroe, we get a little peek into the life of a backup QB this week. It begins with a pep talk delivered by former QB and coach Jason Garrett, who visited the quarterback room early in the week. Later, we see both backups – Drew Lock and Milroe – on the field.
The one major takeaway about the backup QBs is not necessarily new to anyone. Jalen Milroe is very, very fast, and his coaches want him to run more.
Much of the rest of the show was devoted to a couple of bubble players – Montorie Foster Jr. and Uso Seumalo.
Foster is trying to crack the roster as a backup wide receiver, and he is having an impressive camp. Coaches marvel at his ability to make highlight-reel one-handed catches, but also recognize his propensity to lose concentration. He will need to show more consistency to earn a roster spot.
As usual in Hard Knocks, Foster’s on-field story is not what makes him so intriguing. As an undrafted free agent in 2025, he was always facing an uphill battle.
An injury in last year’s training camp seemed to end his hopes of playing. He worked as a substitute teacher and got his real estate agent license in preparation for a career outside of football. He was shocked by all the fees that come along with real estate agent credentialing.
Foster has been able to set that aside for now as he fights to make the team, and it seems that he has a legit shot. And an outside shot to be sure, but he is clearly in the conversation.
As for Seumalo, his odds look steeper. He is struggling to adapt to the NFL in a very competitive interior lineman room. The Seahawks have six near-locks along the defensive line, and barring injury, it is unlikely any of the many longshots will be able to crack that group.
Seumalo is currently listed as the third-string nose tackle behind Byron Murphy II and Brandon Pili, an unofficial designation which may suggest he has a leg up on some of the other hopefuls.
One of the most memorable moments in Episode 3 involved Seumalo, but unfortunately it did not come from positive plays in the preseason opener. Instead, it was old footage from his high school days.
His school was too small to field a regulation team, so they played eight-man football, and Seumalo, who is currently listed at 6’3’, 330 pounds, played quarterback. The old footage looked almost like a cartoon, with a giant trampling lowly villagers on his way to the end zone.
Sadly for both the team and the episode, the preseason game against the Cowboys was a letdown. That didn’t give the program a good climax, though it does leave the coaches with plenty to work on this week. Their reaction to the underwhelming performance should constitute a significant part of E4.
Still, there are always cool little tidbits to take away whenever HBO rolls cameras for a full week of practice. If there wasn’t much breaking news beyond the Terrion Arnold story, we did learn these little things.
The team celebrated Devon Witherspoon’s extension as if each and every one of the players were part of it. It was a delightful moment of team joy.
HBO usually manages a couple of cool images and/or graphics in each episode. This week, it was a brilliant special effect on Jaxon Smith-Njigba demonstrating what it is like for DBs who try to cover him. JSN’s superpower is his ability to maintain maximum speed without tipping which way he will be running.
Several times, the show had him begin a pattern only to split off into a half dozen versions of himself, each running a different pattern. It was cool to watch, and probably terrifying if you are an opposing defensive back.
And finally, though the Hard Knocks producers may lean toward Pearl Jam when trying to capture the Seattle vibe (“Given to Fly” featured prominently this week), the players themselves seem much more interested in singing along to NoCap’s “Ghetto Angles.” I can’t say their rendition was especially good, but it was definitely enthusiastic.
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