The Seattle Seahawks are inching closer to real football in 2025. The regular season won't start until September 7 when the team takes on the San Francisco 49ers at Lumen Field. Before then, there are a lot of roster decisions to make. Some of those will be made during preseason play.
The best thing about Seattle's first preseason game this year is that 12s can welcome back former head coach Pete Carroll, former QB1 Geno Smith, and former trade bust Jamal Adams to Lumen Field. They are all part of the Las Vegas Raiders now.
But beyond the starters not playing for the Seahawks (they might play for the Raiders), there is a lot to watch. Position battles and deep roster spots mainly. In other words, a lot of players are playing their hardest to stay in the NFL.
Seattle Seahawks aren't going to play many starters in preseason Week 1
A lot of Jalen Milroe
Drew Lock, the presumed QB2, is going to play some and likely start the game. Pete Carroll implied he might play his starters some, and if he does, at least they would be going up against Lock. There are a couple of important points with that.
One is that it will give Lock relatively important reps against starters for another team. He, like presumed QB1 Sam Darnold, is working in a new offense, and if something happens to Darnold (injury or bad play), Lock will know what offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak's offense needs.
But most eyes will be on Milroe. He might come in when the Raiders are playing their backups, but any experience against professional players is a good thing. Lock might play a series or two, Milroe will get a lot more reps.
The expectation, as Jalen Milroe has the raw skills to be a preseason star (just as Trevone Boykin was for Seattle in 2017), is that the rookie will excel when the defense is not scheming against him. If he struggles, though, expect him to sit throughout 2025. If he plays extremely well, some fans might be clamoring for him to get a lot of playing time in the regular season.
READ MORE: Seahawks have an early problem quietly brewing behind DeMarcus Lawrence
Tory Horton versus Marquez Valdes-Scantling
Mike Macdonald has said the starters won't play unless in rare situations. At wide receiver, Cooper Kupp and Jaxon Smith-Njigba are the starters. They won't play. This brings a level of fun that we might not otherwise see.
Rookie Horton has been a highlight in camp so far. Not just as a receiver but as a kick returner, too. His roster spot is locked, but the question is how much he will play this coming season. MVS was signed in free agency and has proven to be an inconsistent but explosive veteran.
Horton seems to have already moved up the depth chart to WR3, however. If he plays well in the preseason, he will likely become Seattle's third option behind JSN and Kupp. In other words, he would be the Seahawks' latest fifth-round steal.
Who is getting reps at center and right guard
Three of the Seahawks' offensive line starters are set. Rookie Grey Zabel will probably see some reps just to get him some experience against a team that isn't wearing a Seahawks jersey, but he is locked in as the starter at left guard. Left tackle Charles Cross and right tackle Abe Lucas are unlikely to play.
The real battles are at center and right guard. Olu Oluwatimi got a bunch of starts at center in 2024, but has never proven to the coaching staff that he should be the long-term starter. He has missed time recently with an injury, too. If Jalen Sundell does well, he might have the proverbial upper hand on the center spot.
Right guard is much more of a mess. Anthony Bradford appears to have the lead in starting, which is fairly damning to second-year pro Christian Haynes. Bradford has been bad for two seasons now. If someone can't beat him out, then that means Seattle is going to be underwhelming at the spot.