The Seattle Seahawks are through one meaningless game in 2026 with two more to go. Is the season going to look like the game against the Dallas Cowboys went? Of course not. The game featured backups, and many times, backups of backups.
Should something strange happen and Seattle play Dallas with every starter out of the game, the Cowboys will have the advantage. Otherwise, likely not.
But the game might have helped general manager John Schneider and head coach Mike Macdonald make some key roster decisions. Not necessarily in favor of the players who performed against Dallas, however, because it was a poor performance.
Predicting the Seattle Seahawks roster after an ungly preseason Week 1 loss to the Cowboys
Quarterback (3)
QB1: Sam Darnold
QB2: Drew Lock
QB3: Jalen Milroe
The only aspect of this that could have changed in training camp was Milroe overtaking Darnold. That seemed unlikely, though, and Brian Fleury's offense is more designed for a QB like Lock than Milroe. The positive is that both have looked pretty solid in camp.
Still, this team will rise or fall based on the health and productivity of Darnold. He has been good for two straight seasons and needs to stay that way. He has two years left on his current contract, and he will probably get an extension next year.
Running back/fullback (4)
Starter: Emanuel Wilson
Backups: Jadarian Price, George Holani
Fullback: Brady Russell
PUP: Zach Charbonnet
IR: Robbie Ouzts
How this group starts will probably not be how it ends. Charbonnet might not start on the physically unable to perform list. He might not play in Week 1, but he could play before Week 4, which means he doesn't need to be placed on PUP.
That would mean a possible shake-up in who makes the active 53-man roster. Holani is a trusted back by Seattle and got a lot of work in preseason Week 1. Price is obviously not going anywhere, and if healthy, he could be the starter in the first game. Wilson is the veteran, and the Seahawks know what they will get from him. In other words, the group overall is still a mystery.
Wide receiver (6)
WR1: Jaxon Smith-Njigba
WR2: Cooper Kupp
WR3: Rashid Shaheed
Backups: Tory Horton, Jake Bobo, Cody White
Motorie Foster Jr. has looked fantastic in training camp, but he is more likely to land on the practice squad. The wideout room is probably set otherwise, just like last season. What Bobo and White don't do in terms of offensive production, they make up for with excellent play on special teams.
The hope is that Horton stays healthy, and if that happens, he could be a breakout star. JSN is obviously going to get most of the attention, which could allow the explosive Horton to see more one-on-one coverage. Last year, before getting injured, he scored six total touchdowns in eight games.
Tight ends (3)
Starter: AJ Barner
Backups: Elijah Arroyo, Eric Saubert
Brian Fleury likes to incorporate tight ends into his scheme, and that could mean that Seattle keeps four tight ends, though that obviously means a position elsewhere might lose a necessary player. If the Seahawks go with four, Nick Kallerup could be the guy.
Barner, maybe the most underrated tight end in the league, should see an uptick in production, and he was already solid. Many 12s might ask if Arroyo can begin earning his second-round draft pick in 2026. In preseason Week 1, Arroyo had a rough game.
Offensive line (10)
Starters: LT Charles Cross, LG Grey Zabel, C Jalen Sundell, RG Anthony Bradford, RT Abraham Lucas
Backups: Josh Jones, Amari Kight, Christian Haynes, Beau Stephens, Olu Oluwatimi
If Seattle keeps four tight ends, the offensive line might only keep nine. Josh Jones is a swing tackle, so he is the real backup to either Cross or Lucas. Kight wasn't good against the Dallas Cowboys, but was decent in spot duty late last season. He likely would fall to the practice squad and could be elevated as needed.
Otherwise, no drama exists here. The starters are set. The hope is that Bradford will be a lot better in the final season of his rookie contract.
Defensive line (6)
Starters: Leonard Williams, Jarran Reed, Byron Murphy II
Backups: Rylie Mills, Brandon Pili, Mike Morris
The first three are set and form one of the best -- if not the best -- defensive line trios in the NFL. Soon, this line will change because Williams and Reed are well past 30 years old, but as long as both stay healthy in 2026, all will be good.
Mills' teammates have raved about him in training camp. He wasn't particularly good against the Cowboys' backups, though. That likely is not an indication of how productive he can be once he is playing beside his high-caliber teammates in real games.
Edge rusher (4)
Starters: DeMarcus Lawrence, Derick Hall
Backups: Uchenna Nwosu, Dante Fowler Jr.
Seattle kept four edge rushers on the roster last season, and four seems correct in 2026, too. A couple of players still have time to make an argument to stick on the roster, however, especially Connor O'Toole and Jared Ivey. The team probably assumes they can land on the practice squad.
The concern here is with health. All four are healthy in the preseason, but three of the four (all except Hall) are nearly 30 years old or past it, and aging players get injured more often. If one of the four is lost, the production of the group could be greatly diminished.
Inside linebacker (4)
Starters: Ernest Jones IV, Drake Thomas
Backups: Tyrice Knight, Patrick O'Connell
Jones is the only long-term starter in the group. He is the green dot on defense and an emotional leader of the team overall. He was named Second-Team All-Pro last season, and he is still somehow underrated nationally.
Knight, though, has had a fantastic training camp and was the star of preseason Week 1. Thomas took his starting spot early last season, but 12s should anticipate Knight doing the same to Thomas this year.
Cornerback (6)
Starters: Josh Jobe, Devon Witherspoon, Nick Emmanwori (slot)
Backups: Julian Neal, Nehemiah Pritchett, Noah Igbinoghene
Suspended: Terrion Arnold
This is where things get slightly odd, but not because of which players stay on the roster. Instead, which players should be assigned where. Emmanwori might still be listed as a safety on many lists, but he isn't really. He is so unique that he doesn't have a certain position, and he played more cornerback than safety as a rookie.
Seattle likely keeps five cornerbacks, as they did last season, but Emmanwori makes six because he will be at the position more than safety.
The group could change if Arnold is allowed to play at some point. He isn't yet suspended, as he is facing eight felony counts that won't be resolved until at last some point during the year, but the league is probably going to make its own decision before Week 1.
Safety (4)
Starters: Julian Love, Ty Okada
Backups: Bud Clark, AJ Finley
In 2025, the Seattle Seahawks kept five safeties, but again, Nick Emmanwori was one of those safeties. If he is still listed there when the official roster is released, that would make five again.
Love, like Jones at inside linebacker, is the only long-term starter here, most likely. Okada was very good when finally getting an opportunity to play last year, but Clark could overtake him at some point after the season begins. Or Clark could play more in the slot, and Emmanwori lines up at edge rusher on some plays. Anything is possible in a Mike Macdonald defense.
Specialists (3)
Kicker: Jason Myers
Punter: Michael Dickson
Long snapper: Chris Stoll
Kick returner: Tory Horton
Punter returner: Rashid Shaheed
The only question here is whether Shaheed will return kicks and punts, or whether the team wants to keep him fresh and he is the second option after Horton in one of these. Horton flashed last season; he could probably do both well, but Shaheed is elite. It is a good problem for the Seahawks to have.
Otherwise, Myers, Dickson, and Stoll can be penciled in as the specialists through at least 2027. Myers is now in his mid-30s, however, so he could fade sooner than the rest.
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