The Seattle Seahawks are done with their 2026 preseason, and the outcomes of the games will have no bearing on how well the team does in real games. What only mattered in August was which players would beat out others for roster spots.
The team didn't have lots, as enough talent from last season, when the team won the Super Bowl, remained. Still, several free agents left, and roster spots were there to be earned.
Final roster cuts must be made by 3 pm PT on Sunday, August 30. General manager John Schneider and head coach Mike Macdonald likely already knew who they were going to keep around, or hoped would land on the practice squad, but the final preseason game versus the Kansas City Chiefs might have cemented some decisions.
53-man 2026 roster prediction for the Seattle Seahawks ahead of final roster cuts
Quarterback (3)
QB1: Sam Darnold
QB2: Drew Lock
QB3: Jalen Milroe
Darnold and Lock are set at their spots, but what the team needed to see from Milroe in training camp and the preseason was growth from last year. His camp started roughly, but he was solid against Kansas City when the top backups were blocking for him.
Milroe might not be ready to be QB1, but he is definitely worth keeping on the roster. Maybe in a year or two, he will have developed enough to get some real reps.
Running back/fullback (4)
Starter: Jadarian Price
Backups: George Holani, Emanuel Wilson
Fullback: Brady Russell
PUP: Zach Charbonnet
IR: Robbie Ouzts
If Brian Fleury weren't the new offensive coordinator, Seattle might only have three running backs total, which means no fullback. But the system needs a fullback, and the team lost a good one when Robbie Ouzts injured his neck.
Russell is not as big as Ouzts, but is versatile. Still, Ouzts being out could mean that the team keeps four tight ends, one of whom can fit in as a fullback, too. More on that in a minute.
Wide receiver (5)
WR1: Jaxon Smith-Njigba
WR2: Cooper Kupp
WR3: Rashid Shaheed
Backups: Tory Horton, Cody White
IR: Jake Bobo
Practice squad: Montorie Foster Jr.
Foster had probably done enough before preseason Week 3 to make the team, as the coaches had raved about him and his teammates were fully supportive of him. One wonders if he will be a healthy scratch on many game days, however.
The real question is whether the team will choose to keep White over Foster because White is basically Jake Bobo-lite. Losing both (should White be waived and another team picks him up) would hurt the special teams unit. White was also pretty good against the Chiefs on Friday.
Tight ends (4)
Starter: AJ Barner
Backups: Elijah Arroyo, Eric Saubert, Nick Kallerup
Kallerup is purely a blocker, but he sticks on the roster guess, because he can fill in at fullback, which is needed after Ouzts' injury. He's solid, even if he never catches a pass. Saubert, though, fits the same kind of role, so Seattle could go with just three tight ends because of that.
Arroyo and Barner are the potential high-end players. The former has flashed why Seattle took him in the second round last season with his speed and pass-catching ability. Barner can block and catch and is one of the more underrated tight ends in the NFL.
Offensive line (9)
Starters: LT Charles Cross, LG Grey Zabel, C Jalen Sundell, RG Anthony Bradford, RT Abraham Lucas
Backups: Josh Jones, Bryce Cabeldue, Beau Stephens, Olu Oluwatimi
IR: Mason Richman
Richman's injury in preseason Week 2 might mean the Seahawks keep 10 offensive linemen, as there could be a concern for health. The cut could be Christian Haynes because Beau Stephens has had a good training camp and could be the swing guard.
As long as the starters stay healthy, good things will happen. Depth and not having more than nine offensive linemen total could be scary.
Defensive line (6)
Starters: Leonard Williams, Jarran Reed, Byron Murphy II
Backups: Rylie Mills, Brandon Pili, Mike Morris
This group seems straightforward, with the only question being whether Seattle keeps another pure nose guard like Deven Eastern. Due to the team only being able to keep 53 players, that is unlikely, as the backups could return on the practice squad.
Edge rusher (5)
Starters: DeMarcus Lawrence, Derick Hall
Backups: Uchenna Nwosu, Dante Fowler Jr., Connor O'Toole
Four of five players in this group? That is what general manager John Schneider has to ask himself. O'Toole is a developing player whose best seasons could be ahead of him. He might be too much of a risk to waive, in which case the team goes with five (the other four players are roster locks), and O'Toole is often a healthy scratch during the regular season.
Inside linebacker (4)
Starters: Ernest Jones IV, Drake Thomas
Backups: Tyrice Knight, Chazz Surratt
Surratt or Patrick O'Connell? Both are solid options behind the first three, who are capable of excellent play. Surratt gets the nod because of his proven ability on special teams and a couple of great players defensively during the preseason.
Cornerback (6)
Starters: Josh Jobe, Devon Witherspoon, Nick Emmanwori (slot)
Backups: Julian Neal, Nehemiah Pritchett, Trevon Diggs
Suspended/exempt: Terrion Arnold
Arnold isn't technically on the team yet, as the NFL won't allow him to sign anywhere while he awaits his fate related to eight felony charges. He might not be able to play at all this coming season, but if he does, he will be with Seattle.
Diggs gets the nod here because of his past elite level, though no one knows if he can be good ever again. The cut would be Noah Igbinoghene, among others, who has been decent in camp but doesn't offer the same level of quality if Diggs can stay fully healthy.
Safety (4)
Starters: Julian Love, Ty Okada
Backups: D'Anthony Bell, AJ Finley
IR: Bud Clark
With Clark's ankle injury in preseason Week 2, this group isn't as potentially explosive as it once was. Love needs to stay healthy; otherwise, Nick Emmanwori, who is listed as a cornerback here because he plays so much in the slot, would have to move to a more traditional safety role. That would obviously hurt the creativity of the defense overall.
Bell and Finley are decent veterans, but there is a big falloff between the starters and the backups. And that is assuming that Okada can be good again in his first full year as a starter.
Specialists (3)
Kicker: Jason Myers
Punter: Michael Dickson
Long snapper: Chris Stoll
Kick returner: Tory Horton
Punter returner: Rashid Shaheed
No drama here among the specialists, as all are great at their jobs. Myers just needs to stop missing the preseason field goal attempts he has.
Shaheed might need to return kicks and punts if Horton cannot stay healthy. He hasn't practiced in weeks, and his availability for Week 1 is uncertain. Of course, Shaheed was re-signed this offseason, maybe more for his special teams acumen than his ability to catch passes.
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