By all accounts, Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Tory Horton has been performing exceedingly well in the first part of training camp. Perhaps the biggest positive is that he is practicing at all. The second-year pro missed the second half of his rookie campaign with a shin injury.
Speaking with the media after practice on Friday, Horton confirmed that he had initially felt the issue in Week 3 last season, but by Week 9, it was clear he was going to need surgery. He didn't have that right away, and hoped to return for the playoffs, but that didn't unfold. Instead, he had surgery in February, which included placing a metal rod in his tibia.
The only real concern about Horton is his recent injury history. He hurt his knee in his final season in college and broke his leg in his first year in the NFL. If he can stay healthy, he is going to force head coach Mike Macdonald and new offensive coordinator Brian Fleury to face the best problem: Who to give more reps to in what appears to be a deep and explosive wide receiver room.
Seattle Seahawks' Tory Horton is forcing the team to face a good problem to have
Jaxon Smith-Njigba is obviously the alpha of the group, but no other Seattle receiver came within 1,200 yards of him last year. That was Cooper Kupp, who at this stage of his career is more of a possession wideout than someone who is going to run a lot of post patterns.
Kupp is to be respected around the league, but he isn't exactly going to be feared in the hearts of defensive coordinators. The re-signed Rashid Shaheed and Tory Horton could, though. Shaheed is a threat on special teams too, but has been a bit inconsistent as a receiver.
The advantage Horton has over most other players at his position is that he is tall-ish (he is 6'2") and fast. He also proved in his limited reps in 2025 that if he can come close to being able to catch the ball when it is tossed his way, he is likely to do that.
Last season, in eight games, he was targeted just 22 times, but he caught 13 of them, and five of them were for touchdowns. (He had another TD as a punt returner; one that Horton returned for 95 yards.) Five scores on just 13 receptions is an astonishingly high percentage, and not a sustainable one.
The percentage doesn't need to stay that way, however. Instead, Horton just needs to make the most of the reps he will get. In a different system, he might see more, but Brian Fleury is likely to use a lot of 12 personnel (one running back and two tight ends), which would limit how many receivers are on the field.
Having a high-end rotating group will help everyone involved stay fresh and productive, though. Smith-Njigba is going to get his touches, but Fleury choosing between Kupp, Shahid, and Horton is a fantastic dilemma to have, and one that only elevates the Seattle Seahawks overall.
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