Injury report, Schedule

Seahawks look good for 4-0 even without Darnold, but then …

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We all know Sam Darnold is not going to play this week at Arizona. The bigger question is: How many games beyond this one will he miss?

NFL insiders Ian Rapoport and Jay Glazer reported that the injury is actually to Darnold’s glute tendon, and Glazer said the Seahawks are still getting medical opinions to figure out what the healing time will be. Mike Florio added that a source told him Darnold could be out 4-6 weeks.

If it is a mild strain of the tendon, medical standards indicate the injury could require 2-4 weeks of rehabilitation. If it is moderate, it could be as long as eight weeks. It sounds like the Seahawks still are trying to figure it out. And, of course, everyone heals at a different rate. So 2-6 weeks seems like a realistic window.

The Hawks should win the next three to start 4-0, but then it gets tougher — especially if Darnold remains out.

Continue reading Seahawks look good for 4-0 even without Darnold, but then … →
Contracts

Big tight end deals set the range for Barner extension in 2027

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AJ Barner’s price has jumped to $15 million. Will the Seahawks want to pay it?

Two big extensions by tight ends over the weekend created the range for Barner’s next contract, assuming he continues to play like he did in 2025.

The Packers extended Tucker Kraft for $18.75 million a year, and the Raiders gave Michael Mayer a deal worth $15 million a year. Barner is not yet at Kraft’s level, but he is more accomplished than Mayer.

Continue reading Big tight end deals set the range for Barner extension in 2027 →
#NEvsSEA, Injury report

Hawks should be OK until Darnold returns

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When Sam Darnold was lost after one series vs. the Patriots in the NFL opener Thursday night, it was definitely a big bummer. But Drew Lock came in and played about like we expected: a couple of sparks and no big mistakes. With the No. 1 defense in the NFL backing him, that was enough to pull off a 13-10 win in a sloppy game by both teams.

With the news that Darnold might miss fewer than four games with his hip injury, the Seahawks look well prepared to weather the storm.

Continue reading Hawks should be OK until Darnold returns →
#NEvsSEA

Are Emmanwori and Macdonald toying with the Patriots?

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Is Nick Emmanwori really iffy for the season opener? Or are he and Mike Macdonald playing mind games with the Patriots?

Emmanwori is coming back from ankle surgery that was performed in July. He has returned to the field in a limited capacity, based on injury reports.

The final episode of “Hard Knocks” featured another conversation between coach and player, in which Emmanwori said, “I feel like I’m grinding every day to a point where it’s like I’m making progress but can’t really do back-to-back hard days like that. Two days ago, I was pushing it, like I was running, and the next day it was kind of sore.

“I feel like other people’s (idea of) where they think I should be at, or where they want me to be, could be kind of interfering with where I’m trying to go or where I’m trying to get to.”

Continue reading Are Emmanwori and Macdonald toying with the Patriots? →
The roster

Initial roster set, but secondary is still in progress

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The Seahawks’ roster – the 40 or so guys who matter most anyway – has been set all summer. The biggest struggle in camp involved sorting out the back end of the defense – and even as the cut to 53 (plus 17 on the practice squad) was made, the secondary is still the most unsettled position group on the team.

The top four – Devon Witherspoon, Josh Jobe, Julian Love and Ty Okada – are ready to roll. But Nick Emmanwori, rookie Julian Neal, new trade acquisition Avery Smith and recent vet signee Trevon Diggs (on the practice squad) all are behind in their prep for the season.

Emmanwori and Neal are just now practicing after recovering from injuries (surgery in E-Man’s case). Smith just arrived via trade from the Chargers (where he was in a similar defense), and Diggs signed a couple of weeks ago and saw just a few plays in the final preseason game. It will be a race to see which of those guys is ready for the opener Sept. 9.

Continue reading Initial roster set, but secondary is still in progress →
Contracts, The roster

Williams extension completes lineup for potential dynasty

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With Leonard Williams happily under contract for another three years, the Seahawks are now ready to make a run at becoming the next NFL dynasty.

Williams is the seventh mainstay extended or re-signed this year, joining Charles Cross, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Rashid Shaheed, Josh Jobe, Derick Hall and Devon Witherspoon. That doesn’t include lesser two-year deals given to Drake Thomas and Brady Russell.

This Super Bowl team is basically set for the next two years, with only three starting spots in question next offseason: edge rusher, center and right guard. If Jalen Sundell is tendered and Beau Stephens steps into Anthony Bradford’s spot, edge rusher will be the only hole.  

Continue reading Williams extension completes lineup for potential dynasty →
The roster, Training camp

How does Macdonald replace his ‘gravy’ safety?

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When Bud Clark was down on the field in Tennessee, being tended to after he had broken his ankle, he assured a questioning Mike Macdonald, “Hell yeah, coach, we gravy.”

We’re not hip to all the lingo, but sounds like he meant it will be OK.

It was apropos that he used that word because Clark was supposed to be the gravy on the Seattle defense this season — the extra sauce to give Macdonald’s unit another element of flexibility and confuse offenses even more. So losing him for the season is a really unfortunate blow to that plan.

Now the question becomes: How does Macdonald replace Clark? Where does he find some more gravy?

Continue reading How does Macdonald replace his ‘gravy’ safety? →
Contracts, The roster

Spoon’s deal beat anything on the field in preseason opener

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The Seahawks played their first football game of the season Saturday, but the most exciting action came earlier that morning when Devon Witherspoon finally signed the contract that made him (for now) the highest-paid cornerback in the league.

Mike Macdonald made us laugh when he lamented that his “team” did not play very well in the 17-7 loss to Dallas – because it was mostly third-stringers. We all know his A-team could start playing and winning right now.

This preseason is all about getting Brian Fleury integrated as the new OC, ramping up some young guys (e.g., Bud Clark) and settling the six or seven undetermined roster spots (some of which will rotate throughout the season anyway). Beyond that, the Seahawks are ready to “run it forward” in 2026 right now.

Meanwhile, John Schneider and Joey Laine have been running it forward beyond 2026. With the big extension for Witherspoon finally done, they now have locked up seven starters through at least 2028, along with drafting four other key guys in the last two years.

In our three-year projection, there are just seven openings for 2028: C, RG, WR3, ER2, both ILBs, SS. And four of those guys — Ernest Jones IV, Drake Thomas, Julian Love, Jalen Sundell — could easily be re-signed. That’s a pretty good-looking future.

Let’s take a look at Spoon’s deal, a little more on Terrion Arnold and the few tidbits we learned from the game Saturday.

Continue reading Spoon’s deal beat anything on the field in preseason opener →
Free agency, It's bigger than football, Training camp

Hawks are sure about Arnold, but not about when he might play

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The Seahawks’ contract agreement with Terrion Arnold is a definite gamble, and Mike Macdonald confirmed that today when he said he has no idea when the cornerback might be able to play for the team.

The coach said the Seahawks got “overwhelmingly positive” reports on Arnold from people who know him. Macdonald declined to say anything about the criminal case that led to Arnold being available to sign in the first place (after Detroit cut him), but he did say, “There’s allegations there that are serious. If you separate that from the person that they talk about (him being) on a daily basis and their history with him, it’s been overwhelmingly positive.”

You could loosely translate that to this: He’s a good person who got caught up in a bad situation and people should not be afraid of him coming into the community. Seems like that is about as close as Macdonald will come to saying that.

The coach also referred to the player being honest with him in their personal conversation.

Continue reading Hawks are sure about Arnold, but not about when he might play →
It's bigger than football, The roster, Training camp

Let’s hope the Hawks are making a well-informed bet on Arnold

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The Seahawks’ reported pending addition of Terrion Arnold is a bet on a lot of things: (1) Arnold being available to play, (2) Arnold being worth it on the field, (3) Arnold not being a huge distraction to the team, (4) Arnold not ending up in prison and making John Schneider and Mike Macdonald look like complete fools.

You have to hope the bet is more like an insider trading investment than a pure roulette spin. In other words, hopefully Schneider and Macdonald have garnered information about the legal case that makes them think Arnold (a) did not commit the crime and (b) is going to be available to play for them for the majority of the season.

We should hear from the team leaders about this when they officially sign Arnold. They certainly owe an explanation to fans and the community about the decision to sign a guy accused of eight felonies.

There obviously are reasons they are optimistic about this move – reasons that go beyond thinking the cornerback can help them and thinking he is a good guy who got into a bad situation.

Continue reading Let’s hope the Hawks are making a well-informed bet on Arnold →