Tory Horton is finally back on the field for the Seattle Seahawks, and that’s the update fans have been waiting to hear.
Head coach Mike Macdonald said Saturday that Horton has returned to practice after missing OTAs and minicamp while dealing with a shin injury that wiped out the second half of his season. Macdonald put it plainly: "Great to see Tory out there...Haven't seen (number) 15 doing his thing in a while."
That matters for a Seahawks receiver group that has already taken some outside skepticism this offseason. The national view has been that Jaxon Smith-Njigba will need to carry the passing game again, but Horton gives Seattle another player who can change a game in a hurry.
Last season, Horton showed exactly how dangerous he can be when he gets touches. In eight games, he caught 13 passes, and five of them went for touchdowns.
He also broke off a 95-yard punt return for a score. More than a third of his receptions ended in the end zone, which is an eye-popping rate even if nobody expects that kind of efficiency to last.
The bigger point for Seattle is what Horton adds when he’s healthy. With JSN, Rasheed Shahid, and Cooper Kupp in the mix, Horton gives Sam Darnold another explosive option and adds more speed to a passing attack that could be tough to handle if everyone is on the field together.
Of course, the key for Horton is simply getting reps. He’s still early in his career and doesn’t have the luxury of being a polished veteran who can jump in cold. Practice time matters for him, and that’s why this return is such a good sign.
Macdonald’s update after the first day of training camp suggests Horton is back in the fold. Now Seattle just needs him to stay there after injuries also interrupted his final season at Colorado State with a knee issue before the shin problem hit in his first year with the Seahawks. A healthy Horton should be a productive one.
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Seahawks Fans Have Every Reason To Worry About Kenny McIntosh
Kenny McIntoshs summer took a hard turn on July 26, when the Seahawks running back suffered a torn ACL in his left knee during training camp and has not played since. For a player already trying to carve out a role in Seattle, the injury only deepened the uncertainty around his place on the roster, especially with the team building its backfield around healthier options.
Mike Macdonald has made clear there is no easy timeline here, and McIntoshs rehab will be the story for a while. The injury history, combined with his current spot on the depth chart and the fact that he is scheduled to hit free agency next offseason, leaves Seattle with a familiar football question: how much patience is left for a player whose promise keeps running into setbacks? [Read more 🡒]