Tory Horton is back in the mix for the Seattle Seahawks, and the early days of training camp are making that impossible to miss.
The second-year wide receiver has been one of the loudest positive notes out of the opening week at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center in Renton. That’s a big shift from last season, when a shin injury cost him the second half of the year and the playoffs. This month, he arrived to camp without restrictions and has looked like a player intent on picking up right where he left off.
Seattle’s own social media gave fans a quick snapshot on Thursday. In a clip posted to the team’s X account as part of a sponsored series with Boeing, Horton made a sideline catch during a padless practice rep.
The caption: “TOE-TAP TORY.” It was just one rep, but it fit the larger picture of a player stacking good days early in camp.
Horton’s rookie season ended before the finish line, but not before he made a real impact. The shin injury in November shut him down for the final stretch of 2025, just as he was becoming a target for quarterback Sam Darnold. He closed the year with five touchdown catches on only 13 receptions, including a two-touchdown performance in his final game against Washington.
The encouraging part for Seattle is that Horton didn’t need a ramp-up to get back involved. Head coach Mike Macdonald had sounded hopeful Horton would be ready for camp, though he never guaranteed he’d be there on day one.
Horton answered that question by avoiding the physically unable to perform list altogether, unlike safety Nick Emmanwori, running backs Zach Charbonnet and Kenny McIntosh, and rookie nose tackle Deven Eastern. Instead, he jumped straight into practice work, according to The Seattle Times.
And he’s not just jogging through drills. Gregg Bell reported Horton moving smoothly through route work and catching passes from Darnold in group periods, while also handling punts in special teams work. That matters, because Horton did both as a rookie, including a 95-yard punt return touchdown against New Orleans that showed off just how dangerous he can be in space.
The praise isn’t coming only from the coaching staff, either. Cooper Kupp offered a public nod to Horton during his camp press conference, with the Seahawks sharing comments on July 28. Kupp talked about mentoring Horton, and he also spoke positively about the offense under new coordinator Brian Fleury and the progress he’s seen from the quarterback room in year two of the post-Geno Smith era.
That kind of backing carries weight for a receiver trying to build on a rookie season that ended in a walking boot. Seattle comes into 2026 as the defending Super Bowl champion after beating the Patriots in February, and the passing game now includes Kupp, AJ Barner at tight end, and a healthy Horton. If that group stays intact, there’s real speed and separation ability there.
None of this locks Horton into a specific role yet. Training camp in shorts and helmets can only tell you so much, and the picture will sharpen once the pads come on and preseason games begin. Still, the early signs are hard to ignore: no PUP designation, full participation, work on offense and special teams, and a veteran receiver publicly investing in him.
The Seahawks have more padded practices ahead, and those sessions should give a better read on where Horton stands once the contact starts.
In Other News...
Seahawks Camp Had A Hard Knocks Moment Macdonald Couldnt Ignore
The cameras are a new wrinkle at Seahawks training camp, but Mike Macdonald has been clear that the show cannot change what the team is about. HBOs Hard Knocks is following Seattle through camp, and the first practices have already offered a look at how a group tries to stay normal while being watched closely, with Macdonald stressing that the teams culture has to remain authentic. Sam Darnold has said the players have mostly gone about their business the same way, which is usually the best sign that the spotlight has not taken over.
Still, there is always a moment when the presence of a documentary crew makes everyone a little more aware of themselves, and Macdonald has already had to navigate that reality. He has pushed the idea that the Seahawks need humility and accountability even with the cameras rolling, a reminder that the show may be about football, but it is also about how a team handles being seen. Hard Knocks premieres Aug. 4 and will track Seattles early camp work, so the first impressions are about to become part of the record. [Read more 🡒]
Seahawks Defense Just Got Hit With Another Brutal Disrespect Shot
Seattles defense had every right to expect a little more respect after finishing last season at the top of the league in points allowed per game, but Madden NFL 27 did not exactly hand it out. The games latest defensive ratings place the Seahawks tied for No. 9 at 82, a spot that feels a little light for a unit that spent most of last year making life miserable for opposing offenses.
The sting gets sharper when the teams ranked ahead of Seattle are the ones with the offseason buzz, from the Rams, Eagles and Ravens to the kind of headline-grabbing additions that tend to drive video game ratings. Seattle, meanwhile, mostly kept its core intact, with Leonard Williams and Devon Witherspoon still front and center and only a small personnel change in the secondary, which makes the gap feel less about what the Seahawks actually did and more about how Madden seems to reward reputation and star power. [Read more 🡒]
Why Seahawks Took Another Look At A Crowded Receiver Battle
Kyre Duplessis is getting another NFL look in Seattle after signing with the Seahawks and arriving at training camp as the receiver room keeps filling up. The former Delaware and Coastal Carolina wideout walks into a crowded depth chart, which is exactly why the team is taking a closer look at a player who has bounced around enough to know every rep matters this time of year.
Duplessis is not entering this battle as a likely path to the 53-man roster, but he does have a chance to make enough of an impression to stick around on the practice squad. Seattle likes the developmental possibilities enough to keep him in the mix, and he is now part of a wider competition that includes several other receivers fighting for the same limited opening. [Read more 🡒]