The Seahawks’ sixth training camp practice brought the first padded session for the 12s, and with the extra contact came the usual edge. Friday’s work at team headquarters in Renton got chippy at times, which is exactly the sort of thing that tends to show up once the pads go on and the tempo rises.
Leonard Williams was right in the middle of the most notable flare-up. He brought down A.J.
Barner on a downfield catch, and Barner clearly didn’t love it. There was also a separate little dust-up between Connor O’Toole and Bryce Cabeldue.
It was the kind of practice scuffle that comes with football being football.
One of the more interesting developments from the day came with Jalen Milroe. Curtis Allen, who was again at camp on Friday, noticed Milroe throwing to Elijah Arroyo - a pairing that stands out because it wasn’t really part of the picture last year.
Milroe spent almost all of his time with the third-team offense as a rookie, but he has now started to work some reps higher on the depth chart. That matters for his development.
If Milroe is going to take a real step forward, those reps with the ones and twos in camp are where it starts, not in preseason games.
Tory Horton also offered some clarity on the injury that derailed his rookie season. The second-year receiver said the shin issue that eventually sidelined him was actually a cracked tibia, and it traces back to Week 3. The discomfort lingered through a few games before it became too much after the Week 9 win over the Washington Commanders.
“It was weird. About Week 3, I started feeling my shin and worked through it through a couple games.
Got to Week 9, got it checked up and found out there was a crack. Ended up getting surgery on it and that was that.
Something that you work through until you can’t. It’s not something that I wish happened but it did and we got the issue solved and the leg isn’t going anywhere now.
I feel good.”
Horton had a metal rod inserted into his leg after the Super Bowl, and he recovered well enough to avoid PUP and open camp on Day 1.
Jadarian Price, meanwhile, spent part of his first media availability talking about the parts of his game that will matter most at the next level. The rookie running back has the reputation of being a strong pure runner, but there are questions around his passing-game value and his ability in protection. Price said he has been working on the receiving side for a long time and is still pushing to sharpen it.
(On pass catching ability) “That’s one thing I have worked on since high school. I’ve continuously gotten better at it throughout college and that’s one thing people question going into the pros, so I worked on it and continue to work on it and understand the space and catching abilities.”
(On his pass protection) “I’m improving. I’ve shown countless times in practice that I can catch the ball. Still need to show my pass protection more, but we’re going day by day and we’re day six in camp.”
There was also a bit of buzz around Brian Fleury’s offense and the way he’s using tight ends and fullbacks. It’s still early, but that usage could become a meaningful wrinkle compared to Klint Kubiak’s approach.
Seattle did feature A.J. Barner heavily before, but Fleury’s version could lean even more into those spots.
That kind of diversification matters, especially with defenses likely to key on Jaxon Smith-Njigba.
There’s no new deal yet, but Devon Witherspoon is also not in a hold-in as contract talks continue. With two years left on his current contract, the sides are still working toward making him the highest-paid cornerback in the NFL, and he’s been out on the practice field doing his job while that plays out.
The day’s top highlight came when Sam Darnold connected with Rashid Shaheed, another sign that Seattle is getting a real offseason to build chemistry there.
The Seahawks are back on the field Saturday at 1 pm PT for Back Together Weekend.
In Other News...
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The reaction was quick, with fans questioning whether the ranking did justice to the Seahawks championship run. EAs social media post added another layer of frustration by misspelling the franchise name, giving supporters one more reason to argue the games ratings did not exactly match the moment. [Read more 🡒]
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What has pushed him from interesting name to one of the camps most watched players is the complete skill set he has flashed. Price has shown he can catch the ball cleanly out of the backfield and hold up in pass protection, two areas that usually decide whether a back earns real trust or just a temporary look. With Seattle still sorting through its biggest running back battle, his emergence has given the competition a clearer shape, even if the final answer is still waiting to be written. [Read more 🡒]