The Seahawks’ receiver room is getting crowded, and that puts Cooper Kupp in the spotlight heading into his second season in Seattle.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba is coming off a year in which he was the league’s leading receiver, but the bigger question for Seattle is how Kupp fits alongside him now. Kupp had to adjust after leaving the Los Angeles Rams, where he spent eight years, and his first season with the Seahawks was a clear step down from his usual standard. He finished with 47 catches for 593 yards and two touchdowns, his worst statistical season since 2018, when he played only eight games for the Rams.
Now heading into his age-33 season, Kupp could be looking at what might be his final year in the league. Even so, he still has a path to being a meaningful piece of the offense. He remains under contract through the end of the 2027 season, though Seattle could move on sooner if the money makes sense and his production continues to decline.
The competition for snaps is real. Kupp will be battling for playing time with Smith-Njigba, Rashid Shaheed and Tory Horton, among others.
Shaheed arrived late in the 2025 season in a trade with the New Orleans Saints, and his new three-year, $51 million deal points to a much bigger role this fall. His speed and ability to stretch the field should keep him on the field.
Horton is another name the Seahawks want involved. The second-year pro scored five touchdowns in his first eight career games as a rookie, but shin and groin injuries ended his season early and sent him to injured reserve. He is expected to be healthy for training camp and the start of the season, which could make Kupp’s path to top-tier usage even tougher.
Still, Kupp brings veteran value Seattle can lean on. He can change a game in a hurry, and defenses will have to account for him every snap. That alone keeps him dangerous in the offense.
In Other News...
Jake Bobo Could Force An Uncomfortable Seahawks Veteran Decision
The Seahawks have spent the summer sorting through a receiver room that suddenly feels deeper and more complicated than it did a year ago. Jake Bobo is part of that conversation again, with the young wideout still trying to carve out a bigger role behind established names while Seattle weighs how the group should look going forward.
Bobos path matters because his camp and preseason work could help determine how much room there is for him in the rotation, especially with Rashid Shaheed expected to handle a larger share of the passing game. Cooper Kupp still brings value and experience, but the emergence of younger options has made every snap at receiver feel a little more consequential for the Seahawks. [Read more 🡒]
Several Seahawks Veterans Enter Camp With No Real Job Security
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For Nwosu, the question is less about what he has done than what the team wants to learn about Derik Hall. Okada has a rookie challenger in Bud Clark as the secondary continues to sort itself out, and Haynes is trying to hold off a wave of younger competition at guard. It is the kind of camp pressure that can sharpen a roster, but it also means a few familiar names are going to spend the next few weeks fighting for the same jobs they thought they had secured. [Read more 🡒]
Seahawks Open Camp With A Surprise Mike Macdonald Hadn't Seen Yet
The Seahawks opened training camp with a cleaner bill of health than theyve had in a while, and that matters as much for the mood in the building as it does for the roster. Every veteran passed physicals and conditioning tests, leaving Seattle without any players on the nonfootball injury or physically unable to perform lists when camp began, a welcome change for a team trying to build momentum under Mike Macdonald.
It also marked the first time in Macdonalds tenure that the Seahawks got through the opening stretch of camp without anyone failing the conditioning test. Rookie Deven Eastern did land on the PUP list, but with no rookies on NFI and the veterans all cleared, Seattle at least starts camp with a healthier-looking depth chart than it has had at this stage before. [Read more 🡒]