The Seattle Seahawks are heading into their preseason finale against the Kansas City Chiefs on Friday with most of the 53-man roster probably already taking shape. But the last few jobs are still up for grabs, and a few players have one more shot to swing the decision in their favor.
That matters even more if some starters see the field, because it could squeeze the reps for players sitting near the roster bubble. For guys in that group, one sharp series or one bad mistake could carry real weight when general manager John Schneider and head coach Mike Macdonald start sorting out the final cuts.
Wide receiver Cody White is one of the players trying to force the issue. He’s valued for what he brings to the locker room and for the way he handles special teams, where he has done his best work in previous seasons.
He is not expected to be a major offensive threat, but he can help as a gunner and in coverage. White did muff a punt in preseason Week 2, though he is not a true returner.
With Jake Bobo out for the season with a knee injury, White’s path to a roster spot is tied to whether he can hold off Montorie Foster Jr. and make a few noticeable plays on offense against Kansas City.
Christian Haynes also enters the game with something to prove, even if the numbers around him are starting to work in his favor. Mason Richman’s injury may have opened a better path for Haynes as a backup guard, but he is still competing with Bryce Cabeldue and Beau Stephens.
The Seahawks also have two bad years from Haynes as evidence that they might not want to keep him around much longer. Still, he has been solid in two preseason games, giving up just two pressures across 41 pass-block reps and no quarterback hits or sacks.
He has also looked strong in the run game, including helping create a huge lane for Jarcadia Wright’s 69-yard touchdown run in preseason Week 2. If Seattle keeps only two backup guards, the math could come down to Stephens and either Cabeldue or Haynes.
Connor O'Toole is in a different kind of battle, one that comes down to whether Seattle wants to gamble on upside and numbers. The Seahawks might only carry four edge rushers: Uchenna Nwosu, Derick Hall, DeMarcus Lawrence, and Dante Fowler Jr.
O'Toole could still sneak in as a fifth if the team is worried about losing him on waivers. The 2025 undrafted free agent made the unusual jump from wide receiver to edge rusher in college, so he is still learning the position, but the athletic traits are obvious.
After a quiet preseason Week 1 against the Dallas Cowboys, he broke out in Week 2 against the Tennessee Titans with six total pressures and two sacks, including work against some of Tennessee’s starting offensive line. Another performance like that against the Chiefs would make his case hard to ignore.
Nehemiah Pritchett is another Seahawk with plenty on the line. Seattle has not been thrilled with its cornerback play in camp or the preseason, which is part of why the team signed Trevon Diggs and agreed to terms with Terrion Arnold, who isn’t allowed to play yet because he is on the exempt list while facing felony charges for kidnapping and armed robbery.
Pritchett is entering his third season with the team and has been up and down in his first two, showing flashes while also struggling at times, especially when it came to physicality against the run. That part of his game has been better this preseason.
He has allowed four completions on four targets, but those catches have gone for only 12 yards. With Noah Igbinoghene and others also in the mix, Pritchett still needs one more good showing to lock down his spot.
In Other News...
Seahawks May Have A New In-House Answer At A Troubling Spot
Seattle has spent the early part of the week trying to shore up a spot that has quietly become one of its more delicate roster issues, and rookie Julian Neal is suddenly part of the conversation. After missing time with a leg injury, Neal has returned to full practice, giving the Seahawks another look at a young defensive back who could help fill the role of dependable third cornerback the defense has been searching for.
The timing matters because Seattle has also lined up veteran help, with Terrion Arnold expected to land on the exempt list when he signs, and Trevon Diggs still working back into football shape after a long stretch of limited action. That leaves Neal with a real opening if he can keep stacking good practices, and it gives the Seahawks a chance to solve a problem from within while the bigger-picture cornerback picture remains unsettled. [Read more 🡒]
Seahawks Bubble Battles Could Lead To Tough Cutdown Day Surprises
The Seahawks are inching toward roster cutdown day with a few familiar names suddenly living on the edge of the 53-man picture. Training camp and preseason have given Seattle a clearer sense of where the depth chart stands, but recent signings and the way certain players have performed have tightened the competition in some of the most crowded spots on the roster.
Wilson, Henderson, Hart and Pritchett are among the players in the mix who now have to navigate both performance pressure and injury concerns as the deadline approaches. For Seattle, the hard part is not just sorting out who has shown enough this summer, but deciding which of those bubble players can still be kept around if the final numbers force some tough choices. [Read more 🡒]
Pete Carroll Debate Reignites Over What May Have Shaped That Call
The discussion around Pete Carrolls most famous decision never seems to disappear, and for Seahawks fans it still carries a familiar sting. The late-game call to have Russell Wilson throw from the one-yard line in Super Bowl XLIX has long been picked over from every angle, and one of the more persistent bits of speculation ties it to an earlier coaching moment Carroll lived through in the 2005-06 Rose Bowl, when a run by LenDale White came up short.
Carroll came out on the wrong side of both games, and the overlap has kept the debate alive as fans try to trace how one experience might have shaped another. Even after the Super Bowl loss, Carroll went on to post a strong coaching record before eventually being dismissed by the Seahawks, but the call itself remains one of the defining flashpoints of his time in Seattle. [Read more 🡒]