The Seahawks lost four notable free agents in March, and the first week of the season gave a clear look at what those departures meant on both sides of the ball.
Seattle had managed to keep most of its Super Bowl-winning core together after lifting the Lombardi Trophy in February. The Seahawks brought back 20 of 22 starters and 85% of their offensive and defensive snaps from last season, including the postseason, which were both the second-highest marks for any defending Super Bowl champion over the past 15 seasons. But the salary cap eventually forced some tough choices.
That meant saying goodbye to Kenneth Walker III, Boye Mafe, Riq Woolen and Coby Bryant, all 2022 draft picks and all hitting free agency for the first time. Their Week 1 performances - or absences - offered an early snapshot of how those moves are aging.
Walker made the loudest statement. In the Kansas City Chiefs’ 31-10 win over the Denver Broncos on Monday night, he ripped off a career-high 173 rushing yards on 23 carries, highlighted by a 60-yard touchdown run.
He added three catches for 18 yards and another score, finishing with a career-best 191 scrimmage yards and two total touchdowns. It was his most carries in a regular-season game since Week 9 of 2024, and it came after he signed a three-year, $43.05 million deal with the Chiefs.
Seattle, meanwhile, had a promising answer in the backfield. Rookie first-round pick Jadarian Price handled 10 carries for 52 yards in his NFL debut, while George Holani added 29 yards on eight attempts and Emanuel Wilson chipped in 3 yards on two carries.
Price is expected to share the workload with Holani until Zach Charbonnet returns from February ACL surgery. Price is on a four-year, $16.8 million rookie deal.
Mafe also showed up in a big way. In the Cincinnati Bengals’ 33-27 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, he logged a strip-sack of Baker Mayfield in the fourth quarter and recovered another fumble earlier in the game.
Pro Football Focus credited him with a team-high four pressures. Mafe, who had 2.0 sacks with Seattle last season, signed a three-year, $60 million contract with the Bengals.
The Seahawks’ edge group answered with a solid effort of its own in the opener. Derick Hall, who signed a three-year, $42 million extension in June, recorded a sack and two pressures.
Uchenna Nwosu added a tackle for loss and five pressures, while DeMarcus Lawrence finished with two pressures. As a unit, Seattle’s edge rushers helped hold New England’s running backs to 2.8 yards per carry.
Veteran Dante Fowler Jr., who signed a one-year, $2.5 million deal in May, played only 16 snaps and had a quiet night.
Woolen’s first game with Philadelphia was a full workload. He started and played all 70 defensive snaps in the Eagles’ 24-22 win over Washington, and PFF said he allowed just one catch on five targets.
The one completion was a 1-yard touchdown to Antonio Williams with 1:01 left. Woolen left Seattle for a one-year, $12 million contract after an up-and-down run with the Seahawks.
Seattle’s replacement plan at corner had a strong debut of its own. Nehemiah Pritchett stepped into the CB3 role and made one of the night’s biggest plays, intercepting a deep sideline throw after a deflection from safety Rodney Thomas II.
Pritchett also broke up a key third-down pass and allowed three catches for 25 yards on five targets, according to PFF. He may still have competition ahead, with Trevon Diggs and rookie third-round pick Julian Neal now in the mix for that spot.
Bryant’s situation is different, because he hasn’t been available. The Bears said on Aug. 11 that he would miss four to six months after a knee injury in training camp required surgery, which puts a mid-December return at the earliest. He signed a three-year, $40 million deal with Chicago.
Seattle has had its own safety problems. Rookie second-round pick Bud Clark is out for the season with a broken ankle, while Ty Okada (hamstring) and Nick Emmanwori (ankle) were both sidelined in Week 1.
That opened the door for Rodney Thomas II, elevated from the practice squad for a fill-in start in Okada’s place, and he took advantage. Thomas made the pass breakup that led to Pritchett’s interception and allowed just two catches for 9 yards on three targets, according to PFF.
In Other News...
Seahawks May Have A Surprise Week 2 Spark Fans Will Love
Sam Darnolds hip and glute issue has opened the door for a different look under center in Week 2, with Drew Lock expected to start for Seattle. It also puts Jalen Milroe in position as the backup, and that alone gives the Seahawks a little extra intrigue heading into the matchup with the Arizona Cardinals.
Dan Graziano of ESPN noted that Milroe could be sprinkled in for gadget or trick plays, which makes sense given the value his running ability can add to an offense looking for an edge. Even if he is not taking over the game plan, the possibility of Milroe popping up in a key spot gives Seattle a wrinkle worth watching as it tries to create opportunities against Arizona. [Read more 🡒]
Seahawks Suddenly Have A Week 2 Availability Problem Against Arizona
Tory Hortons return to full practice was one of the brighter notes in Seattles build toward its Week 2 meeting with Arizona, a welcome sign after he spent much of his recovery away from the field following a tibia fracture. After missing so much time since last season, simply getting Horton back into a full session matters for a team trying to settle into the early part of the schedule.
The injury report, though, was hardly clean. Sam Darnold was held out with a glute injury, Nick Emmanwori was limited by ankle and hip issues, and Ty Okada and Cooper Kupp were among the other players who were limited or did not participate. For a Seahawks team trying to sort out its availability picture before facing the Cardinals, the bigger question now is how many of those names will be ready when the game arrives. [Read more 🡒]
Mike Macdonalds Defense Is Changing How Fans See These Seahawks
Mike Macdonalds defense is starting to change the way people look at these Seahawks, and Sunday offered another reminder of why. Seattles unit came up big late, turning the fourth quarter into a showcase with three interceptions and three sacks, the kind of closing stretch that can flip the mood around a team in a hurry. Macdonald credited both his coaching staff and his players for the way they adapted and carried out the defensive plan, which has become a defining feature of this group.
The bigger picture is just as striking. Seattle has now gone 29 straight games without allowing a 100-yard rusher, a run that speaks to how consistently this defense has controlled the ground game. And with uncertainty still hanging over the return of starting quarterback Sam Darnold, the Seahawks may need that edge on defense even more as the season moves forward. [Read more 🡒]