The Seattle Seahawks have plenty to sort out in 2026, but four players are heading into seasons that could shape their futures just as much as the team’s. For Uchenna Nwosu, Jason Myers, Anthony Bradford and Zach Charbonnet, this year is about more than wins and losses. It’s about showing enough to earn another payday.
Nwosu sits at the top of that list because when he’s right, he changes the shape of the defense. The edge rusher is still under 30, and Seattle values him for more than just what he does on Sundays.
The Seahawks also like the kind of person he is, which matters in an organization built on respect. The problem is durability.
In 2023 and 2024, he played only 12 games combined. He got back on the field for 16 games last season and finished with seven sacks and seven tackles for loss.
That’s the version of Nwosu that can stick around in Seattle for a long time. If he can’t stay healthy again in 2026, though, both the Seahawks and the rest of the league may hesitate to hand him a big long-term deal.
Myers is in a different kind of spotlight. He has been a steady piece of Seattle’s special teams operation since 2019 and earned a Pro Bowl nod in 2022.
He was excellent in 2025, helping the Seahawks win enough close games to capture a championship, and he was especially sharp in the postseason. But this preseason has gone the other way.
He has missed two of five field goal tries and two of four extra-point attempts. For almost any other kicker, that kind of stretch would already have the team looking around.
If it keeps up, Myers may not even make it through the season, let alone position himself for a 2027 contract.
Bradford’s case is simpler, if not easier to watch. He is the offensive lineman fans have been most frustrated with, even in a year when Seattle’s line was better than its reputation.
Bradford has size and power, and if he can square up a defender, he can win. Against quicker opponents, the trouble starts.
He is set to start at right guard again in 2026, and Beau Stephens could be waiting behind him as a built-in fallback option. If Bradford plays well, he could keep that job for a while.
If not, Seattle may be ready to move on.
Charbonnet’s situation comes with the most uncertainty. The running back is coming off a knee injury from the playoffs last season, and his return timeline is not especially clear.
He is expected to start the season on the physically unable to perform list, which means he will miss at least the first four games. When he does come back, he could share work at RB1 with rookie Jadarian Price.
But if Price is rolling before Charbonnet is cleared, the Notre Dame product could take over as Seattle’s starter for years, leaving Charbonnet as the backup. That role has been fine for him so far, but the next stretch will tell teams plenty about what he is worth.
If he bounces back and looks like the back who scored 12 rushing touchdowns last season, he could push toward $10 million per season from somebody. If not, his price tag in 2027 drops fast.
In Other News...
Seahawks Season Opener Just Picked Up An Ugly New Problem
A season opener that already carried the usual September pressure has picked up an unwelcome wrinkle for Seattle, with the NFL placing cornerback Terrion Arnold on the commissioners exempt list while his legal situation moves through the process. The league also put Denver linebacker Jonathon Cooper and Green Bay running back Josh Jacobs on the same list, a move that keeps those players away from games and practices for now even as they continue to be paid.
For the Seahawks, the immediate issue is less about the paperwork than the uncertainty around a key defensive piece as the opener approaches. The exempt list is designed to let investigations play out without forcing an on-field decision first, but it also leaves Seattle waiting for clarity on a situation that could affect the roster and the teams early-season plans. [Read more 🡒]
Mike Macdonald Brought One Harbaugh Trait Seattle Is Feeling Now
Mike Macdonald has made no secret of the coaching influences that helped shape him, and the Seahawks are starting to feel one of the clearest carryovers. He has spoken about learning leadership principles from Jim and John Harbaugh, and that outlook has shown up in the way he runs the team and pushes for more from his players. Seattles decision to bring in Jay Harbaugh as special teams coordinator only adds to that family connection, giving Macdonald another trusted voice with a strong resume of his own.
Jay Harbaugh arrives with experience that fits right into a program trying to build on a Super Bowl victory in Macdonalds second season. He has already won a Super Bowl with Seattle and a national championship with Michigan, which makes him a notable addition on a staff that values discipline and detail. The more interesting part for the Seahawks is how much of the Harbaugh approach is becoming visible in the daily work, and how far that influence can still take them. [Read more 🡒]
Seahawks Tryout Has One Small-School Pass Catcher Worth Watching
The Seahawks have spent the week taking a look at a cluster of tryout players at the VMAC, and the group includes a few pass catchers from smaller schools who fit the kind of under-the-radar profile teams often mine this time of year. Wide receivers and tight ends are in the mix, and names such as Chandler Brayboy, Marcus Sanders Jr. and Layne Pryor have surfaced as the most interesting ones to watch thanks to their athletic traits and, in some cases, prior practice squad exposure.
Seattles interest appears tied as much to special teams depth as to any immediate need on offense, which makes the tryout session worth tracking even if it does not produce a splashy addition. With roster spots always at a premium and the Seahawks still sorting through depth options, a signing could come soon, and one of these smaller-school prospects may have done enough to stick around a little longer. [Read more 🡒]