Monday night brought more questions than answers for the Seattle Seahawks, and the snap counts only added to the frustration.
The offense got Zach Charbonnet and Jadarian Price back on the field, and Quenton Nelson made his Seahawks debut after arriving from the Indianapolis Colts. Still, none of that changed the look of the unit. Under first-year offensive coordinator Brian Fleury, Seattle’s offense never found its footing against the Chicago Bears.
Tory Horton was one of the few bright spots in terms of usage, setting a career high with 43 snaps at receiver. Even so, the volume didn’t turn into much production. He finished with three catches for 26 yards on six targets.
On defense, Mike Morris and Rylie Mills both hit new personal marks for playing time. Morris logged 26 defensive snaps, matching the total from his regular season NFL debut against the Los Angeles Rams in the 30-13 opener of the 2023 season. Mills topped his previous high by getting 23 snaps, passing the 20 he played in the Week 4 win over the Los Angeles Chargers.
Drake Thomas also got back into the mix for the first time since the Week 5 loss to the San Francisco 49ers, and he was on the field for 59 snaps. Dante Fowler, meanwhile, continued his unimpressive 2026 season with only eight defensive snaps.
Special teams gave Morris another heavy workload, as he led the group with 23 snaps. Brady Russell and Rodney Thomas were right behind him with 22 apiece. Emanuel Wilson and Anthony Bradford, both former starters, saw their only action of the night on special teams, with Wilson getting seven snaps and Bradford three.
In Other News...
Seahawks Suddenly Have A Bigger Sam Darnold Problem Than One Loss
The Seahawks Monday night loss to the Bears did more than knock Seattle back to .500. It put Sam Darnold right back at the center of the conversation, after a night in which he finished 17 of 34 for 188 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. For a team trying to steady itself in a crowded NFC race, the issue is no longer just one rough result, but whether the quarterback position is giving Seattle enough certainty moving forward.
Darnolds uneven season has already prompted bigger-picture questions about how long the Seahawks will stay committed to him, and the timing only sharpens the discussion. Seattle is sitting at 4-4, and with the organization already being linked to the idea of finding a future answer at quarterback, the next few seasons could determine whether Darnold remains part of the plan or whether the Seahawks eventually look to the draft for a successor such as LaNorris Sellers. [Read more 🡒]
Seahawks Suddenly Have A Jaxon Smith-Njigba Problem They Must Solve
Jaxon Smith-Njigba did his part in Seattles 34-17 loss to the Bears, turning in a strong showing while the rest of the Seahawks receiving group struggled to keep pace. It was the kind of game that can sharpen a front offices focus, because when one pass catcher is carrying so much of the load, the imbalance becomes hard to ignore.
With the November 10 trade deadline approaching, Seattle is reportedly weighing whether to add another wide receiver to give the offense more reliability and depth. Names such as Josh Downs, Brian Thomas Jr., Calvin Ridley, Rashod Bateman, Jerry Jeudy and Jauan Jennings have surfaced as possible targets, and the Seahawks now have to decide how aggressively they want to address a problem that showed up clearly in Chicago. [Read more 🡒]
Seahawks Have An Edge Rush Problem Only One Proven Veteran Solves
The Seahawks edge rush has become one of the more obvious pressure points on the roster, and it is hard to ignore how much the defense could use a steadier presence on the outside. Dante Fowler Jr. has not given Seattle much in the way of reliable production or consistent snaps, which has only sharpened the need for a veteran who can change the tone of a pass rush without requiring a long adjustment period.
Khalil Mack is the name that keeps coming up because he still looks like a proven answer even as the Chargers have stumbled through a rough season. For Seattle, the appeal is obvious: a player with the rsum and edge presence to help right a problem area right away, if the Seahawks decide the price is worth paying. [Read more 🡒]