Nick Emmanwori didn’t wait long to react to Aaron Donald’s stunning return to the Los Angeles Rams.
After the eight-time All-Pro defensive tackle ended his retirement Sunday and rejoined the Rams, the Seattle Seahawks safety fired off a quick social media response: “All that for us,” Emmanwori wrote in a post that included a laughing emoji.
Donald’s comeback adds another major name to a Rams offseason that has been all-in from the start. Los Angeles has been busy loading up after losing to the eventual Super Bowl champion Seahawks 31-27 in the NFC Championship Game back in January.
The Rams first attacked the secondary in March, trading for All-Pro cornerback Trent McDuffie and signing free agent cornerback Jaylen Watson. Then in June, they made another splash by bringing in two-time Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett.
Now Donald is back in the mix after a 2 1/2-year retirement, still chasing another Super Bowl ring at age 35. His résumé remains as intimidating as ever: three Defensive Player of the Year awards and 111 sacks from 2014-23.
Seattle and Los Angeles spent last season in a class of their own. The two teams were widely viewed as the NFL’s best, and their three meetings came down to the wire, with the margin across all of them totaling just nine points.
The Rams edged the Seahawks 21-19 in Week 11. Seattle answered in dramatic fashion in Week 16, erasing a 16-point fourth-quarter deficit and winning 38-37 in overtime. The Seahawks then took the NFC title game and went on to win the Lombardi Trophy.
Both teams enter 2026 with Super Bowl expectations attached, and ESPN’s preseason power rankings reflect that: the Rams sit at No. 1, with the Seahawks right behind them at No. 2. The schedule has already circled the next chapter, with Seattle set to host Los Angeles on Christmas night in Week 16 before the Rams get the rematch in Week 18.
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Seahawks Let Go Of A Cornerback Who Immediately Found A Real Role
Noah Igbinoghenes Seattle stint ended the way so many late-summer roster battles do, with a final cut and no practice-squad safety net. The Seahawks let him go during final roster reductions and moved on without bringing him back as a developmental depth piece, a sign of how tight the competition was at cornerback once the roster started taking shape.
Igbinoghene did not have to wait long for another chance. Cleveland signed him to its active roster, giving him a real path to regular-season snaps and a far more immediate role than he had in Seattle. For a player fighting to stick in the league, the difference between a practice squad spot and a 53-man opportunity can be the whole story. [Read more 🡒]
Seahawks Just Lost A Promising Pass Rusher To A Brutal Rival
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For Seattle, it is the kind of move that stings a little more because it comes with division context and a player the organization had already spent time developing. Sheriff was among the final cuts as the team set its roster, and now the Seahawks will see whether that early investment ends up helping a rival instead of paying off in their own rotation. [Read more 🡒]
Seahawks Offense Suddenly Rests On Jadarian Price Right Away
The Seahawks did not expect to open the season leaning this heavily on a rookie, but that is the reality after Zach Charbonnets knee injury pushed him onto the physically unable to perform list. Seattle used the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft on Jadarian Price, and the early plan now points to him stepping into the lead role right away as the team tries to stabilize its backfield before Week 1.
Charbonnet is slated to miss at least the first four games, with a return not likely until Week 5 or later, so the Seahawks will have to build around Price sooner than planned. George Holani and Emanuel Wilson are there for support, but the spotlight is already on Price to handle the bulk of the running back work while Seattle waits for one of its most important offensive pieces to heal. [Read more 🡒]