The Seahawks’ first loss of the 2026 season didn’t just show up on the scoreboard. It exposed a rookie class that had a rough time across the board in Washington, with the coaching staff looking flat and several young players feeling the effects.
The brightest spot from Week 3 was guard Beau Stephens. He continued sharing right guard work with Christian Haynes, and while both players had their difficult stretches, Stephens still stood out as the rookie the Seahawks can feel best about coming out of the game.
One of the biggest completions of the day, a screen to tight end AJ Barner, was aided by Stephens’ blocking. He logged 27 offensive snaps, roughly 40% of the workload compared to Haynes’ 60%, and even if he wasn’t perfect, he gave Seattle something real to build on.
Jadarian Price, on the other hand, slid down the rookie report in a hurry. The first-round running back had a brutal outing against the Commanders.
He managed just 15 yards on five carries, and his second-drive fumble put the Seahawks in danger and got him benched for much of the game. For Price, this felt less like a bad day and more like a setback.
Cornerback Julian Neal also saw his role narrow. For the second time this season, he didn’t get any defensive snaps, though he did contribute heavily on special teams with 14 snaps there - his highest total over the last three games. There was a path for him to get work with the second-team defense if Seattle had approached the Commanders with more seriousness in preparation.
Avery Smith’s situation is even stranger. After appearing in the first two games, he didn’t play at all against Washington.
That raises obvious questions about why the Seahawks moved quickly to acquire him by sending a 2027 NFL Draft sixth-round pick right after training camp if he’s not going to be used. Smith is still on the active roster.
Seattle also brought back undrafted rookie defensive tackle Uso Seumalo during a broader roster shuffle that included placing guard Anthony Bradford on IR and moving safety Rodney Thomas II from the practice squad. That leaves seven rookies on the practice squad, including four draft picks: wide receiver Emmanuel Henderson, cornerback Michael Dansby, defensive tackle Deven Eastern and cornerback Andre Fuller.
At safety, the injury picture keeps getting messier. Second-round pick Bud Clark might have been in line for early starting snaps, but his preseason broken ankle now looks even more costly with strong safety Julian Love out against the Commanders because of a calf injury and free safety Ty Okada still waiting to make his season debut with a hamstring issue. Clark is the first of three major safety injuries Seattle has dealt with before or during this short season.
In Other News...
Ernest Jones Sent A Clear Message After Seattles First Loss
The Seahawks first loss of the season did more than end a 12-game winning streak, it also sharpened the focus on how this team handles the next turn. Ernest Jones pointed to execution as the issue after the setback, a familiar refrain for a defense that has spent most of the season carrying the expectation that Seattle can answer anything with steadiness and composure.
For a team still very much in the mix, Jones comments served as a reminder that the response matters as much as the result. Seattle has built its run on resilience, and after a game that snapped the streak, the real test is whether that confidence shows up quickly or gives way to a longer slide. [Read more 🡒]
Seahawks Loss Reopened A Roster Debate Fans Wont Ignore
The Seahawks loss to Washington did more than add another mark in the standings. It pushed a few familiar roster questions back into the spotlight, especially the ones that have been hanging around the edges of the season for weeks. Special teams has been one area of concern, and the decision to move on from Cody White keeps looking more consequential when that unit struggles to find steady footing.
Up front, the right guard spot is still in flux, with Christian Haynes and Beau Stephens continuing to share the conversation rather than settle it. And while Rashid Shaheed brings a different kind of speed to the offense, the fit still invites debate when the line is not holding up and injuries keep shaping the weekly picture. The Seahawks can point to the moving parts as context, but the larger issue is whether the roster as built is giving them enough stability where they need it most. [Read more 🡒]
Seahawks Just Landed A Bigger Stage For A Huge Week 5 Test
The NFL has already made its first flex-scheduling move of the season, shifting Bears-Packers on Oct. 11 from a late-afternoon kickoff to 1 p.m. ET while keeping the game on Fox. The adjustment does not affect any other Week 5 matchup, but it does reshape the networks late window in a way that matters in Seattle.
With Chicago and Green Bay out of the 4:25 p.m. ET showcase, the Seahawks Week 5 meeting with the 49ers is expected to slide into Foxs main game window. For Seattle, that means a bigger national stage for one of the seasons early NFC West measuring sticks, the kind of slot that tends to draw extra attention when the division race is still taking shape. [Read more 🡒]