The Seahawks’ Sunday night win over the Chiefs came with plenty to celebrate, but it also offered a small reminder that not much is coming from the 2026 rookie class right now.
Seattle moved to 4-3 with a strong showing against the previously undefeated Kansas City team, and nearly every part of the performance pointed the right way. The rookie production, though, was thin.
Only one first-year player saw the field, and that was cornerback Avery Smith, the undrafted rookie Seattle traded for right after training camp. Smith logged eight special teams snaps and finished with a tackle, a modest line that still mattered in one sense: with veterans cycling on and off the 53-man roster and practice squad, he has managed to stick.
There is still at least a little room for that rookie group to matter later this season. The biggest name there is running back Jadarian Price, Seattle’s first-round pick, who has missed the last four weeks on injured reserve because of a chest injury.
The Seahawks have opened his 21-day return window, though that does not guarantee he’ll be available or fully practicing for Week 8 at the Chicago Bears, who are 5-2. When Price does get back, the expectation is that he’ll help tighten up a run game that should look better alongside Zach Charbonnet, with eight-time Pro-Bowl guard Quenton Nelson setting the tone up front.
A couple of other rookies were quiet by design. Guard Beau Stephens, who had played in every game since Week 1, was inactive against the Chiefs as healthy scratch after Anthony Bradford returned from injury at right guard. Stephens had shown enough during Bradford’s absence to get first-team snaps with Christian Haynes, and the staff clearly saw something in him when it moved on from Haynes after bringing in Nelson from the Indianapolis Colts.
Running back Robert Henry Jr. was also a healthy scratch, marking the third time that has happened since Seattle signed him off the Washington Commanders’ practice squad. Even with Emanuel Wilson and George Holani lacking explosiveness, Henry still wasn’t used, and his place on the roster becomes harder to read once Charbonnet and Price are back in the mix.
Third-round cornerback Julian Neal remains on injured reserve for at least another week because of a hamstring injury. He could return in time for Seattle’s Week 9 home game against the Arizona Cardinals. Neal has already seen a handful of snaps on defense and special teams, so his eventual return would add another body to the mix.
The practice squad has also thinned out after all the roster movement, including the trade. The rookies there now include drafted players Michael Dansby, Deven Eastern, Andre Fuller and Emmanuel Henderson, along with undrafted Aidan Hubbard, Malick Meiga and Gary Smith III.
And then there’s safety Bud Clark, the rookie who feels more and more like the one Seattle missed on. The Seahawks have one of the league’s best defenses, and Sunday night only reinforced that.
Clark would have had an early path to snaps and could have worked his way onto the field. Instead, he’s out for the year after breaking his ankle in the second preseason game against the Dallas Cowboys.
In Other News...
Seahawks Suddenly Loom In One Of The NFLs Biggest Trade Decisions
A roster-altering move in Indianapolis has put Seattle in the middle of one of the NFLs most eye-catching trade conversations, with the Colts sending guard Quenton Nelson to the Seahawks and defensive tackle DeForest Buckner to the 49ers for future draft picks. For Seattle, the Nelson addition immediately stands out because it addresses the interior of the offensive line with one of the leagues most established blockers, a move that could change how the team thinks about protection and balance up front.
The bigger ripple effect comes from what else the deal suggests about the market, because it could influence how teams approach other star names being floated in trade chatter. Jonathan Taylor, Saquon Barkley, Jeffery Simmons, Brian Thomas and Budda Baker are all part of that broader speculation, but for the Seahawks the immediate focus is on what adding Nelson means now and whether a move this bold signals more aggressive activity could still be coming. [Read more 🡒]
Seahawks Are Suddenly Linked To A Blockbuster Move They Can't Ignore
The Seahawks have already made one notable move to strengthen the offense by bringing in guard Quenton Nelson, and now another name is popping up around their plans: Saquon Barkley. With Philadelphias direction suddenly under a brighter spotlight after a pair of losses, the possibility of the Eagles considering bigger roster decisions has opened the door to speculation, and Barkleys recent production and accolades only make the idea more intriguing for teams looking for an immediate difference-maker.
For Seattle, the appeal is obvious. A back like Barkley would change the shape of the offense and give the Seahawks another elite option to lean on if they were to get serious about making a push. Nothing is official, and there has been no confirmation of any trade or even direct word from either side, but this is the kind of potential blockbuster that would force Seattle to at least explore what it would take to get involved. [Read more 🡒]
Seahawks O-Line Debate Comes Down To One Thing This Unit Lacks
Seattles offensive line is still being viewed through the same lens it has all season: a group built more for movement than brute force. The Seahawks have leaned into agility and space up front, but the conversation around the unit keeps circling back to whether it has enough edge when games call for body blows in the middle of the field.
Anthony Bradford stands out as the one starter who brings a more physical, aggressive element, the sort of presence that can help turn inside runs into something sturdier. Against the Chiefs, Seattle kept coming back to the run game between the tackles, and Emanuel Wilsons 4.2 yards per carry offered at least some proof that the approach can work, even if the bigger question about what this line still lacks remains very much in play. [Read more 🡒]