The Seattle Seahawks’ preseason opener against the Dallas Cowboys didn’t take long to get messy, but the final score was never really the point. In Week 1 of the preseason, this is less about the result and more about which players show they can stick around.
For Seattle, a few did that. Plenty didn’t.
The biggest takeaway from the night is that the roster battles are still very much alive, especially behind the starters. The defensive line didn’t generate much heat, the secondary had trouble holding up in coverage, and the run game never really got going. That said, preseason football is built on individual auditions, and a handful of Seahawks made theirs interesting.
George Holani got plenty of chances and looked like a back who can carve out a role, even if it may not be the one fans first imagine. He had some solid bursts, but there just wasn’t much room to work with.
Seattle’s backup offensive line seemed more reliable in pass protection than in run blocking, which made the whole ground attack feel stalled out. Holani still stood out enough to suggest he belongs, though perhaps in a more limited RB3-type spot.
The backfield picture may already be tilting in a different direction. Free agent signee Emanuel Wilson wasn’t asked to play, which usually tells you a coaching staff feels pretty good about what it has seen.
Wilson could be the starter in Week 1, especially with rookie Jadarian Price having missed a lot of practices and perhaps not being ready for lead-back reps. Price still has the talent to matter, but the order may end up being Wilson first, Price next, and Holani working behind them.
Jalen Milroe, meanwhile, looked far more comfortable than he did last preseason. Even with a new offense in place after the coordinator switch from Klint Kubiak to Brian Fleury, Milroe seemed to know where the ball needed to go and ran with purpose instead of just taking off.
But one mistake can change the whole mood in a hurry. On his first drive, he muffed the snap before recovering it, and that kind of lapse is exactly the sort of thing that can bring back memories of last year’s miscues.
It may have been a one-off, but ball security has to hold up.
There was also a notable sideline development for Seattle’s coaching future. Mike Macdonald, now entering his third season with the team, already watched one coordinator move on when Kubiak became head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders this offseason.
Against Dallas, Aden Durde looked to be the one speaking into his microphone and handling defensive alignments, while Macdonald stood farther down the sideline more as an observer. Durde is highly regarded, and if he starts taking on more play-calling responsibility, it’s easy to see why other teams would come calling for interviews next year.
Fleury is making a different kind of statement on the offensive side. As a first-time play-caller, he’s still learning, but he’s doing it from field level rather than from the coaches’ box.
He was stationed next to his players, not high above them, which is a bold choice for someone still getting comfortable in the role. If the operation isn’t smooth, that setup could be one he revisits.
Not every young Seahawk helped his case. Rylie Mills, who missed much of his rookie season after the knee injury he suffered in his final year at Notre Dame, had a quiet night against Dallas’ backups.
He’s been strong in camp and even flashed in the Super Bowl, so this isn’t the kind of performance that should trigger alarm bells. Still, he didn’t record a quarterback pressure and didn’t win enough of his one-on-one matchups.
For a player expected to matter more in 2026, it was a flat showing.
The most electric moment may have come from a player with almost no realistic shot at the active roster. Undrafted rookie Rashad Rochelle from Indiana State made his case as a return specialist with one burst of field-flipping speed.
He fielded a punt inside his own 30, slipped past the first wave of coverage, cut across the field, and sprinted down the sideline before being dragged down from behind on a lunging tackle. Even if he doesn’t crack the 53-man roster, he gave Seattle a reason to keep him in the conversation as a practice squad returner.
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The Seahawks will lean on a different group against Dallas, with Velus Jones Jr., Jacardia Wright, TJ Harden and Justin Jones all in line for heavier work. For a team still sorting roles in August, the missed opportunity for Price is less about one exhibition game than it is about the next step in his ramp-up and how quickly Seattle can get him back into live action. [Read more 🡒]
Seahawks Preseason Opener Raised A Troubling Question About This Offense
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There were still some encouraging individual moments for Seattle, especially on the defensive side, where Tyrice Knight kept showing up around the ball and Rashad Rochelle gave the crowd a spark with a long punt return. But with the offense searching for rhythm and the preseason opener offering more concern than clarity, the bigger issue now is whether this group can build enough traction before the games start counting. [Read more 🡒]