The Seahawks have spent most of this season waiting for somebody new to grab the spotlight.
That search started back in the offseason, when the conversation kept circling back to the same question: who was going to be Seattle’s next breakout player? Nick Emmanwori and Grey Zabel both made their mark as rookies in 2025, with Emmanwori even drawing a Defensive Player of the Year nomination. Jaxon Smith-Njigba, meanwhile, went from beloved young receiver to a full-blown star with one of the most productive seasons any NFL wideout has ever put together.
So the expectation was obvious: more growth, more surprises, more young players making noise on a Super Bowl-winning roster that was bringing back most of its core. There were plenty of names to choose from.
Tory Horton had the look of a player ready to build on a season interrupted by injury. AJ Barner seemed like a candidate to climb into the league’s upper tier at tight end.
Rashid Shaheed had the appeal of a fresh start after a full offseason in Seattle. Robbie Ouzts drew attention because of the run-game emphasis and the way Kyle Juszczyk has been used in San Francisco.
Bud Clark looked like a ballhawk with personality to match. Elijah Arroyo had a chance to become another weapon for Sam Darnold.
Now the season is more than halfway done, and the breakout question is still hanging there.
Some of that has been out of Seattle’s hands. Clark, Ouzts and Arroyo are all done for the year, with Clark and Ouzts going down before the season even got rolling.
Darnold has also taken a step back while dealing with injuries, and his nine interceptions have been a major part of that story. Add in the reality of a first-time play-caller and the loss of Ken Walker, and the offensive picture gets a lot messier.
Even so, the Seahawks were hoping for more than this.
Barner, one of the names I had circled back in July, finally found the end zone as a receiver in Week 9, but the offense still hasn’t produced the kind of secondary breakout that felt possible in the summer. Smith-Njigba has been the engine, and then some.
He’s already gone over 1,000 receiving yards, and the fact that he’s on pace to top 2,000 is staggering. The problem is that Seattle hasn’t gotten enough from the rest of the offense to match it.
There are still eight games left, though, and that means the door is still open for somebody to catch fire. One of the newest names in the mix gets that chance this Sunday.
Rookie running back Jadarian Price is walking into the best possible setup for a breakout: a matchup with the worst rushing defense in football.
Las Vegas has been gashed on the ground all season. The Raiders have allowed at least 160 rushing yards in five of their last six games, and they’ve given up 190 or more in two of their last three.
They’ve also allowed 150 more rushing yards than the next-worst defense, the Browns. Against the Rams, they gave up 90-plus rushing yards to both Kyren Williams and Blake Corum.
And only twice all year has an opposing running back been held below 60 yards, with both of those games coming before Week 4.
Price showed more as a receiver in Week 9, but there were still signs of burst in his run game, along with praise for how quickly he made decisions.
Broke his ankles 😮💨 @Jadarian15 pic.twitter.com/JqR3D3ZXBa
- Seattle Seahawks (@Seahawks) November 8, 2026
He won’t be handling the backfield alone. Zach Charbonnet is still part of the plan, and he had a 25-yard gain wiped out last week. But if Seattle is going to get the kind of late-season emergence it has been chasing all year, Price has a real chance to be the one who delivers it in Week 10.
In Other News...
Seahawks Suddenly Have A Bigger Problem Than Just Sundays Opponent
The Seahawks opened the week with more than just a matchup to sort through, as their first injury report ahead of the Raiders brought a mixed bag on both sides of the ball. Backup quarterback Drew Lock is working through elbow and oblique issues, though he is making progress and could be in line to start. On the positive side, Rashid Shaheed was back to full participation, giving Seattle at least one healthy offensive piece as the team begins to settle in for the week.
The bigger concern is up front and on defense, where Quenton Nelson and Charles Cross both sat out because of injuries, while Leonard Williams remained out with a stinger. Derick Hall was limited by a back injury and Uchenna Nwosu was limited with an ankle issue, leaving Seattle with several key names still in question before facing a Raiders team that appears to be trending toward near full strength. [Read more 🡒]
Seahawks Pass Rush Has A Chance To Wreck A New Raiders Plan
The Raiders are turning the page to rookie quarterback Fernando Mendoza after moving on from Kirk Cousins, and that gives Seattles defense a fresh target heading into the matchup. Byron Murphy II and Mike Macdonald both sounded confident the Seahawks can make life difficult for Mendoza in his first NFL start, which is exactly the kind of test Seattles front likes to present when a young passer is thrown into the fire.
Klint Kubiak has already praised Mendozas preparation, but the Seahawks will be trying to turn a well-studied week into a long afternoon once the game starts. For Seattle, the bigger question is whether that pass rush can do more than just hurry a rookie - whether it can disrupt the Raiders new plan before it has a chance to settle in. [Read more 🡒]
Seahawks Suddenly Face An O-Line Depth Test Before Sunday
A little more than a week before Sunday, the Seahawks added another familiar name to the offensive line mix by signing veteran guard Cordell Volson to the practice squad. The move came as Seattle continued to shuffle its front, with safety AJ Finley being released to make room and the team trying to keep its protection plan intact after a minor knee procedure for starter Quenton Nelson.
Volson brings starting experience from his time with the Cincinnati Bengals, which is exactly the kind of depth Seattle can use when the line is being reworked on the fly. Anthony Bradford is back in the starting lineup, Grey Zabel has shifted positions, and the Seahawks are suddenly asking a lot of their interior depth with Sunday approaching. [Read more 🡒]