Mason Richman’s injury may end up creating a bigger headache for the Seattle Seahawks than Bud Clark’s.
Clark going down in the second preseason game already complicated Mike Macdonald’s plans on defense, but Richman’s situation could ripple farther through the roster because of what it means for the offensive line. The Seahawks can absorb a hit in the defensive backfield better than they can on the front line, where one injury often forces a chain reaction.
That was part of what made Richman’s exit so deceptive in the moment. Clark was carted off with an air cast around his lower leg, so the concern was obvious right away.
Richman, by contrast, got to his feet and walked off under his own power, barely limping. It looked like the kind of scare that might amount to a minor sprain and a short absence.
Sadly. That does not appear to be the case.
Seattle has now said both Clark and Richman appear to have suffered major injuries that will likely keep them out for months.
For Clark, the blow matters because he was more than just a deep reserve. In Macdonald’s defense, especially on the back end, a backup can still end up playing plenty. Even if Clark never pushed Ty Okada out of the starting job, he looked lined up for meaningful snaps.
Richman’s injury lands differently. Offensive line depth depends on continuity, and when the top backups are settled, the whole unit can survive a little more cleanly. Seattle seemed to be trending toward Josh Jones as the swing tackle, Olu Oluwatimi as the center option, and Richman as part of that next wave up front.
That changes now.
The Seahawks had competition at guard, where Christian Haynes, Bryce Cabeldue, and Beau Stephens all had the edge in pedigree over Richman. Still, the Iowa product, a final-round pick in the 2025 draft, had made himself stand out. He barely played as a rookie, then switched from tackle to guard this year and, to my eyes, was the best of Seattle’s crowded backup interior linemen.
Richman gave the Seahawks balance. He held up on straight-ahead power runs and was solid in pass protection. He was not as fluid as Haynes on zone runs and pulls, but he was starting to show progress there too.
Before the injury, it looked like Jones, Oluwatimi, and Richman were the main offensive line backups, the kind of trio that could survive an emergency without leaving a glaring weak spot. That may no longer be true.
Now Haynes looks like the next man up.
The third-year guard from UConn still hasn’t turned into the starter John Schneider clearly hoped for when he picked him in the third round of the 2024 draft. But he has come a long way from his rookie season, when he was passed over for a fellow rookie chosen much later.
The Seahawks have already lived through a version of that story. When starter Anthony Bradford went down midway through last season, Satoa Laumea - who has not played in an NFL game since that rookie year - stepped in ahead of Haynes at right guard.
Sunday night offered another quick reminder of what Haynes brings. In a three-play stretch midway through the first quarter, he got beaten by Titans defensive tackle Jeffrey Simmons on a pass play, then a minute later helped open the door on a counter alongside tight end Eric Saubert, creating space for Jacardia Wright’s 69-yard touchdown run.
That split screen is the story with Haynes right now. He’s better in the run game than in pass protection, just like Bradford. But Bradford wins with straight-line force, while Haynes is more of a finesse blocker.
He moves well, and that should fit Seattle’s run game nicely, maybe even better than Bradford or Richman. But the pass protection has to sharpen, and he also has to prove he can generate the kind of push needed when the Seahawks want a tough yard.
Haynes got plenty of work at both guard spots on Sunday, and that may have been tied to Richman leaving early. Still, it also looked like line coach John Benton wanted a longer look at him on the left side, not just at his usual right guard spot.
And with Richman sidelined, the path is getting clearer: if Bradford or left guard Grey Zabel misses time, it looks like Haynes is the one who steps in.
In Other News...
Three Seahawks Suddenly Look Like Theyre Losing The Roster Battle
Seattles second preseason game offered a little more clarity on the roster race, but not in a flattering way for everyone involved. In a 19-16 home loss to Tennessee, the Seahawks got another chance to sort out the back end of the roster, and the performances of Velus Jones, Logan Brown and Jalen Milroe stood out for the wrong reasons as the competition tightened heading into the next stretch of camp.
Jones, Brown and Milroe all came into the preseason with something to prove, but their recent showings have made the path more difficult rather than easier. With roster decisions coming into sharper focus, each one now has less margin for error, and the Seahawks will be weighing whether there is still enough to justify a spot for any of them after this latest round of evaluation. [Read more 🡒]
Seahawks Cornerback Search Just Found A Big Name Worth Watching
The Seahawks have started mapping out their cornerback picture for 2026, and one name now sitting firmly on the radar is Joey Porter Jr. The Pittsburgh Steelers defender is on the physically unable to perform list while also looking for a contract extension, a situation that has naturally pushed his future into the conversation. Around the league, Porter has also drawn public support from teammates who believe he should get a new deal, which only adds to the attention around his next step.
For Seattle, the appeal is easy to see. The Seahawks have the draft capital and salary cap room to make a trade and then potentially work through an extension, giving them a realistic path if they decide Porter is the fit they want. Nothing has been finalized, but the combination of need, resources and a big-name target makes this one worth following as the offseason picture develops. [Read more 🡒]
Jalen Milroe Just Made Seattles Toughest Roster Decision Even Tougher
Jalen Milroes preseason outing against Tennessee did little to settle the conversation around Seattles quarterback room. The third-round pick looked uneven from the start, finishing with two interceptions, six completions on 11 attempts and 52 yards, a night that put his fundamentals and decision-making under a brighter spotlight than the Seahawks likely wanted. Even so, his place in the organization still carries weight because Seattle invested a premium draft pick in him and sees enough in his running ability to keep developing the package.
The bigger issue now is what the Seahawks do with the rest of the roster around him, especially with injuries thinning out the secondary. Milroes shaky performance only adds another layer to a decision the team already had to think carefully about, because keeping the right mix of depth, upside and versatility matters more when the defensive backfield is already under stress. For Seattle, the question is no longer just whether Milroe belongs, but how his presence changes the calculus everywhere else. [Read more 🡒]