The Seahawks got a real glimpse of what Tyrice Knight could be in 2024, and then 2025 reminded everyone how quickly that momentum can slip away.
As a rookie, the former UTEP linebacker broke into the starting lineup around midseason and piled up 88 tackles, a strong first impression for a fourth-round pick. The expectation was that Knight would build on that in his second year. Instead, injury and uneven play knocked him off course.
His numbers tell the story. Knight finished with 57 tackles in 2025, a drop of 31 from his rookie total.
He was on the field for 307 snaps, which worked out to 27.35% of Mike Macdonald’s defensive plays. That was a steep fall from the 551 snaps he played as a rookie, when he accounted for 48.72% of the defense’s workload.
While Knight was losing ground, Drake Thomas was taking hold of the job. Thomas, a third-year pro who had gone undrafted, ended up second on the team with 90 tackles and effectively moved into the starting mix at linebacker alongside Ernest Jones IV. That was not the path most people would have predicted, but it’s where things stood by the end of the season.
Heading into 2026, Thomas has the inside track to keep that role. For Knight to change the picture, he needs a strong training camp and, just as important, a clean offseason without any injury or setback. He was behind Thomas in 2025, and the Seahawks need more from him next year.
In Other News...
Seahawks Finally Got The Zach Charbonnet Update They Needed
Zach Charbonnets recovery from the season-ending knee injury is moving along, and the next checkpoint for the Seahawks running back comes with a late July medical check-up. For a team trying to sort out its backfield depth before camp turns into the real thing, any positive sign matters, especially with Charbonnet working his way back from a setback that wiped out his season.
Seattle also has to plan for the possibility that he is not part of the early-season mix, which has pushed the spotlight onto rookie running back Jadarian Price. The Seahawks have been evaluating Price as a possible contributor while Charbonnet is sidelined, and how that competition shakes out could shape the teams running game long before Charbonnet is ready to rejoin it. [Read more 🡒]
Seahawks Fans Just Got Another Reason To Question The NFL Respect
Aden Durde has spent enough time around winning defenses to know that coordinator recognition is never handed out evenly, but the latest round of early head-coaching speculation still stood out. Several prominent NFL sites recently rolled out lists of assistant coaches and former head coaches who could be in line for jobs in 2027, and the Seahawks defensive coordinator was nowhere to be found, even after Seattles defense helped power a championship season and finished among the leagues best in both yards and points allowed.
It is the kind of omission that invites a second look, especially for a coach whose profile has risen alongside a Seattle staff that has already seen one coordinator move on for a new opportunity. Durdes background and low-key style may not make him the loudest name in the room, and he has also had to work in the shadow of Mike Macdonald, but the broader question is whether that keeps a respected defensive mind from getting the same national attention as some of his peers. [Read more 🡒]
How Much Of The Seahawks Cap Space Is Actually Real
With training camp approaching, the Seahawks are carrying a reported salary cap space of about $25.5 million, but the number is not as simple as it looks. A chunk of that money is likely to be spoken for once the season starts, with room needed for the practice squad and for the inevitable injury replacements that every roster ends up requiring.
After those reserves are accounted for, the real flexibility shrinks to a much smaller pool for additions or extensions, which is why the Seahawks have to be careful about how they use it. One name to watch is Devon Witherspoon, whose next contract could become a mid- to late-August conversation if Seattle decides to move on an extension before the season gets rolling. [Read more 🡒]