The Seattle Seahawks are heading into 2026 with a roster that looks strong at the top, but the real concern sits underneath that. If injuries start piling up, the kind of depth that used to haunt Pete Carroll-era teams could show up again in a hurry.
That matters because Seattle has already dealt with issues in training camp and the preseason, and this group is set to open the year against the New England Patriots in Week 1. The Seahawks are coming off a Super Bowl title, but a thin second layer on the roster could make defending it a much tougher job than it needs to be.
For years, Carroll had final say over the roster from 2010 through 2023, and he often leaned into borderline players in a way that eventually left the team exposed. Early on, he turned a few undrafted free agents and late-round picks into useful contributors and even stars. Later, that pipeline dried up, and Seattle paid for it when the depth chart got tested.
General manager John Schneider now runs the roster, with input from head coach Mike Macdonald, and he has taken a different approach in some areas. One of the clearest differences has been extending young players earlier than Carroll typically did. Schneider has already done that with Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Derick Hall, and Devon Witherspoon in 2026.
Even with that change, the overall shape of this team still carries some of the old problem. The starting lineup may be good enough to win plenty of games, but the backup options at a few spots look shaky enough to become a real issue if the injury bug bites.
Cornerback is one of those spots. Last season, Riq Woolen opened as a starter and Josh Jobe was a backup.
Now Woolen is gone in free agency, and Jobe is the full-time starter. Behind Jobe and Witherspoon, the picture gets murky fast.
Nehemiah Pritchett is in his third season, but his play has only flashed in stretches and the overall body of work still leaves a lot to be desired. Seattle also brought in Avery Smith and Julian Neal, though both are rookies who have not shown they can do much of anything yet in the NFL. Smith is also new to the team and still has to get comfortable in Macdonald’s scheme.
The Seahawks added Trevon Diggs and Terrion Arnold too, but neither is in a clean spot. Diggs is starting on the practice squad while trying to prove he can stay healthy.
Arnold is on the NFL’s exempt list and may not be able to play at all. Nick Emmanwori can line up at slot corner and on the outside, but he is not a true corner and is still working back from ankle surgery without having practiced yet.
Running back may be even more worrying. Kenneth Walker and Zach Charbonnet split work last season, but Walker left in free agency and signed with the Kansas City Chiefs. Charbonnet hurt his knee in the playoffs, and at least for the first four games, he will not be available.
That leaves rookie Jadarian Price, George Holani and Emanuel Wilson to carry the load. Holani has mostly lived on the practice squad over the last couple of seasons, and Wilson has spent his career as a backup, including time with the Green Bay Packers.
If Price misses time, Seattle could be in serious trouble, especially if this offense is going to lean heavily on the run. Schneider may have needed to chase a more proven free-agent back, but that move never came. Instead, the Seahawks are banking on a group that could work out - or could leave them with a very familiar Pete Carroll-era problem.
In Other News...
Seahawks Just Invited A Serious Character Debate With This Signing
The Seahawks made a notable addition at cornerback in Terrion Arnold, a move that immediately drew more attention than most late roster tweaks. It is the kind of signing that says as much about how Seattle is balancing talent and risk as it does about the player himself, especially at a time when every roster spot carries extra weight and the team is still sorting out its long view in the secondary.
John Schneider said the organizations evaluation left it confident in Arnolds character, even with pending felony charges still hanging over the situation. For Seattle, the football fit is only part of the story now, because the signing brings a real off-field question into the foreground and leaves the Seahawks to answer whether they were comfortable enough with the background to make the move in the first place. [Read more 🡒]
Seahawks Suddenly Need A Familiar Answer In The Secondary
The Seahawks have brought back a familiar face at a position that has been under real strain. Veteran safety DAnthony Bell has rejoined Seattle on the practice squad, giving the team another experienced option after he spent most of the 2025 season in the building before short stops with the Panthers. For a secondary dealing with injuries to other players, the move offers a layer of stability and some much-needed insurance.
Bell already knows the system, which matters when a team is trying to patch together the back end on short notice. His return does not solve everything, but it gives Seattle a depth piece who can step in quickly if needed and keeps a player the coaching staff already knows close to the roster. [Read more 🡒]
Seahawks Already Have A New Pass Rush Question Brewing
With the Seahawks getting ready for their regular season opener against the Patriots, the long view is already starting to come into focus on defense. A recent mock draft from Justin Melo has Seattle landing Oregon edge defender Matayo Uiagalelei in the first round of the 2027 NFL Draft, a reminder that pass rush remains one of the most closely watched spots on the roster even as the new season begins.
Uiagaleleis profile is built around his ability to get after the quarterback, and he is expected to be a key piece for Oregon this fall. For Seattle, any projection that early brings the conversation back to the same familiar place: whether the Seahawks will need to keep investing at the top of the draft to keep their front four stocked with impact talent. [Read more 🡒]