Tory Horton’s rookie season with the Seahawks was productive in a hurry, even if it ended with more confusion than clarity.
Seattle’s 2025 fifth-round pick flashed immediately after sliding to Day 3 because of the knee injury that cut short his final year at Colorado State. In the first half of the season, he scored five touchdowns on only 13 catches and added another touchdown on a franchise-record 95-yard punt return. That kind of efficiency would have turned heads anywhere.
His biggest moments came in high-leverage spots, too. Horton was part of a critical fourth-and-2 touchdown conversion in a Week 5 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, then followed that with his best outing of the year in a Week 9 win over the Washington Commanders. In that game, he caught all four of his targets for 48 yards and two touchdowns.
And then the season was over.
At the time, Horton’s injury didn’t seem especially serious from the outside. He sat out Weeks 10 and 11 before landing on injured reserve, but there was no surgery announcement and no real explanation beyond the word “shin.” That left the public guessing and, as it turns out, left the team and Horton without a clear timeline either.
Horton explained on Seattle Sports’ Bump and Stacy that the issue started small and kept growing. “It kind of started off as like shin splints,” Horton explained during an interview on Seattle Sports’ Bump and Stacy.
“I’ve never really had it. It started off on the right side of my leg, and after each week and with practices, it kept getting worse and worse.
After the Commanders game, … that’s when they discovered it was cracked. So that was pretty much the reason I was feeling that pain.
“The whole mindset was trying to get it to heal on its own. I actually started running back on the field again and moving, (but) getting it rescanned, it was never really healing even though I was feeling a little better.
The results just weren’t there. So, kind of took the next step of getting the surgery done.
It was weird. But I’m happy to be back out.”
Now back in the mix, Horton says he doesn’t have one fixed job waiting for him this fall. “wherever they need me, really,” he said. That flexibility is part of the appeal. He can work inside or outside and help on special teams, giving Seattle options while the offense adjusts.
There’s still plenty to sort out with Horton, who played only eight games last season, but the upside is obvious enough that Seahawks Radio Network analyst and former NFL wide receiver Michael Bumpus called him one of Seattle’s best route runners.
This offseason looked different for Horton, too. Instead of traveling much, he stayed close to treatment and rehab after surgery, which made sense with a new offensive coordinator arriving as well.
Brian Fleury, hired this spring to replace Klint Kubiak, has already made his presence felt. “He’s hammered in on the details,” Horton said.
“That’s what you want from an OC. Real chill.
He’s not afraid to pull you and just tell you straightforward … getting the point across, short and sweet. It’s not a whole rah-rah to it.”
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