Analysis: Observations From Seahawks’ 2026 Football Fan Fest
Taking the next step towards their upcoming regular season opener against the New England Patriots, the Seattle Seahawks welcomed fans back to Lumen Field for their annual Football Fan Fest practice on Saturday.
As they have done each of the previous two years with coach Mike Macdonald at the helm, Seattle held a full-fledged padded practice rather than a glorified scrimmage, mixing in plenty of individual drills, competitive 1-on-1 reps, and special teams time before implementing situational 11-on-11 team sessions. Crediting the 12s for showing up even with the Mariners playing next door, Macdonald felt pleased with the work his team got done in what amounted to a roughly 100-minute practice.
I really appreciate the effort that everybody took to get out. Thank you,” Macdonald said. “Having a lot of enthusiasm, just really felt the love from the 12s today. So that was really great. And then in addition to that, I think we got some really good work in. It wasn't the longest practice of all time, but we got some good stuff in, and we'll be ready to go next Saturday.”
What stood out at Seattle’s annual Fan Fest?
Coming Off Playoff Detour, D’Anthony Bell Blessed to Return to Seahawks With Super Bowl Ring
Under the vast majority of circumstances, having outstanding depth at a position on an NFL roster should be seen as a good problem to have.
But as D’Anthony Bell and the Seattle Seahawks learned last December, having too many good safeties on their roster ended up coming back to bite them with the playoffs right on the doorstep. Facing a numbers game with injuries and roster needs that had to be addressed at other positions, the team waived him just before the new year on December 30, believing he would be able to slip through waivers and return as a member of the practice squad with hopes of getting him back on the roster down the line.
However, the Carolina Panthers decided to throw a wrench in those plans. In the hunt for a playoff berth of their own and familiar with Bell after facing him in Week 16, they put in a claim for the veteran defender once he hit the waiver wire and wound up adding him to their roster for the final two weeks of the regular season.
In the aftermath of the unexpected claim, Bell didn’t suit up for either of Carolina’s final two games, making his lone appearance in a Panthers uniform in a wild card round loss to the Rams with 13 special teams snaps. Meanwhile, his former team notched the No. 1 seed and eventually the Seahawks won Super Bowl LX, bringing home the Lombardi Trophy for just the second time in franchise history.
Washington State Adds Final Commitment to 2026-27 Basketball Roster, Signs Mohamed Sankhe
Washington State has officially added the final piece to its 2026-27 men’s basketball roster.
The Cougars landed French big man Mohamed Sankhe, who committed to Washington State. According to CougFan.com, the addition had been in the works since April. The 6-foot-10 center becomes the final addition to head coach David Riley’s roster and gives WSU another option in the frontcourt.
Sankhe was the big man
With Cap Space to Spare, Kraken Need to Upgrade Offense
The NHL offseason has hit the dog days. Gone are the draft and the initial wave of free agency. The Seattle Kraken made a flurry of moves early, trading for and then extending Mackie Samoskevich and re-signing deadline acquisition Bobby McMann. They added physical forward Curtis Douglas as well, likely to be towards the bottom of the lineup.
What they still lack is a true, proven difference maker. That still can come from their own ranks, like Matty Beniers, Berkly Catton, or Kaapo Kakko. But it feels like the Kraken are going to continue to spin their tires in the mud until either one rises to the occasion or they bring in a mercenary who can get the puck in the net.
According to PuckPedia, the Kraken have the second-most cap space at the moment, with $18.41 million still at their disposal. They also have the least amount of their cap tied up in money toward forwards in the entire NHL. For reference, the reigning Stanley Cup champion Carolina Hurricanes rank third in that category. It pays to have forwards who score goals and get paid.
Two veteran free agents remain available for anyone, including the Kraken, to sign.
Mariners Offense Continues Slumber, Wastes Strong Logan Gilbert Start against Rays
The cathartic excitement of 45 seconds prior meant nothing as a 39,468-strong crowd saw Josh Naylor take the final pitch of the game for strike three, capping off a 2-1 loss and the Mariners’ 11th defeat in their past 16 games. Those fans booed relentlessly, their patience broken by the continued ineptitude of the offense.
Logan Gilbert had hurled well for Seattle, going deep into the seventh inning, but thanks to the lack of batting, it didn’t matter. The M’s barely avoided the third shutout in four games, and though they managed a run at the very end, it was still just the fifth run since the trade deadline: a stark reminder that the struggles the team had were due to the shortcomings of the stars.
Seattle went scoreless for most of the game, helpless against Rays pitching.
Where Gilbert was effective, Rays starter Drew Rasmussen was brilliant. Or perhaps the Mariners offense was once again lethargic; in truth, it was probably both.
Looking for any way to wake up the sluggish bats, Mariners manager Dan Wilson shook up the lineup. Taylor Ward led off the game with Cole Young batting second and Julio Rodríguez batting fifth. It didn’t work. Ward - whose struggles at T-Mobile Park continued in his fourth game with the M’s - went 0-4 with two strikeouts, while Young’s one hit didn’t come with anyone on base.
Seattle’s chances were relatively few and far between. Rodríguez knocked a one-out single and stole second before Naylor walked to put two men on. Brendan Donovan struck out and Cal Raleigh walked in turn to load the bases, but with Colt Emerson at the plate, Rasmussen knew what to do.
Camp Takeaways: Cooper Kupp, Seahawks ‘Sharpen Iron’ in Competitive Back-and-Forth 12th Practice
Throughout the constant ebbs and flows of an NFL training camp, most practices offer a clear winner between the offense and defense.
But on Friday morning, for those in attendance at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center taking in the Seattle Seahawks’ 12th practice and penultimate session open to fans, trying to determine a “winner” proved to be far more challenging with a balanced, back-and-forth effort featuring a blend of big plays on offense and turnovers generated on defense.
“Competition, that’s what these practices mean, especially at this time of camp,” receiver Rashid Shaheed told reporters moments after practice concluded. “With all the installs coming in, now it’s just about execution, going out and playing football. When we have a great offense and a great defense, we are going to see some back and forth and push. It’s just going to get us better at the end.”
What stood out from Seattle’s hyper-competitive 12th practice of the summer?
Analysis: Which Kraken Prospects Will Earn a Spot in 2027 World Junior Championships?
Five Seattle Kraken prospects participated at last week’s World Junior Summer Showcase, but it remains to be seen how many of those players will make their country’s 2027 World Junior Championships roster this December.
The WJC features 10 nations and their best under-20 players. The 2027 WJC begins on December 26 later this year. Last week’s WJSS gave USA, Canada, Sweden, and Finland an opportunity to face one another and assess their projected rosters.
At the Windsor, Ontario showcase, recent seventh overall pick Chase Reid returned as the top Team USA defenseman while 2025 seventh-rounder Loke Krantz had an elevated role as one of few returning players for Team Sweden. Jake O’Brien was not at the tournament, but should make Team Canada.
Other Kraken prospects such as USA’s Blake Fiddler and Casey Mutryn and Sweden’s Ola Palme were invited to the showcase, but aren’t expected to make their country’s WJC roster this December.
Florida State Forward, "5-in-5" Transfer Chauncey Wiggins Commits to Gonzaga
Landing their second commitment from a “5-in-5” player in as many days, the Gonzaga Bulldogs made an intriguing addition to their frontcourt late on Thursday.
6-10 forward Chauncey Wiggins, who played his senior year at Florida State, will transfer to the Zags for his fifth and final collegiate year. He brings an interesting dynamic to GU’s frontcourt as a floor stretcher, while also possessing outlier length akin to some wings on the Bulldogs’ roster last season. Wiggins’ announcement makes the program’s fourth transfer portal addition of the offseason, and it follows Dayton guard Javon Bennett committing to the program, leaving four official spots open in Spokane.
On Wednesday morning, a Georgia judge granted an injunction to 30 student-athletes from the Class of 2022 seeking a fifth collegiate season, one of them being Wiggins. Less than 48 hours later, he committed to Gonzaga, placing another dynamic piece in one of the best frontcourts in the country.
Mariners Fall Lifeless for Shutout No. 11, Loss No. 60; Team Once Again at Brink
Less than 24 hours after another game that seemed like a potential jumping off point for the streak Seattle has sought all year, the team found themselves turned into a semi-liquid mass of pulp as the Tigers delivered one of the worst beatdowns all year: an 11-0 loss and the 11th time that the team has been shut out in the 2026 season.
The game was notable for being managed by bench coach Manny Acta, with Dan Wilson suspended one game due to Gabe Speier’s intentional hit-by-pitch on Wednesday. But it didn’t look like any sort of turned page for Seattle, who fell asleep at the dish after falling behind the Tigers early on, grounding into four double plays and failing to get an extra-base hit.
It was the 34th time this season that the Mariners have gone without an extra-base hit, most in MLB by three games. They’re on pace for 47 such games this season, which would land them in a 13-way tie for 34th most in the integration era. It would be the most ever in the 21st century.
Those extra base hits were the difference in the series against the Tigers, as the one game they managed to get more than singles, they scored four runs and logged their 56th win of the season. In the two games they didn’t, they scored zero runs in total. Thursday’s loss in particular came as a gut-punch, on the heels of benches-clearing near-fireworks on Wednesday.
The Mariners offense came crashing down to earth on Thursday, failing to score any runs.
For much of Wednesday’s game, the M’s were as scoreless as they had been on Tuesday and would be on Thursday. The scoreless tie was broken by a three-run homer from Julio Rodríguez in the sixth and Colt Emerson rocked a bomb in the eighth to cap off Wednesday’s 4-2 win, but that turned out to be all the runs the team scored in the series.
New Faces to Know on Washington State's Offense
With about a month until the Washington State Cougars kick off the 2026 season, it's time to take a look at some of the new faces on the offensive side of the ball.
A new coaching staff usually brings plenty of roster turnover in today's college football landscape, but the Cougars did an impressive job retaining most of their offensive core following the hire of Kirby Moore. Washington State returns its top three running backs, its leading returning receiver, and the majority of its offensive line despite the presence of the transfer portal. Still, the coaching staff brought in several talented additions who could make an immediate impact this fall, including a projected new starter under center.
Gonzaga Adds Fifth-Year Guard Javon Bennett From Dayton to Fortify Backcourt
There will be plenty of movement in college basketball over the next several weeks as more “5-in-5” NCAA lawsuits get settled.
Although some cases across the country that the Gonzaga Bulldogs are monitoring are still active, an Ohio judge granted an injunction for 15 players back on July 9. One of the players involved in the Ohio lawsuit was 5-10 Javon Bennett, who spent the last three seasons at Dayton, committed to the Zags on Wednesday, first reported by On3’s Joe Tipton.
Facing severe turmoil in their backcourt over the last few months, the Bulldogs add an experienced, productive guard who should give them solid minutes this upcoming season.
Seahawks Add Fullback Depth With Robbie Ouzts’ Status Uncertain
Awaiting further updates on injured starter Robbie Ouzts midway through training camp, the Seattle Seahawks added some insurance to the fullback position, reuniting running backs coach Thomas Hammock with a former pupil.
As announced by the team before a walkthrough practice on Thursday, the Seahawks have signed former Northern Illinois fullback Brock Lampe to their 90-man roster. In a corresponding move, the team released tight end Lance Mason, one of a handful of initial undrafted free agent signings made by the team in April.
While most of the NFL continues to skip out on having traditional fullbacks on their roster, the Seahawks have zigged back into the minority over the past two seasons with former offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak and new play caller Brian Fleury coming from the coaching tree of 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan. Last season, Seattle finished fifth in 21 personnel usage (11%) with two backs and one tight end on the field, while San Francisco finished first at a remarkable 36% clip, 12% more than any other team in the league.
One Big Thing Continues to Plague Mariners’ Pitching Staff
On paper, most consider the Seattle Mariners to have one of the best pitching staffs in all of baseball. Certainly, that is true of their starting rotation. They lead all of baseball in innings pitched by their starters, while ranking seventh in starter WAR and eighth in starter ERA.
In an age of baseball where it’s a “five and dive” approach for starters - or going five innings and turning things over to flamethrowing reliever after flamethrowing reliever - the Mariners’ rotation is a bit of a throwback.
The bullpen certainly has some bright spots as well. Gabe Speier, Jose Ferrer, and Andres Munoz make up a solid back end of the bullpen. Seattle has the sixth-best bullpen ERA in MLB. Yet, there is something missing. Over the last 30 days, the Mariners’ team ERA has trickled down to 21st in the league. Sure, some of that is due to the likes of Matt Brash, Cooper Criswell, and Carlos Vargas battling injuries. That affects the overall depth of the bullpen, which is getting more and more exposed as a result.
Sounders Outclassed in Leagues Cup Opener vs. Toluca
The Seattle Sounders have lost in a variety of ways in the current seven-game losing streak they're on.
But Wednesday's Leagues Cup opener against Concacaf Champions Cup winner Toluca felt different, as Seattle lost 3-0 as a clearly outclassed squad. The Sounders, as defending Leagues Cup champions, were outshot 38-4, allowing an 18-2 shots-on-frame disparity as Toluca generated 3.5 expected goals to Seattle's 0.3.
The Sounders, still down key pieces like Cristian Roldan and Yeimar, struggled to institute their press against an uber-talented Toluca squad — which scored in the third minute. From there, 40-year-old Seattle keeper Stefan Frei, who is handling Leagues Cup duties in place of usual starter Andrew Thomas to give the club legend some minutes, was pushed to his limit with 15 saves. Thanks — solely at times — to Frei, the game stayed at 1-0 somehow despite a flurry of Toluca chances off set pieces and open-play chances alike.
Frei made multiple diving saves, even coming off his line to stop 1-on-1 chances to keep Seattle within swiping range of a team that was clearly better than it on this night.
But Toluca, the Liga MX 2024-25 second-half and 2025-26 first-half champions, kept the foot on the gas and found the second goal off a rebound in the mid-second half before similarly adding a third in second-half stoppage.
Despite the injuries, the eight-hour flight from Seattle to Toluca, the 8,000-plus foot elevation and the Sounders' recent form, the nature in which they lost was astonishing. Toluca playmakers like Jesús Gallardo and Alexis Vega broke Seattle's press with ease, making a team that started 2026 as one of MLS' great defenses look far below average with consistency.
Without the intervention of a vintage Frei, Seattle could have been on the wrong end of a remake of its 7-0 win over Liga MX powerhouse Cruz Azul last season, which propelled it to the Leagues Cup title.
Sounders skipper Brian Schmetzer, ever the competitor confident in his team’s ability to win big games, compared Seattle trying to take down Toluca to the most iconic "miracle" in American sports postgame.
"Could we have won the game? Maybe. I mean, the (U.S.) men's hockey team in 1980… beat the Russians," Schmetzer said. "We beat Miami last year in the Leagues Cup final; we were the underdogs. So things like that can happen, but this was going to be a heavy ask."
The Montlake Report: Huskies Gear Up for Fall Camp as 2026 Season Approaches
Closing in on the start of the 2026 college football season, the Washington Huskies hope to take the next step forward as a College Football Playoff contender in year three under coach Jedd Fisch.
Emerald City Spectrum reporter Aaron Coe breaks down what he heard from coaches and players at Media Day as the Huskies prepare for a new season with high expectations as Fisch returns with plenty of offensive firepower - including quarterback Demond Williams back under center - and intriguing defensive additions to the roster.
Instant Takeaways: Storm Fall to Liberty, Spoil Another Elite Malonga Performance
The New York Liberty spoiled Dominique Malonga’s second-career 30-point game in a 92-86 loss for the Seattle Storm on Wednesday, Aug. 5, at the Barclays Center.
Malonga scored 31 points and added 10 rebounds, three assists, two steals and a block to lead Seattle (6-27), which dropped its 10th straight game. No other player scored more than 13 for the Storm.
New York (19-13), which was led by 28 points and eight rebounds from Breanna Stewart, has won six of its last seven games. Jonquel Jones also posted a monster game with 14 points, 15 rebounds, seven assists and two blocks.
Even with a lineup shift that put Ezi Magbegor back in the starting lineup, momentum hasn’t shifted for the Storm in the last two games. Their last victory came nearly a month ago on July 6.
Camp Takeaways: Jaxon Smith-Njigba Continues to Amaze Fellow Seahawks in High Leverage Situations
Stop if you’ve heard this before: Jaxon Smith-Njigba is pretty damn good.
Stars don’t flash every single day in training camp, especially an established one coming off of winning Offensive Player of the Year honors like Smith-Njigba is for the Seattle Seahawks, with more reps dedicated to younger players and coaches prioritizing installing the offense over game planning to feature the best player as they would in the regular season. But there will always be practices this serve as a reminder of that star’s greatness and for the “Emerald City Route Artist,” Wednesday’s 10th camp practice proved to be just that.
Targeted far more than he has been in most of the practices in camp to this point, Smith-Njigba got rolling early in Wednesday’s hot, smoky session, starting with a 25-yard reception along the sideline with tight coverage from cornerback Nehemiah Pritchett that quarterback Sam Darnold dropped right into his hands. Moments later, he beat Pritchett again, this time on a fade down the left sideline with safety Ty Okada coming over a hair too late in supporting coverage, allowing the receiver to scamper 38 yards for a touchdown.
“It was great to see him come alive, some of those [in] high-leverage situations too, when there's defensive attention at where he's at at all times. ” Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald remarked after practice. “So for him to be able to make those plays is great for the Seahawks, great for him. And I think we're feeling like he can get open from wherever, doing whatever, doing all the things from all the places. But how do we optimize it? How do we move him around? Where is he in the progression? He's going to be number 1 in the progression on a lot of plays.”
Will Taylor Ward Be What M’s Offense Needs? 2026 Trade Deadline Analysis Part II
The Mariners’ 2026 trade deadline, all told, could be described as a “soft buy”. They didn’t make any big lunges for a true star (with the Padres on a roll and with a high asking price for Mason Miller, they didn’t go for him, and other teams snatched up other potential high-end reliever pickups) and they shed the Luis Castillo contract for a largely unremarkable return.
Seattle’s only true buy ended up being a rental, confirmed on the day of the deadline: right-handed outfielder Taylor Ward for Alex Hoppe, Brock Moore, and Harrison Kreiling. The return to the Baltimore Orioles was fairly light: Hoppe is a struggling rookie reliever with real future upside, Moore is about as intriguing a reliever as Boston Smith is a catcher, and Kreiling is a Low-A arm with little pedigree but solid numbers.
Ward fills out a niche that the Mariners had tried to occupy somewhat with Rob Refsnyder - who the Mariners gave an outright release in a corresponding move on Tuesday - that of a right-handed outfield bat. But where Refsnyder was incredibly platoony even before his horrid down year in 2026, Ward performs solidly against each side of the mound, though there is a platoon difference: he has a career .827 OPS against lefties and .739 OPS against righties.
But is Ward going to be the fix the struggling Mariners offense needs?
Taylor Ward has been a solid hitter in 2026, but for the M’s, there is a catch.
Battle-Tested Nehemiah Pritchett ‘Making Heck of a Case' for Expanded Role in Seahawks’ Defense
In the heat of a smoky eighth training camp practice on Monday, Seattle Seahawks cornerback Nehemiah Pritchett walked up towards the line of scrimmage on the left side of the formation tasked with one of the toughest assignments in the NFL: trying to cover Jaxon Smith-Njigba.
Smith-Njigba initially took an inside release, working his way down the hash before cutting back outside on a corner route. Staying with the reigning Offensive Player of the Year in phase, Pritchett hung in the receiver’s hip pocket out of Smith-Njigba’s stem, putting himself in solid position to be able to make a play on the football.
However, as Smith-Njigba seemingly did to every cornerback who tried to cover him last season, the All-Pro gained a couple steps of separation with his elite quickness out of his break, becoming more than open enough for Sam Darnold to pull the trigger from the pocket. After a subtle push off on Pritchett that may or may not have been flagged in a game situation, he hauled in a long pass from the quarterback and turned up the sideline for a 50-yard touchdown.
Such is life trying to contain the NFL’s receiving yardage leader, something Pritchett knows all too well from battling against him in practice during his two-plus seasons in Seattle, including getting torched in a one-on-one rep in Tuesday’s session. But for the third-year defender, who finds himself entrenched in a competition for the No. 3 cornerback spot this summer, learning to play the game with short-term memory has been critical, understanding that those experiences on the practice field against Smith-Njigba, speedster Rashid Shaheed, and others in a deep Seattle receiving corps will best prepare him for what he will face on Sundays.
Mike Macdonald Clear Star of Show for Seahawks’ First Episode of ‘Hard Knocks’
The much-anticipated first episode of the 2026 version of Hard Knocks dropped on Tuesday evening. This year, they are covering the reigning Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks as they begin training camp at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
The first episode opens with the Super Bowl ring ceremony (and a hilarious meme-worthy moment of Sam Darnold dropping his ring on the floor immediately). It was one last look at the 2025 team, and all that they accomplished.
It was a truly special run that led to the team’s second ever Lombardi Trophy. However, training camp is about resetting. Starting all over with a blank slate. And starting at the bottom of the mountain upon which the Seahawks were just on top. Based on what we saw from the first episode, it seems the Seahawks have the perfect man in charge to take on that challenge.
Mike Macdonald was the clear star of the show in episode one. Not because he wanted to be. That’s not who he is. But the culture he has established in Seattle is palpable. There were several moments where Macdonald’s skills as a leader and qualities as a man shone through.
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