> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.emeraldcityspectrum.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Final Projection: Who Makes Seahawks 53-Man Roster as Super Bowl Rematch Looms? - URL: https://www.emeraldcityspectrum.com/final-projection-seattle-seahawks-53-man-roster-super-bowl-rematch-looms/ - Published: 2026-08-29T18:43:37.000Z - Updated: 2026-08-29T18:43:37.000Z - Author: Corbin Smith - Tags: Analysis, Seahawks Finishing off the preseason with a 9-9 tie against the Kansas City Chiefs, the Seattle Seahawks can now shift their attention towards beginning their Super Bowl title defense with just 11 days until opening the regular season with a much-anticipated rematch against the New England Patriots at Lumen Field. Before the team lowers their latest championship banner on September 9, however, the Seahawks have to whittle their roster down to 53 players before Sunday’s 3 PM PT deadline. This means general manager John Schneider and the front office will have to orchestrate moves to remove 37 players from the roster through cuts, trades, or injured reserve designations over the next 24 hours and change. Per NFL rules, players with less than four accrued NFL seasons will be subject to waivers if released, allowing all 31 teams an opportunity to claim them. If the player goes unclaimed, they will be free to sign with the Seahawks practice squad or sign with another active roster/practice squad as unrestricted free agents. For players with four or more accrued seasons, however, “vested veterans” are not subject to waivers until after the trade deadline, allowing them to immediately become free agents. The Seahawks have used that discrepancy to their advantage in recent seasons, including signing receiver Cody White and cornerback Shaquill Griffin immediately to their practice squad last year with neither player subject to waivers. It’s possible Schneider could look to use the same strategy with a couple of players this year as a means to keep players who would otherwise be subject to waivers and potentially get plucked up by another team. Looking towards Sunday’s deadline, who will ultimately make the Seahawks final 53-man roster? Here’s my final stab at projecting the 53, including a trade, a waiver claim, and two injured reserve designations: ### Quarterback (3) **Starter**: Sam Darnold **Backups**: Drew Lock, Jalen Milroe In full command of new coordinator Brian Fleury’s offense, Darnold took his game to another level during training camp, and it will be interesting to see what he has in store for an encore after a strong first season under center for the Seahawks. Behind him, Lock aced his test in the second preseason game leading three straight scoring drives in Tennessee, with two of those coming against the Titans starting defense, and Seattle has great confidence that it can win games in the regular season if he has to spell Darnold. Milroe’s status had been up for debate after struggling in the first two preseason games, but he turned in a sterling performance against Kansas City and his improvements on the practice field coupled with his always enticing athletic skills make him well worth keeping as a third quarterback on the 53 for further development. ### Running Back (5) **Starter**: Jadarian Price **Backups**: George Holani, Emanuel Wilson, Brady Russell **Waiver Claim**: Tyrone Tracy Jr. **PUP**: Zach Charbonnet Rather than risk getting the prized rookie hurt, the Seahawks didn’t let Price sniff the game field during the preseason, keeping him in bubble wrap after seeing more than enough from him in camp to believe the explosive runner will be ready to roll for the season opener as the expected starter. Providing a more balanced skillset at this stage of his career and plenty of punch as a runner in his own right, Holani should jump in as the third down and two-minute drill back with soft hands and elite blitz pickup skills in the passing game. Wilson has been recovering from a hamstring injury for the past couple of weeks and it remains to be seen whether he will be ready to return for the season opener, but the injury doesn’t appear to be a long-term one and he should not have to miss more than a game or two if he isn’t quite ready for the opener. In that instance, Velus Jones Jr. and/or Jacardia Wright will be priorities to re-sign to the practice squad assuming they clear waivers as depth options to have available for game day promotion. But this is also a position that could be ripe for adding a talented back off waivers, with Tracy being an intriguing candidate due to his background as both a running back and receiver. If the Giants do release him, the Seahawks would be wise to take a swing. Replacing an injured Robbie Ouzts, Russell will be the undisputed fullback and see plenty of snaps in two-back formations. ### Receiver (6) **Starters**: Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Rashid Shaheed, Cooper Kupp **Backups**: Tory Horton, Montorie Foster Jr., Emmanuel Henderson Jr. Losing Jake Bobo to a season-ending injury stings more than his pass catching production would suggest, as he excels as a run blocker on the outside and offers size as a potential red zone threat that few offer on the depth chart. With that said, the Seahawks have as strong of a trio atop the depth chart as any team in the NFC, headlined by the route running wizard and reigning Offensive Player of the Year in Smith-Njigba, a speedy sidekick in Shaheed, and the ever-reliable chain-mover in Kupp. Dealing with an undisclosed injury, Seattle hopes to have Horton back early in the regular season as well, which would add another big play dynamo to the equation on offense and special teams if he can stay healthy after scoring six total touchdowns in just nine games as a rookie. Foster has been one of the best stories to come out of camp, proving to be a rock solid all-around player with pass catching savvy, run blocking skills, and special teams versatility, more than earning a spot on the team. Putting a sixth receiver on the roster may not be guaranteed, but at least for the initial 53, protecting Henderson could be prioritized, especially after the sixth round pick had a big final preseason game with 58 yards on two catches. In that instance, a vested veteran in Cody White could come back on the practice squad without hitting the waiver wire, while Ricky White III also should be a target to keep around in similar fashion. ### Tight End (3) **Starter**: AJ Barner **Backups**: Elijah Arroyo, Eric Saubert It may seem strange that Fleury, who previously coached tight ends for six seasons in San Francisco, would only keep three players at the position on the initial 53\. But evidence in camp suggests that Seattle will actually use more two-back sets than three-tight end sets on offense, leaning on the rugged, clutch Barner and the uber-athletic Arroyo as the primary options in multi-tight end formations. With Russell being a tight end first by trade, there isn’t a reason to keep Nick Kallerup or Nick Vannett over a receiver such as Henderson, who offers far more special teams value than the two blocking tight ends do. The Seahawks didn’t want to risk losing Kallerup last year, but it’s hard to envision them doing the same thing this time around with the depth situation at receiver and his limitations as a receiver. Both he and Vannett would be practice squad possibilities, with the latter being a vested veteran who could sign right away without going to waivers. ### Offensive Line (9) **Starters**: Charles Cross, Grey Zabel, Jalen Sundell, Anthony Bradford, Abraham Lucas **Backups**: Josh Jones, Olu Oluwatimi, Christian Haynes, Beau Stephens In recent years, Seattle has kept as many as 10 or even 11 offensive linemen on the initial 53-man roster, and that may have been the case again this year if not for Mason Richman’s unfortunate season-ending injury suffered against Tennessee in the second preseason game. But with the versatile second-year blocker now on injured reserve, keeping a high upside rookie such as Stephens shouldn’t have to come at the expense of a player at another position group, as the fifth round pick out of Iowa should be prioritized over fellow guard Bryce Cabeldue or tackle Amari Kight for the last backup spot. Otherwise, given the struggles of the third unit in the preseason, the offensive line will be pretty cut and dry with all five starters from last year’s Super Bowl team returning and the trio of Jones, Oluwatimi, and Haynes offering the most experience as veteran reserves. Look for tackle Bobby Hart to be a vested veteran option to re-sign on the practice squad for additional depth behind Cross and Lucas. ### EDGE/Outside Linebacker (6) **Starters**: Demarcus Lawrence, Uchenna Nwosu **Backups**: Derick Hall, Dante Fowler Jr., Connor O’Toole, Jared Ivey During the preseason, the Seahawks didn’t play any of their top four veterans a single snap, which shouldn’t be a surprise since Lawrence, Nwosu, Hall, and Fowler Jr. all entered camp as obvious locks to make the team. But behind them, training camp and the preseason has been a see-saw battle to see which other players would emerge as viable roster options. Jamie Sheriff and Jalan Gaines each had their moments, with the former returning from a leg injury midway through camp to produce a sack and several special teams tackles in the last two preseason games and Gaines finishing second on the team in pressures while adding three run stops in exhibition play. But neither of those players turned in the type of dominant preseason that creates concerns about not being able to sneak them through waivers, which can’t be said with O’Toole or Ivey. O’Toole has elite athletic traits as a converted receiver and started to put things together this summer, including posting 1.5 sacks and six pressures against the Titans two weeks ago. Even with a club on his broken right hand, Ivey had plenty of shining moments in his second preseason moving up and down the line of scrimmage as well, finishing strong with two tackles for loss and a quarterback hit in Friday’s tie at Kansas City. Just as they did last year, look for both to be on the safe side of the bubble once again. ### Defensive Line (5) **Starters**: Leonard Williams, Byron Murphy II **Backups**: Jarran Reed, Rylie Mills, Brandon Pili **Trade**: Mike Morris to Chargers for 2028 Seventh Round Pick There won’t be much drama in the interior defensive line with Williams, Murphy, Reed, and an upstart second-year talent in Mills all being locks for Week 1 and Pili now looking to be a safe bet to stick without much pressure being applied on him by rookies Deven Eastern or Uso Seumalo at the nose tackle position during camp and the preseason. But the Seahawks may have a tough decision to make on Morris, who will be entering the final year of his rookie contract and saw some action in the final preseason game, suggesting he may not be 100% safe, especially with Ivey offering similar position flexibility with more club control beyond 2026\. Don’t be surprised if Schneider tries to find a potential suitor for the 2023 fifth round pick and/or fields calls for him, with a reunion with former Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh in Los Angeles making sense on all levels. Coming off another strong preseason, J.R. Singleton should be one of the top priorities to retain on the practice squad, while Eastern or Seumalo also would be good insurance options to continue developing behind Pili on the “ready” squad. ### Inside Linebacker (3) **Starters**: Ernest Jones, Drake Thomas **Backups**: Tyrice Knight **IR**: Chazz Surratt Keeping only three linebackers on the initial 53 may seem light, and only having Jones, Thomas, and Knight available for the upcoming opener would be incredibly risky, but there’s method to the madness here. Surratt missed the final preseason game with an injury suffered in Nashville, and while it remains to be seen how severe that injury is, it opens the door for him to receive one of the team’s two immediate injured reserve designations with the ability to return after missing four games minimum. That would allow the Seahawks to stash him until he’s healthy enough to return to play. Meanwhile, Patrick O’Connell has been similar to Cody White in the sense that the team has been able to slip him through waivers numerous times to re-sign to the practice squad. As a means to keep a few players at other positions, Seattle will use that strategy again with the understanding the reliable O’Connell could be a game day call up from the squad for the first couple of games, if not quickly being signed back to the 53 after the initial cutdown phase. If additional depth is desired, the Seahawks could scan the waiver wire from other teams or simply bring back Aaron Smith or Power Echols on the practice squad. ### Cornerback (6) **Starters**: Devon Witherspoon, Josh Jobe **Backups**: Trevon Diggs, Nehemiah Pritchett, Noah Igbinoghene, Michael Dansby **IR**: Julian Neal **Commissioner’s Exempt List**: Terrion Arnold Away from the obvious starters in Witherspoon and Jobe, no position may have more question marks for the Seahawks heading towards the cutdown deadline than cornerback, which has been a clear area of concern with the signing of Diggs and just announced signing of embattled former Lions first round pick Terrion Arnold, who will go on the commissioner’s exempt list and not count against the 53-man roster until legal proceedings are cleared for his case in Florida. Showing no signs of rust in his first game action in seven months, Diggs picked off a pass for Seattle on Friday night and likely locked up his spot on the 53 with a stellar final tune up, while Pritchett finished off a strong preseason of his own with a pass breakup to deny a touchdown. Both of those players should be on the roster, but that’s where things may get tricky for Schneider and Macdonald. Neal has been out for all but a handful of practices this summer due to a leg injury and after not playing in the preseason finale, it would be a surprise if he isn’t put on injured reserve, meaning he would miss four games minimum before he could be activated. Assuming that’s a done deal, Igbinoghene’s status as a vested veteran with six accrued seasons in the NFL may make him a candidate to cut and immediately bring back on the practice squad as a means to keep both Dansby and Aaron Fuller, two seventh rounders who have impressed this summer. But Igby has earned his spot and can play inside and out, so most likely, Schneider will keep Dansby protected and take the risk hoping Fuller slips through waivers to bring back on the practice squad. ### Safety (4) **Starters**: Julian Love, Nick Emmanwori **Backups**: Ty Okada, D’Anthony Bell Yet another position that has been impacted by injury this preseason, with Emmanwori already missing all of camp recovering from ankle surgery, the loss of rookie Bud Clark for the season to a broken ankle has created another spot for a veteran reserve. All signs point to Emmanwori being back early in the season, if not even still pushing to play in Seattle’s opener, so he will be on the initial 53 and will avoid an injured reserve designation. Love and Okada will both play starter reps, even if the latter doesn’t receive a start on the stat sheet every week by not being on the field for the first snap of the game. Bell’s ability to play in the box as well as handle the big nickel role makes him an invaluable insurance policy behind Emmanwori and even though he played deep into the final preseason game, his status on the roster shouldn’t be in doubt. Thomas recently underwent surgery for a broken hand, but he played in the exhibition finale and had a nice pass breakup on a jarring hit early in the contest, looking more than healthy enough to play at the start of the season if called upon. As a vested veteran, Seattle can agree to a handshake deal with Rodney Thomas to at least briefly be on the practice squad without going through waivers, while Maxen Hook will also be flagged as a priority practice squad returnee assuming he slips through waivers. ### Specialists (3) **Starters**: Jason Myers, Michael Dickson, Chris Stoll Enduring a brutal preseason, Myers missed three field goals and two extra points with 11 potential points taken off the board due to his struggles. But while that may make fans uneasy speculating if the former Pro Bowler has contracted a case of the yips, Macdonald remains confident the veteran placekicker will find his groove once the regular season starts, and Dickson and Stoll both received earned extensions in the past 18 months, so neither of them will be going anywhere anytime soon. Expect the trio to put everything together when the real games begin.