Ryanne Brown Overcomes Injury, Shows Up in Reign's Biggest Game of the Season
When Ryanne Brown tore her ACL on July 7, 2024, she knew her season was over. The 25-year-old defender out of Wake Forest was an occasional starter for the Seattle Reign and had even been loaned out to Danish side Kvindeligaen for eight starts in 2022-23 after being drafted in the second round of the 2021 draft.
With 2024 being a down year for a typically contending Reign squad, 2025 promised to be a year for young talents to break out in the Emerald City. And that they did, as young talents like Emeri Adames and Maddie Dahlien had their moments en route to finishing fifth in the league.
But Brown was nowhere to be found — she ended up missing all of the 2025 season.
"I was expecting to come back summer '25, I felt good actually coming back from my knee," Brown said after training on Tuesday. "Then I tweaked my hamstring, which kept me out a lot longer than expected."
After all the heartache and watching from the sideline, a now 27-year-old Brown scored her first NWSL goal on Sunday against the rival Portland Thorns, a bold right-footed shot from distance just eight minutes into the game for her first NWSL goal in her first start in over 700 days.
Dominant Seahawks’ Front Line Ready to Take Disruptive Nature to Another Level for ‘Dark Side' Defense
Adequately coining themselves as the “Dark Side” defense during the midst of a historic 2025 season, the Seattle Seahawks deployed Death Star-worthy weapons of mass destruction from all three levels of coach Mike Macdonald’s unit on the way to a Super Bowl LX victory.
Playing the quarterback of the defense with elite cerebral whit, a commanding demeanor, and playmaking prowess, Ernest Jones may as well have been wearing Darth Vader’s mask rather than a football helmet. Playing seemingly every position except nose tackle during a spectacular rookie season, safety Nick Emmanwori pulled off a football-equivalent feat to Darth Revan mastering both the light and dark side at the same time. Bringing tenacious ferocity and fearless aggression snap after snap, Devon Witherspoon’s relentless style and penchant for dishing punishing, bone-jarring hits makes him a worthy Darth Maul clone.
But while all of those players starred for Seattle’s No. 1-ranked scoring defense and helped the empire reign supreme over the rest of the NFL, Leonard Williams and Byron Murphy II anchored the true foundation of the unit’s dominance up front, collectively holding the title of Emperor Palpatine while unleashing ruthless terror on opposing offenses that caused disturbances in the force that sent shockwaves all across the league.
‘Lot of Work to Be Done': Seahawks WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba Eyes History After Life-Changing Breakout Season
There’s no such thing as perfect in the NFL, but if there’s ever been a player truly could flirt with such impeccability, Jaxon Smith-Njigba nearly pulled off the impossible in 2025.
Stepping out of the shadows of long-time stars Tyler Lockett and DK Metcalf, Smith-Njigba exploded onto the scene as one of the league’s premier talents at any position in his third season with the Seahawks, shattering the club’s record with 1,793 receiving yards, joining Steve Largent as the second receiver in team history to garner First-Team All-Pro distinction, and becoming only the second player in franchise history to win Offensive Player of the Year honors. Away from his abundance of individual accolades, his dominance helped lead Seattle to its second Super Bowl title, culminating with him hoisting the Lombardi Trophy at Levis Stadium in February and parading with coaches and teammates in downtown days later.
To put a cherry on top, the Seahawks wasted little time locking up Smith-Njigba with the largest non-quarterback contract in NFL history one month later, signing him to a four-year, $168.6 million contract extension worth north of $42 million per season. In the aftermath, he even landed on Time’s Top 100 most influential people in sports for 2026.
While Smith-Njigba downplayed how much the stardom, winning a Super Bowl, and obtaining generational wealth has changed his life - he didn’t go out and make any “splurge” purchases after signing his contract, for example - there’s no question that he’s become one of the most identifiable players in professional sports seemingly overnight.
From Montlake to the NBA: Hannes Steinbach Looking to Make Mark With Hornets
After a dominant freshman year wearing the purple and gold, Hannes Steinbach heard his name called early in the 2026 NBA Draft by the Charlotte Hornets. Drafted 14th overall, the German standout will take his talents to the East Coast and push for a rotation spot. The lottery pick continues the tradition of Washington Huskies getting drafted in the first round, joining the likes of program legends Brandon Roy and Markelle Fultz.
Charlotte had significant roster changes this week, both in the draft and in the days thereafter. A play-in team last year, Hannes will have plenty of opportunity to prove himself as there are no surefire frontcourt starters in the Queen City after trading Lamelo Ball to the Timberwolves.
With many recent UW draftees becoming integral role-players in their NBA careers, Steinbach will attempt to go one step further and achieve all-star status in Charlotte.
Seahawks TE AJ Barner Aiming to Turn ‘Obsession’ Into All-Pro Trajectory
Nothing elevates an NFL player’s profile more than winning a Super Bowl, the most prestigious sporting event in the world.
Just ask AJ Barner, who happily basked in the limelight as much as anyone on the Seattle Seahawks during the run to their second Lombardi Trophy in franchise history. Capping off a stellar sophomore season in style, the young tight end scored Seattle’s only offensive touchdown in a 29-13 win over New England at Levis Stadium on the receiving end of a 16-yard toss from Sam Darnold and became a folk hero of sorts with his wild, energized antics throughout the team’s Super Bowl parade a few short days later.
To the delight of the 12s in attendance, Barner soaked up every second as the team paraded downtown, but the celebration came with a firm expiration date for him. The former fourth round pick out of Michigan had been battling through various injuries to close out the season that needed to be cleaned up and in the days following the parade, he underwent a pair of surgeries for undisclosed ailments, quickly shifting his attention towards getting right for the 2026 season with more goals to chase down in front of him.
“You go from winning the Super Bowl, doing the parade, to getting two surgeries the next week. People don't really get to see that,” Barner said following Seattle’s first open minicamp practice earlier this month. “It was awesome to reach that pinnacle, but it's like, all right, now I gotta go back, kind of back to the woods, go into the dark, and go get right. So that's kind of the mindset that I've had.”
Bobby McMann Excited to Re-Up With Kraken, Bring ‘Winning Hockey’ Back to Seattle
Checking off one of their biggest boxes as the 2026 NHL Draft approaches, the Seattle Kraken re-signed winger Bobby McMann to a six-year, $34.5 million contract on Monday as general manager Jason Botterill locked up the trade deadline acquisition for the long haul following a successful second half with the franchise.
Though the Kraken sputtered in the win/loss column after his arrival from Toronto and recorded just two regulation wins after the trade, McMann tallied 10 goals and 14 points in 18 games with the Kraken. It certainly wasn’t his fault that Seattle plummeted from a playoff hopeful to selecting seventh overall in the upcoming draft, and Botterill and the front office made it a priority to ensure he remained long term.
"Re-signing (McMann) was a priority this summer,” Botterill said after the signing was announced via Seattle’s team website. “He made an immediate impact in our lineup with his size, speed, and goal scoring. There's a lot to love about his game. We're thrilled he wants to call Seattle home for years to come."
By locking up the 30-year-old McMann and acquiring 23-year-old Mackie Samoskevich from the Florida Panthers on the same day, Botterill has started to assemble a decent forward core for next season and beyond. But after missing the playoffs for the fourth time in five seasons of existence, the Kraken must continue pursuing top talent if they want to return to the postseason in 2026-27.
In Pursuit of Encore, Seahawks LB Ernest Jones Knows Super Bowl Title ‘Isn't Going to Help Us’ in 2026
You can pinpoint a handful of impact moves that Seattle Seahawks general manager John Schneider made in the few years leading up to winning the Super Bowl that helped the team get there. Moves like hiring head coach Mike Macdonald are obvious. Trading for, and then re-signing defensive tackle Leonard Williams was a big part of it as well.
But it’s hard to argue against one of the biggest pieces of the puzzle coming in the form of the midseason trade for Ernest Jones IV in 2024. In Macdonald’s first season in Seattle, the linebacker position was a revolving door. The Seahawks began the season with Jerome Baker and Tyrel Dodson as their main off-ball linebackers. By November, Seattle had wavied Dodson and traded Baker away.
Seattle moved on from both, with Baker being sent with a 2025 fourth-round pick to the Tennessee Titans to acquire Jones. Seattle was very familiar with Jones from his three seasons with the Rams. During his rookie year, he played on the 2021 Rams team that eventually won Super Bowl LVI. He was not a spectator on the sidelines for that game either, racking up seven tackles, one sack, and three quarterback hits.
As we all saw during the Seahawks’ Super Bowl ring ceremony, Jones was flexing both rings on the same hand. He now has two championships to his name in his five-year career. His arrival in 2024 helped stabilize the linebacker position and contributed to a noticeable defensive turnaround midseason for Seattle. The unit improved from near the bottom of NFL rankings to one of the stronger groups by season’s end, laying groundwork for the success they would have in 2025.
Tory Horton’s Return Opens Door for Seahawks’ Offense to Reach Greater Heights in 2026
Fielding questions from wide-eyed youngsters at his first annual pro camp at Kennedy Catholic High School, it didn’t take long for Tory Horton to be asked why he missed the Seattle Seahawks final 11 games, including the entirety of their Super Bowl run.
“I just had a few things pop up,” Horton responded, assuring the campers in attendance that he would be back and ready to roll for a new season.
For those hoping for a bit more transparency, Horton didn’t have to delve into specifics, especially answering a question from a 10-year-old during a quick Q&A session before campers broke into fun two-hand tap scrimmage games. The Seahawks themselves haven’t offered much in that regard either since the injury occurred, as his status largely remained shrouded in mystery beyond the team’s initial explanation that he had suffered a shin injury during a Week 10 win over the Commanders on Monday Night Football.
At the time, Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald hinted that the medical staff initially felt Horton would miss a few weeks of action, hopeful the standout rookie receiver would be able to return later in the schedule even if he spent the minimum four games sidelined on injured reserve. But by the time January rolled around, without anything new being disclosed beyond the shin needing “a long time to heal” and plenty of rest, per Macdonald, the team all but ruled out the possibility he would be activated for the playoffs, ending a once-promising first season after playing in just eight games.
Leonard Williams, Seahawks Ready to Take ‘Darkside’ Defense to New Heights in 2026
Mere hours away from school being out for the summer, at least in NFL terms, the Seattle Seahawks could have gone through the motions riding out their final minicamp practice before six weeks off.
But that wasn’t the case at all for the Seahawks, with the stakes clearly raised even without pads on and contact prohibited on June 11. During a spirited two-hour session at the VMAC, while Sam Darnold and Jaxon Smith-Njigba performed their usual theatrics linking up for multiple touchdowns, the defense got the last laughs, stifling all three offensive units in an utterly dominant closing red zone situational drill to the delight of cornerback Devon Witherspoon.
“Whole lotta ass kicking!” Witherspoon shouted emphatically as he jogged to the final team breakdown for the spring.
Long before that defensive beatdown to close out the practice, cornerback Noah Igbinoghene and safety D’Anthony Bell returned interceptions for touchdowns during team scrimmage periods and rookies Julian Neal and Michael Dansby added picks of their own during 7-on-7 red zone drills, giving coach Mike Macdonald’s unit a decisive “win” to wrap up the offseason program.
Grey Zabel Plows Through Offseason Program, Ready to Anchor Seahawks’ O-Line in Year 2
Much has changed for Grey Zabel since breaking into the NFL as a first round draft choice 12 months and change ago.
Once a wide-eyed rookie making the monumental jump from FCS powerhouse North Dakota State to the Seattle Seahawks, Zabel isn’t trying to stay above water this time around. Rolling into his sophomore season as a key cog in a much-improved offensive line with all five starters returning from a year ago, he now carries the titles of respected veteran, ascending star, and most notably, with a gaudy ring in tow as proof, Super Bowl LX champion.
Even if Zabel downplayed life being much different for him these days aside from being noticed in public more frequently, he’s felt the difference - to an extent - on the field in his first full NFL offseason.
“I think the game's just slowing down a little bit. Not by much though,” Zabel told reporters following the conclusion of Seattle’s mandatory minicamp on Thursday. “You still got a lot to learn, still got a lot to improve. If anything, you just got 20 something games now to go back and watch and figure out how you can improve and what to get better at. But I think JB [coach John Benton] does a great job with kind of having me learn and grow every single day to be the player I want to be come the first game of the season.”
Rashid Shaheed Full Speed Ahead in First Offseason Program With Seahawks
Playing the role of dynamite on special teams, the Seattle Seahawks midseason acquisition of Rashid Shaheed at the trade deadline proved to be an absolute game changer for the franchise on the way to a Super Bowl LX victory.
Any time Shaheed touched the football on kickoff or punt returns, lightning was liable to strike, especially at Lumen Field. Just ask the NFC West rival Rams and 49ers, who watched the speedy wideout put six points on the board against them with returns for touchdowns in Week 16 and the Divisional Round, respectively, providing instant offense for the Seahawks in the crucial third phase of the game that helped bring a second Lombardi Trophy to the Pacific Northwest.
While trading for Shaheed certainly belongs in the discussion as one of the best deadline deals made by general manager John Schneider due to his three total special teams touchdowns, however, the Seahawks didn’t receive near as much sizzle from the electric receiver on offense as they hoped for after acquiring him from the Saints. In nine regular season games following the trade, he managed to produce only 15 catches for 188 yards and didn’t score a touchdown, struggling to consistently sync up with quarterback Sam Darnold in the passing game as they tried to build chemistry on the fly.
But reaping the benefits of a full offseason working with Darnold after signing a three-year, $51 million contract to stay in Seattle back in March, coach Mike Macdonald expects Shaheed to emerge as a far more formidable weapon alongside Jaxon Smith-Njigba in new coordinator Brian Fleury’s offense in 2026.
Drive to Compete Still Fuels Cooper Kupp as Seahawks Chase Super Bowl Repeat
Almost seeming to break character like an actor caught off guard by an unexpected twist in a script, Cooper Kupp unleashed a stare that could have pierced through someone’s soul.
Moments after the Seattle Seahawks completed their final OTA practice on Thursday, the 10th-year veteran receiver fielded a question about whether or not he considered hanging up his cleats following a Super Bowl LX victory. Based on past precedent, especially after seeing his production dip to 573 receiving yards and two touchdowns in the regular season, he wouldn’t have been the first player to make such a decision to leave the game on top. It was certainly a valid question to ask.
But for Kupp, ideas of retirement never crossed his mind from the moment the confetti started to rain down on the field at Levis Stadium four months ago, and he promptly shot down the notion.
“No, never for a second. I'm loving playing this game too much,” Kupp briskly replied. “I love playing football, and so I'm enjoying it. No, that was never a thought.”
Can Consistency, Aggression Realize High-A Infielder Felnin Celesten’s Elite Ceiling for M’s?
EVERETT, Wash. - The word that kept escaping the lips of AquaSox coaches was perhaps the exact one that a 25-game hitting streak would evoke, or perhaps the opposite. But it was indeed consistency that Felnin Celesten’s coaches talked about and that the young infielder himself brought up as his guiding value. It’s something that he admires in his own baseball idol.
“Really, since I was little, Francisco Lindor was 100% my favorite player, and what I may be able to bring is the consistency, and the consistency that he has with both hands,” Celesten told Emerald City Spectrum. “But I do think that we’re each our own players, I am Felnin and he is Lindor, you know? But like I said, it’s the consistency.”
The switch-hitting shortstop has plenty to work on, but there are glimpses of a potential five-tool player in the way he has played for the High-A Everett AquaSox in 2026. Through Saturday’s game, Celesten has slashed .317/.430/.473 in 228 plate appearances. This production has been quite the leap from his 2025 season with the Low-A Modesto Nuts, even considering the hitter-friendly park Celesten now plays in. The Athletic’s Keith Law recently made a big swing by ranking him 17th all-MLB (gift article), putting him behind only Kade Anderson and Ryan Sloan in terms of Mariners prospects.
Culture Fuels Derick Hall’s Desire to Re-Up With Seahawks, Stay With ‘Pristine Organization’
Given how short NFL careers tend to be, nobody would have batted an eye if Derick Hall wasn’t interested in signing a new contract with the Seattle Seahawks before starting the final year of his rookie deal.
After all, former Seahawks teammate Boye Mafe - who signed with the Bengals less than three months ago - provided 60 million reasons why it would have made financial sense for Hall to wait out the process and become a free agent next March. Taking a deal in early June during the midst of OTAs likely wouldn’t present the best deal he could receive to maximize his value, whether staying in the Pacific Northwest or playing for another team, and pass rushers tend to be coveted above most positions once they hit the market.
But contractual desires will always be unique for every player, and in the case of Hall, he didn’t have interest in taking his talents elsewhere by virtue of chasing top dollar. Valuing the pursuit of championships and the culture established by general manager John Schneider and coach Mike Macdonald above seeking a bit more green for his bank account, once the Seahawks started the negotiation process in earnest last month, the two sides didn’t need much time to negotiate a three-year, $42 million deal to keep him with the only organization he wants for play for.
Top Five Moments of Russell Wilson’s Career With Seahawks
In the modern era of sports, it’s hard for iconic athletes to have truly storybook endings. They constantly change teams. Athletes are hard-wired to never know when to quit, which makes it harder for them to end their careers on the same team they started with. Typically, their careers end after bouncing from team to team, trying to hold on to the last bit of glory.
For Russell Wilson, that was what it turned into. In an alternate universe, he is finishing his 14th season with the Seahawks, well on his way to Canton and the Seahawks’ Ring of Honor. As we all now, life does not always go according to plan. After a solid decade in Seattle, the two sides parted ways. Seahawks general manager John Schneider swung perhaps the biggest trade in franchise history, dealing Wilson to the Denver Broncos along with a 2022 fourth round pick in exchange for two first round picks (2022 and 2023), two second rounders (2022 and 2023), a 2022 fifth round pick, Drew Lock, Noah Fant and Shelby Harris.
By now, we all know this was one of the most lopsided trades in recent NFL history. His Broncos career was short-lived, going 11-19 in two seasons as the starter. It was something of an ugly divorce between Wilson and the Sean Payton-led Broncos, leaving some burnt bridges behind. Wilson bounced around, earning starts for the Steelers and Giants over the last two seasons before finally announcing his retirement this week.
When fans think of Russell Wilson the football player, they likely will forever picture him in a Seahawks uniform. He rewrote the passing record books in Seattle. Changed the entire complexion of the franchise. Truly, he is one of the greatest Seahawks of all-time. Let’s look back at the best five moments of his career in Seattle, which likely earned him a spot in the franchise’s Ring of Honor. These are in chronological order.
From Seattle to São Paulo: Inside the Passion of Seahawks Fans Abroad
Following a sports team from across continents and oceans is an exercise in pure devotion. For international NFL fans, there are no local broadcasts by default, no casual watercooler chats at work, and "prime-time football" often translates to either an early wake-up call or a bedtime ending in “AM.” Yet, the global reach of the NFL is exploding, and few fanbases showcase this border-crossing passion quite like the Seattle Seahawks' international community, particularly in Brazil.
Despite the NFL assigning official marketing rights for Brazil to other franchises like the Dolphins and Eagles under its Global Markets Program, the "12s" have organically grown into one of the country's top five largest NFL fanbases. Propelled by the legendary "Legion of Boom" era and a cultural grit that mirrors Seattle's own, Brazilian 12s are redefining what it means to be a hometown fan.
To understand how this connection bridges thousands of miles, I chatted with a dedicated Seahawks fan from Brazil, who shared her journey from navigating sparse TV coverage to losing her voice during a Super Bowl run, all while balancing her love for American football against a deeply rooted local soccer culture.
She goes under the name “Lumen Loud” on X. She is also a contributor for Rapinas do Mar (@rapinasdomar), a site created in 2018 “to provide and share news and content in Portuguese—in a more accessible format—for American football fans, a community that is steadily growing in our country, and especially for the "12s" in Brazil” (translated from Portuguese into English from their website.
She was kind enough to answer questions for us at Emerald City Spectrum (ECS).
From Undrafted to Super Bowl Champ, Ty Okada Keeps Seizing ‘Special’ Opportunity With Seahawks
Now heading into his fourth NFL season with the Seattle Seahawks and soon to have a Super Bowl ring coming his way, Ty Okada would love to say he expected such successes all along after going undrafted out of Montana State.
But coming from humble beginnings growing up in Woodbury, Minnesota and starring for an under-the-radar FCS program located in Bozeman, Montana collegiately, while Okada isn’t hurting in the confidence department and believes in his talent, making such proclamations wouldn’t be relaying anything the real truth. Like most players who don’t hear their names called on draft weekend and sit on what seems like a chronic roster bubble, he battled through bouts of insecurity and uncertainty as he tried to stick around and survive in a league known for short careers that can end in a flash.
However, Okada’s resolve never wavered when the pressure of such doubts may have dragged down other players under similar circumstances, and the Seahawks continued to reward him with chances to prove his mettle. Backed by a strong support system around him in and out of the team facility, he kept on fighting, and with a couple of injuries opening the door last fall, he finally made a name for himself as a valuable member of coach Mike Macdonald’s “Dark Side” defense.
‘Class Act’: Jadarian Price Brings Professional Approach, Rare Traits to Seahawks’ Backfield
No matter where a prospect starred, even in an era now defined by NIL and the transfer portal that has blurred the lines between amateur and professional considerably, there’s no such thing as a college football player being 100% prepared for jumping up to the highest level of the sport in the NFL.
If there’s a program that truly offers the complete package preparation-wise prior to entering the league, however, the “golden domers” at Notre Dame may just take the cake. The Fighting Irish not only have one of the most storied traditions for winning in college football on the field with 972 victories all-time, but they boast one of the most prestigious academic institutions in the world, providing a unique, one-of-a-kind environment that fosters both strong work ethic and real world habits that translate well to the high-stakes life of playing in the NFL.
Earning a degree in sociology while helping Notre Dame reach a College Football Playoff Championship Game along the way, Jadarian Price made the most of his four-year experience in South Bend, and as the latest first round pick for the Seattle Seahawks, he’s already seeing the benefits of playing for the Fighting Irish as he adapts to his new team and surroundings.
‘That Guy is a Monster’: Seahawks Banking on Deven Eastern Bringing Violence to Trenches
From a supply and demand perspective in the NFL, offensive and defensive linemen don’t grow on trees, and it’s even tougher to find 300-plus pound prospects who offer quality athletic traits to go with their sheer size.
As they built their Super Bowl LX-winning squad over the past few seasons, the Seattle Seahawks have pulled a 180 degree turn on that front, particularly on the offensive line. Since 2022, general manager John Schneider has drafted long-term starters in tackles Charles Cross and Abraham Lucas as well as guard Grey Zabel while also unearthing an undrafted gem in center Jalen Sundell. On the opposite side of the ball, he traded for All-Pro defensive tackle Leonard Williams, re-signed veteran Jarran Reed, and drafted a budding star in Byron Murphy II, a trio that now anchors arguably the best defensive front in the league.
Not to rest on his laurels, Schneider continued to build in the trenches in the 2026 NFL Draft, including trading down three times in the final two days to recoup a trio of seventh round draft picks, using one of those selections on versatile Minnesota defensive tackle Deven Eastern to further fortify a stout defensive line for the future.
‘Whatever It Takes’: Andre Fuller Looking to Soar for Seahawks’ Defense, Special Teams
Since he played his last snap at Seminole Ridge High School, Andre Fuller’s football journey has been a unique one, taking him to multiple locations while playing multiple positions along the way.
Tabbed as a zero-star recruit, Fuller started his college chapter at Arkansas Pine Bluff, enrolling with the FCS level Golden Lions in 2020. The COVID pandemic pushed the scheduled season to the spring in 2021, and after appearing in 16 games over two seasons with the program, he entered the transfer portal, signing up for a little “MAC-tion” with the Toledo Rockets, where he emerged as a late-blooming starter and garnered All-Mac First-Team recognition as a senior.
While his path was by no means easy and featured plenty of detours on and off the field, Fuller’s unexpected ascent from zero stars to the pros became more than a dream on April 25 when, after recouping three selections with trade downs, the Seattle Seahawks selected him with the 236th overall pick in the seventh round of the 2026 NFL Draft.
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