Rapid Reaction: Seahawks Fizzle After Fast Start, Fall 17-7 to Cowboys in Preseason Opener
Despite a fast start to kick off the exhibition season with an opening drive touchdown, the Seattle Seahawks whiffed on multiple fourth down opportunities and the offense went ice cold for the final three quarters of play as the Dallas Cowboys earned a 17-7 victory in the preseason opener.
Rotating snaps under center, Drew Lock completed nine out of 13 passes for 40 yards and tossed a five-yard touchdown to receiver Montorie Foster Jr., while Jalen Milroe rushed for 36 yards and added 36 yards as a passer. Seemingly playing with clones on the field, linebacker Tyrice Knight stuffed the stat sheet with a team-high 10 tackles and two pass breakups, starring in the middle with mostly backups playing on defense for Seattle, while edge rusher Jalan Gaines and safety AJ Finley produced the team’s only tackles for loss.
Here are five takeaways from the preseason opener at Lumen Field:
1. A methodical drive aided by a big penalty finishes with Lock’s arm giving the Seahawks a quick lead.
Playing with all backups on the offensive side of the ball, Lock didn’t waste much time going into aggressive mode from the pocket. After a short run by George Holani and a quick completion to Jake Bobo on the first two plays of the series, the Seahawks faced 3rd and 4 and the veteran backup uncorked a deep ball down the left sideline for veteran receiver Cody White, who got grabbed by cornerback Caelan Carson from behind as the pass sailed over his head. With his progress severely impeded to prevent a big play, he drew a 19-yard pass interference penalty to extend the opening possession.
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.
Camp Takeaways: Jalen Milroe Continues to Impress, Seahawks Ready to Use Multitude of 2-Back Sets
Back in pads for the third time so far in training camp, the Seattle Seahawks once again saw a step forward from second-year quarterback Jalen Milroe, while the defense held serve after a couple of standout practices for the offense.
Reporter Corbin Smith teams up with Dan Viens of Seahawks Forever to dish out their thoughts on what they saw and heard in Seattle's ninth training camp practice, including Milroe's growing confidence playing the quarterback position, Brian Fleury's comments about implementing multiple two-back sets into his offensive scheme, and Rylie Mills' continued dominance in his first healthy NFL training camp.
Ranking Seahawks: Ex-Colts Starter Rodney Thomas Looks to Jumpstart Career, Headlining No. 50-46
With the calendar recently flipping to July and offseason workouts wrapped up league-wide for the summer, the defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks will soon descend upon the Virginia Mason Athletic Center for the start of training camp, kicking off a much-anticipated 2026 season.
To celebrate the new incoming season, I will be ranking every member of the Seahawks 90-man roster over the next several weeks leading up to report day, providing detailed profiles, exploring best and worst case scenarios, and breaking down what to expect from each player entering the 2026 campaign.
Continuing with No. 50-46 on my annual rankings, an incoming rookie will enter the fold seeking a key backup role along the offensive line and a ball-hawking safety hopes a hard reset changing zip codes will pay major dividends jump-starting his career after a promising start.
Ready to Defend Title, Seahawks ‘Cognizant’ of Lessons Learned From Previous Super Bowl Runs
Every season in the NFL is unique by nature thanks to free agency and the draft ensuring substantial roster turnover across the league, and while the Seattle Seahawks only lost five players in free agency off of their Super Bowl LX winning squad, they won’t be an exception to the rule with several newcomers coming on board as they begin their title defense.
With that said, though the vibes will undoubtedly be a bit different in 2026 regardless of the continuity on the roster, that doesn’t mean that the effects of playing into February and hoisting the Lombardi Trophy won’t have an impact on the upcoming season either. Fortunately for general manager John Schneider, this isn’t his first rodeo coming off of a Super Bowl run, and he’s eager to take advantage of the multitude of lessons learned from the last time the Seahawks made the big game in back to back seasons in 2014 and 2015.
Speaking with reporters at the NFL Annual Meeting in Phoenix, leaning on his first-hand experience from those prior Super Bowl runs, Schneider indicated that there’s a lot of factors Seattle must be “cognizant” of after playing deep into February that go well beyond building the roster and coaching staff.
Seahawks Locking Up Restricted Free Agents, Maintaining Championship Core
While the Seattle Seahawks have lost several former starters in free agency, including running back Ken Walker III and safety Coby Bryant, the franchise has made keeping most of its championship core together a top priority.
Aiming to keep the band together for the most part, the Seahawks have worked swiftly to retain several of their restricted free agents early in the free agency window. The process started in earnest one week before the new league year kicked off with linebacker Drake Thomas signing a two-year, $8 million deal to avoid becoming an unrestricted free agent without a tender, ensuring both of the team’s starters at the position would be under contract through 2027.
With free agency officially starting on Wednesday, Seattle has continued to lock up restricted free agents with new contracts, starting with the decision to place a right of first refusal tender on receiver Jake Bobo. Later in the day, the team signed long snapper Chris Stoll to a two-year contract and welcomed back reserve safety AJ Finley on a one-year contract. On Thursday, one day after he became an unrestricted free agent without a tender placed on him, tight end/fullback Brady Russell returned on a two-year deal of his own and defensive tackle Brandon Pili inked a one-year deal worth $2 million.
Analysis: Ranking Riq Woolen, Seahawks Projected 2026 Free Agents
Now officially in offseason mode after capturing a Super Bowl title for the second time in franchise history, the Seattle Seahawks have several big questions to answer on the free agency front with a new league year set to begin on March 11.
Compared to prior offseasons, the Seahawks have a quite healthy financial situation, as OverTheCap.com has them currently with $62 million in effective cap space, the sixth-most in the NFL. But at the same time, in addition to 16 unrestricted and restricted free agents, general manager John Schneider has several young stars now eligible for extensions, including All-Pro receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba and cornerback Devon Witherspoon, inevitably meaning that the franchise won’t be able to keep everyone set to hit the market next month.
Looking at Seattle’s projected unrestricted and restricted free agents, who stands out as the players Schneider and company should prioritize re-signing?
Jay Harbaugh, Seahawks Putting ‘Special’ in Special Teams in NFC West Title Pursuit
A top-five scoring offense and scoring defense has propelled the Seahawks to the top of the NFC standings. But as evidenced again in Atlanta on Sunday, the third phase of the game may be the reason why Seattle belongs in the Super Bowl contender tier.
Comparing Rivals: How Do Seahawks, Rams’ Offenses Stack Up Against Each Other?
Racing out to 7-2 starts, the Seahawks and Rams have put a ton of points on the board behind their star quarterbacks, talented receiving corps, and improved offensive lines. Where does each team hold an edge going into Sunday’s first matchup at SoFi Stadium?
20 Bold Predictions For Seahawks’ 2025 Season
Looking to find their way back into the playoffs after a two-year drought, how will the 2025 season play out for the Seahawks in year two under Mike Macdonald?
Film Breakdown: A Deep Dive Into Seahawks’ 268-Yard Rushing Onslaught vs. Chiefs
Even in a preseason setting, the Seahawks have showcased several staples in Klint Kubiak’s run game, using a variety of schemes to rush for almost 270 yards against the Chiefs on Friday night.
Analysis: Examining 4 Seahawks Defensive Roster Bubble Battles Midway Through Preseason
From the edge rush group to reserve safeties, the Seahawks still have several battles for roster spots that remain undecided on the defensive side of the ball. Who holds the edge in four ongoing competitions?
Analysis: Examining 4 Seahawks Offensive Roster Bubble Battles Midway Through Preseason
From the backfield to the offensive line, the Seahawks still have several battles for roster spots that remain undecided on the offensive side of the ball. Who holds the edge in four ongoing competitions?
Seahawks 53-Man Projection: Who Makes Cut After First Two Weeks of Training Camp?
Already with 10 practices in the books, several starting jobs and roster spots remain up for grabs as the Seahawks prepare for their first preseason game. Who would be on the final roster if those decisions were made today?
Camp Takeaways: Highlight Plays, Sloppy Center Execution Headline Third Padded Practice
Bringing back the pads after an easy Wednesday, the Seahawks got after it with a physical, highlight-filled practice with big plays on offense and defense, though miscues from the pivot position put a damper on the session overall.
Key Offensive Questions as Seahawks Open 2025 Training Camp
Winds of change blew through Seattle this offseason with the Seahawks changing quarterbacks and offensive coordinators among other moves, leaving no shortage of questions regarding what to expect from the unit this upcoming season.
Analysis: Rationalizing Seahawks Decision to Cut Noah Fant Prior to Training Camp
Speculated as a cap casualty prior to free agency in March, the Seahawks opted to keep Noah Fant, suggesting they had a role in mind for him in Klint Kubiak’s offense. So why is he suddenly leaving town two days before training camp?
Seahawks 90-Man Rundown: Brady Russell Eager to Demonstrate Flexibility at Fullback
Racking up tackles in bunches on kick and punt coverage in his first two NFL seasons, Brady Russell has been one of the Seahawks best players on special teams. But for him to take the next step, he will have to prove himself at a new position in Klint Kubiak’s offense.
What We Learned About Seahawks During Offseason Program - And What We Still Don’t Know
Only so much can be learned about an NFL team in non-padded practices, but that doesn’t mean some questions about the Seahawks weren’t answered over the past three weeks during OTAs and mandatory minicamp, including having a ways to go for the offense to level up to the defense.
Analysis: What to Watch at Seahawks Mandatory Minicamp
Putting a ribbon on their offseason program, the Seahawks will hit the practice field for two mandatory minicamps before bolting for summer break. What bears watching in the final sessions at the VMAC?