Zach Charbonnet, Ty Okada Return to Practice as Seahawks Ramp Up Preparations for Chargers
While it remains to be seen when either player will suit up for game action for the first time in 2026, the Seattle Seahawks welcomed back two key starters to the practice field with running back Zach Charbonnet and safety Ty Okada returning as limited participants on Thursday.
Designated to return from the PUP list, Charbonnet’s latest step shifts him one step closer to the end of a difficult journey recovering from a torn ACL. The fourth-year back injured his knee during a Divisional Round victory over the 49ers in January and didn’t undergo surgery to repair the ligament until February 20, putting his status for the upcoming season up in the air with just five months until the start of training camp.
But Charbonnet has seemingly been well ahead of schedule throughout the process, drawing praise from coach Mike Macdonald on numerous occasions for his outstanding work ethic and attacking his rehabilitation program from Day 1. Barely seven months after his surgery, he could be seen cutting on the practice field and donning a helmet for the first time since the injury, moving closer to a much-anticipated return for a Seattle backfield that certainly could use him.
“Having Zach back in general, just to have his presence, obviously Zach - man of many words, right?” quarterback Sam Darnold joked. “Doesn’t say a whole lot, but just the way he leads by example every single day of just coming to work and doing his job, that’s huge for us as a team.”
‘Next Man Up’ Reaches New Threshold as Seahawks Head to Nation’s Capital With Short-Handed Safety Group
Every NFL team preaches the mantra “next man up,” but few teams actually execute the idea better than the Seattle Seahawks, who have built one of the strongest rosters in the league with an emphasis on the “Power of 70” through stockpiling and developing talent on the 53-man and practice squad.
Under the watch of coach Mike Macdonald and general manager John Schneider, the Seahawks have been able to consistently weather the storm when it comes to injuries, including benefiting from the presence of an experienced, proven backup quarterback in Drew Lock in the first two weeks of the 2026 season. Injuries have been especially problematic at the safety spot, where rookie Bud Clark suffered a season-ending broken ankle in the preseason, Nick Emmanwori missed the first game recovering from offseason ankle surgery, and Ty Okada has sat out the first two games with a hamstring injury, but veteran Rodney Thomas II more than picked up the slack as the team raced out to a 2-0 start.
But with Okada still not ready to return and star safety Julian Love ruled out with a new calf injury suffered in Thursday’s practice, even with Emmanwori slated to see an uptick in snaps after playing nine defensive plays in his season debut last weekend, the Seahawks will have their depth tested even further against the Commanders on the road on Sunday. Down both of their projected starters on the back end, Thomas will have to take on a far bigger role as a communicator in the secondary, and Macdonald may have to deploy a by-committee approach at the other spot with the team now down to third and potentially fourth-string players trying to step up.
Seahawks Injury Report: Sam Darnold Set to Return, Safety Spot Short-Handed vs. Commanders
After missing one game with a glute injury and returning to practice this week, Sam Darnold will be back under center for the Seattle Seahawks when they hit the road for their first East coast trip of the 2026 season to face the Washington Commanders, but they will be without one of their biggest stars on defense.
Listed as a full participant on Thursday and Friday after being limited on Wednesday, Darnold successfully ramped up his activity as the week progressed without any setbacks, paving the way for the Seahawks to be comfortable with him returning to the lineup. Coach Mike Macdonald confirmed the Pro Bowl quarterback would suit up in Landover after a strong week.
“He’s been really positive and feels great, looks great. We’re rolling,” Macdonald said, jokingly adding with a smile, “It’s a medical miracle.”
Bizarre Opening Week for Seahawks, NFC West Concludes With Rams as Only Team in Loss Column
Weird things tend to happen in bunches during the opening week of a new NFL season, and for the Seattle Seahawks and the rest of the NFC West, that certainly proved to be the case as three of the four teams within the division grabbed victories.
Moments after lowering their second-ever Super Bowl title banner at Lumen Field, the Seahawks watched star quarterback Sam Darnold hobble into the locker room after just six offensive plays, and they failed to score a single point in the first half as they fell behind 10-0 in the third quarter against the Patriots. Under such circumstances, most teams would have folded, but that wasn’t the case for coach Mike Macdonald’s championship-tested squad.
Led by Drew Lock under center and an opportunistic defense that picked up where it left off winning a Lombardi Trophy as the No. 1 scoring unit in the league last season, Seattle stormed back with 13 unanswered points. Playing with calm and poise running new coordinator Brian Fleury’s offense, Lock threw for 187 yards and completed 72% of his passes with a 45-yard touchdown pass to Jaxon Smith-Njigba and no turnovers, while rookie runnng back Jadarian Price rushed for 52 yards on just 10 carries to lead the rushing attack.
Defensively, the trio of Nehemiah Pritchett, Julian Love, and Josh Jobe picked off MVP runner up Drake Maye three times in the fourth quarter, with Jobe’s icing the game inside 30 seconds left to play in the end zone as the Seahawks celebrated their comeback victory in front of a boisterous sellout crowd.
WATCH: Julian Love Stars as ‘The Mayor’ Leads By Action in Seahawks' 13-10 Win vs. Patriots
One of the best all-around safeties in the league, Julian Love put his stamp on the Seattle Seahawks' thrilling comeback win over the New England Patriots to open the season in more ways than one, once again proving "The Mayor" swings a big stick in Mike Macdonald's secondary on the stat sheet and as a leader.
Emerald City Spectrum reporter Corbin Smith breaks down Love’s outstanding performance, including a big hit to open the second half that seemed to re-awaken a dormant Lumen Field crowd, and how his presence helped bring out the best in a secondary missing several injured players.
Top Performers in Seahawks’ 13-10 Week 1 Win vs. Patriots
Despite losing starting quarterback Sam Darnold just six snaps into Wednesday’s opener and falling behind 10-0 in the third quarter, led by Drew Lock and an opportunistic defense, the resilient Seattle Seahawks stormed back in front of the boisterous 12s for a thrilling 13-10 victory over the New England Patriots.
Diving into the All-22 film and digging deeper into Seattle’s hard-fought comeback win to kick off the new season, who stood out in the much-anticipated Super Bowl LX rematch? Here are my top five performers from the Seahawks’ three-point victory over Drake Maye and the Patriots at Lumen Field:
Julian Love
Overall Grade: 91.0 (Run Defense 94, Coverage 92, Tackling 87)
Preaching to his teammates to have “violence in their hearts” during warmups, “The Mayor” took those words literally to heart from the opening kickoff to the final whistle. Reading New England’s blocking schemes like a book, he rocketed into the backfield for a pair of tackles for loss on running back Rhamondre Stevenson, including a crucial 3rd and 1 stop in the first quarter that forced the visitors to punt the ball away after he blew up the back on a B-gap blitz. Even when receivers made catches in his vicinity, he rattled the bones of Drake Maye’s targets, including demolishing Hunter Henry on a 13-yard reception to open the third quarter with a jarring hit that woke the 12s up from their post-Sam Darnold injury slumber.
Rapid Reaction: Seahawks Rally Behind Drew Lock, Intercept Way Past Patriots for 13-10 Win
SEATTLE, Wash. - Overcoming an early injury that knocked Sam Darnold out of action, the Seattle Seahawks roared back from a 10-point second half deficit to open the 2026 season with a 13-10 win over the New England Patriots.
Filling in admirably for Darnold, Drew Lock outplayed Drake Maye, completing 16 out of 22 passes for 187 yards and a 45-yard touchdown to Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who finished with 122 receiving yards to kick off the new year. The trio of Julian Love, Nehemiah Pritchett, and Josh Jobe recorded fourth quarter interceptions, with the latter picking off Maye in the end zone to ice the game inside 30 seconds to play.
Diving into a wild, adversity-filled opener, here are five takeaways from a big-time win in a Super Bowl LX rematch at Lumen Field:
1. Despite Darnold scare and a slow start for the backup, Lock comes up clutch again in relief.
On the path to a Lombardi Trophy a year ago, Seattle had relatively positive fortunes on the injury front. But only a few minutes into Wednesday’s opener, that luck got twisted upside down in a heartbeat, sending a frenzied crowd into a silenced panic. Sacked by Dre’Mont Jones on third down to end the opening series, Darnold gingerly jogged off, trying to shake off the discomfort as he headed to the sideline. Only a few minutes later, he spent a brief spell in the blue injury tent before hobbling to the locker room, sending Lock in for sub duty.
Key Matchups to Watch as Seahawks Battle Patriots in Week 1 Super Bowl Rematch
Finally beginning their march to “run it forward” after winning Super Bowl LX in February, the Seattle Seahawks will open their title defense against the same New England Patriots that they defeated in Santa Clara in a statement Week 1 Wednesday night battle at Lumen Field.
While both teams return many of the same players who played in that matchup seven months ago, Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald understands that his team can’t put too much stock into what worked that night in an always unpredictable opener, especially with the changes that the Patriots have made to improve their roster over the course of the offseason.
“First game of the year is a little tricky,” Macdonald said on Saturday. “You don’t want to fall in the trap of applying last year’s things you see too much to what’s going to happen this year. Teams grow and evolve and change and there’s different personnel on both sides. Our focus is trying to do the things that we do that our guys can go play the best they can and also try to apply as much pressure as you can as well but understanding how the game goes, there’s going to be some things that we’re going to be required to make adjustments in game.”
With the Seahawks looking to start off with a win and the Patriots seeking redemption in prime time, which matchups will dictate which reigning conference champion grabs a marquee season opening victory?
Seahawks Prepping for ‘Guessing Game' Facing Overhauled Patriots in Super Bowl Rematch
Playing the same opponent to end one season and open another isn’t completely unprecedented in the NFL, particularly in the event that the two teams who played in the previous Super Bowl just happen to have a rare out of conference matchup slated for the following regular season.
Still, when the Seattle Seahawks kick off their Super Bowl title defense against the New England Patriots, the “same” opponent that they defeated to hoist the Lombardi Trophy in Santa Clara back in February, there’s no question there will be some oddities to the rematch seven months and a full offseason in the making. Beyond playing on a Wednesday night, which has only happened five times previously in league history, including twice on Christmas, the two squads will have some notable differences personnel-wise, particularly for the visitors flying in from Foxboro.
Settling into his first game planning week of the season, Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald likes the “change of pace” away from the vanilla days of the preseason in August and has certainly gone back to watch Super Bowl LX as a means for preparation for the Patriots, but he understands the unpredictable nature that always comes with season openers regardless of familiarity with opponent. No matter what, there inevitably will be developments in the game that his staff and players haven’t prepared for and need to audible on accordingly.
“First game of the year is a little tricky,” Macdonald said prior to Saturday’s practice, which replaced the typical Wednesday practice to open a game week given the unique Week 1 schedule. “You don’t want to fall in the trap of applying last year’s things you see too much to what’s going to happen this year. Teams grow and evolve and change and there’s different personnel on both sides. Our focus is trying to do the things that we do that our guys can go play the best they can and also try to apply as much pressure as you can as well but understanding how the game goes, there’s going to be some things that we’re going to be required to make adjustments in game.”
Three-Year Outlook: Seahawks Face a Few Pressing Questions on Defense Beyond 2026
As the calendar flips to April and the 2026 NFL Draft rapidly approaches, the Seattle Seahawks find themselves in the heat of the offseason, continuing to look into ways to improve their roster scanning the free agent market along with wrapping up draft evaluations while also exploring extensions to retain several of their top players.
While building the best roster for the upcoming season remains the top goal with eyes on defending their Super Bowl title, Seahawks general manager John Schneider also has to be cognizant of the future, making every decision in regard to free agency, extensions, and the draft with a multi-year window in mind.
Now less than a month away from the draft, how does Seattle’s defense look for both the present and the future?
‘Battle Tested’ Seahawks Suffocate Patriots, Cement Place as All-Time Great Defense in Super Bowl Win
Approaching kickoff for Super Bowl LX, there wasn’t cloud in the sky as temperatures hovered around the low 70s, presenting idealistic conditions for the ultimate event in sports.
But then, the Seattle Seahawks’ “Darkside” defense took the field, bringing with them a violent storm that the New England Patriots simply weren’t prepared for and couldn’t weather.
It started with a flash in the form of a Derick Hall sack on the opening series, forcing a punt, followed by thunder as Devon Witherspoon came in unabated to hit Drake Maye and coax an ugly throwaway downfield, again forcing a punt. Lightning struck on the next possession as the cornerback got home this time with teammate Nick Emmanwori also collapsing the pocket, corralling the quarterback after shooting the B-gap untouched for a 10-yard sack that led to a third consecutive punt.
Rapid Reaction: Seahawks ‘Darkside’ Defense Handcuffs Patriots in 29-13 Super Bowl LX Victory
Orchestrating one of the most dominant defensive performances in Super Bowl history, the Seattle Seahawks forced eight punts on their first nine defensive series, locking down the New England Patriots in historic fashion to secure a 29-13 victory and bring the second Lombardi Trophy to the Pacific Northwest.
Overcoming an uncharacteristically inaccurate performance from Sam Darnold, the Seahawks found more than enough offense behind AJ Barner’s 16-yard touchdown catch off a turnover, Ken Walker III’s 135 rushing yards, and five field goals from kicker Jason Myers. A suffocating defensive effort by coach Mike Macdonald’s squad bottled up and frazzled Patriots quarterback Drake Maye, with outside linebacker Derick Hall leading the charge sacking him twice and forcing a fumble that defensive tackle Byron Murphy II recovered in New England territory and Uchenna Nwosu returning an interception for a touchdown in the fourth quarter to start the celebration.
Past Failures of ‘Battle-Tested’ Veterans Drives Seahawks to Historic Super Bowl Run
One of the youngest teams in the NFL, strong drafting has catapulted the Seahawks back into the Super Bowl. But if Mike Macdonald’s squad wins the Lombardi Trophy, it will be the adversity-tested veterans who have lived on the other side of the coin who lead them to the promised land.
Rising to Moment, Nick Emmanwori Delivers ‘Helluva Plays’ as Seahawks Clinch Super Bowl Berth
Throughout his rookie season, Nick Emmanwori has been a game changer for an already loaded Seahawks defense. But taking advice from a beloved teammate to heart, he elevated his game to another level under the brightest lights to lift his team to the Super Bowl.
Seahawks Secondary Recovers, Helps Send Seattle to the Super Bowl
The Seahawks secondary had some tough moments against the Los Angeles Rams in Sunday’s NFC Championship game. How did Seattle rebound and secure a trip to the Super Bowl?
Seahawks’ Path to Super Bowl Revolves Around Challenge of Slowing Potent Rams Offense
Uncharacteristically, the Seahawks got gashed by the Rams in Week 16, but the defense found its footing late to aid a 38-37 comeback victory. Set for a rematch with the Super Bowl on the line, what went wrong in that game and what lessons can Seattle use on Sunday?
Halftime Observations: Rashid Shaheed, Seahawks Sprint Out to 24-6 Lead vs. 49ers in Divisional Round
Going up seven behind Rashid Shaheed’s explosive speed less than 15 seconds into the game, the Seahawks raced out to a 17-point advantage over the 49ers as they draw closer to their first NFC Championship Game berth in a decade.
Report Card: Top Performers in Seahawks’ 27-10 Road Win Over Panthers
Turnovers and clutch plays fueled a second half surge that led the Seahawks past the Panthers in Charlotte, keeping Mike Macdonald’s squad atop the NFC standings. Who shined brightest in Seattle’s sixth straight win?
Closing Thoughts: Seahawks Ride Second Half Surge to 27-10 Win Over Panthers
Turnovers and subpar pass protection grounded Seattle’s offense for more than two quarters in Charlotte. But as they’ve done all season, the Seahawks leaned on their swarming defense to turn the tide in the second half to pick up their 13th win.
Third Down Mastery Helps Seahawks Tame Panthers, Puts Team on Brink of NFC’s Top Seed
Far from clicking on all cylinders, at least on offense, the Seahawks found yet another way to earn an NFL win on Sunday by dominating on money downs, maintaining their spot as the NFC’s top seed with a week to play.
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