Tory Horton Returns as Seahawks Begin Training Camp With Mostly Encouraging Health Updates
Approaching the midway point of the 2025 season, a wide open Offensive Rookie of the Year race had a surprise contender emerge from the Seattle Seahawks’ potent top-five scoring offense in the form of Tory Horton.
Falling into the fifth round after missing a significant chunk of his senior season at Colorado State with a knee/hamstring injury, Horton bounced back from the setback to quickly become one of Sam Darnold’s favorite targets on his new team. Though he only had caught 13 passes in nine games, five of those receptions put points on the scoreboard, including a pair of touchdowns in a 38-14 blowout win over the Commanders on Sunday Night Football in Week 9, tying him with superstar Jaxon Smith-Njigba for the team lead in receiving touchdowns.
Despite playing the entirety of the blowout win in Landover, Horton unexpectedly dealt with shin soreness in the days that followed the victory, first missing a handful of practices with hopes the injury wouldn’t sideline him for long. However, after missing a Week 10 win over Arizona, the shin showed no signs of improvement, leading to a stint on injured reserve that transitioned from being a projected four-week absence initially into the season-ending variety, keeping him out all the way through Seattle’s Super Bowl run and even into the offseason program this spring as he recovered from an injury far worse than anyone expected.
Nick Emmanwori Among 3 Seahawks Veterans Placed on PUP List
Closing in on training camp report day for veterans later this week, the Seattle Seahawks placed standout second-year safety Nick Emmanwori, running back Kenny McIntosh, and cornerback Tyrone Broden on the Physically Unable to Perform list on Monday.
Of the three names, Emmanwori’s inclusion stands out as the most obvious surprise with an undisclosed injury. The Defensive Rookie of the Year runner up from a year ago participated in Seattle’s offseason program in full, taking the field for all open OTA and minicamp practices without any evidence of injury, and looked healthy at a recent youth football camp that he hosted in Edmonds.
Before fans hit the panic button on Emmanwori’s status, however, NFL teams often use the PUP lists for procedural reasons with players who arrive at camp nursing minor injuries such as hamstring pulls or other soft tissue strains, providing a buffer in case the ailment requires a bit of time before the player can return to the field. Teams cannot place players on the PUP list after practices have started, leaving only season-ending injured reserve as an option. To avoid that possibility, it makes sense to err on the side of caution with hopes the player will pass his physical sooner rather than later and be activated.
Ranking Seahawks: Andre Fuller Among Trio of Recent Seventh Round Picks in No. 65-61
With the calendar quickly heading towards 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. 65-61 on my annual rankings, a veteran running back will look to rediscover his pre-injury groove and a pair of recent seventh round picks have a shot to vie for backup roles at their respective positions.
Analysis: Investigating Seahawks’ Key Offensive Position Battles Entering OTAs
Set to kick off OTAs next week at the VMAC, the Seattle Seahawks will welcome back plenty of familiar faces from their Super Bowl squad. In fact, all 11 players who logged at least 700 offensive snaps in 2025 remain under contract heading into the new season, presenting rare continuity for a defending champion.
Thanks to the minimal changes, with running back being the lone exception to the rule after losing Ken Walker III to Kansas City in free agency and drafting Jadarian Price with the 32nd overall pick, Seattle will open the final phase of the offseason program without many starting jobs up for grabs on offense. All five offensive linemen who started last year will return, as will quarterback Sam Darnold and a dynamic receiving corps headlined by Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Rashid Shaheed, and Cooper Kupp.
But while few starting jobs may be on the line, the Seahawks should still have some enticing competitions on tap on the offensive side of the football when they hit the practice field next week, including a pair of fun depth contests looming at guard and receiver further bolstered by selections made in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Which battles offer the most intrigue with two months until the start of training camp?
Analysis: Is Seahawks’ Backfield Situation Post-Ken Walker III’s Exit Better Than Perceived?
As expected to happen for a defending Super Bowl champion, the Seattle Seahawks have lost several key players from their championship squad to open the free agency period this week with other teams eager to add talent in a league built around the premise of parity.
Arguably the most notable departure for Seattle, Super Bowl LX MVP Ken Walker III received a record-setting free agent deal for a running back, signing the dotted line to join the Kansas City Chiefs on a three-year deal worth up to $45 million with nearly $30 million in guaranteed salary. This loss would have stung for the Seahawks no matter what, but the potential negative impact of the four-year starter’s exit was further exacerbated by Zach Charbonnet suffering a torn ACL during the team’s playoff run and not undergoing surgery until late February, likely sidelining him until at least October, if not longer.
In the aftermath of Walker bolting, which happened mere minutes into the NFL’s tampering period on Monday, the Seahawks were linked to the likes of Tyler Allgeier, Kenneth Gainwell, and Rico Dowdle, only for those three players to quickly sign elsewhere as the free agent running back crop rapidly got picked down before the new league year officially began. Other veterans such as Rachaad White remained available, but wound up signing with other teams as well, much to the frustration of fans wondering when the team would make move to try to bolster the backfield.
Seahawks’ Odds of Re-signing Ken Walker III Dwindle Following Breece Hall Franchise Tag
The legal tampering period leading up to the start of a new NFL league year remains six days away, but the chances of Ken Walker III returning to the Seattle Seahawks took a significant hit on Tuesday thanks to an expected move made by the New York Jets with their own star running back.
According to Connor Hughes of SNYTV, the Jets have placed the franchise tag on running back Breece Hall, eliminating the possibility of the former second round pick hitting the market when free agency opens on March 11. Under the terms of the fully-guaranteed tender, he would earn $14.23 million in 2026, which would be the fifth-highest cap number among backs next season.
Continuing to negotiate during last week’s NFL scouting combine in Indianapolis, New York tried to hammer out a long-term deal with Hall to avoid having to use the exclusive tag, but the two sides weren’t able to reach an agreement. The organization considered using the transition tag, which would have been a bit cheaper at $11.32 million, but other teams were expected to make a run at him offering more money with the risk of losing the standout runner without compensation in return, leading to the choice to franchise tag him instead.
Analysis: How Does Zach Charbonnet Injury Impact Seahawks’ Offseason Game Plan?
Winning the Super Bowl in the NFL requires a talented roster and strong coaching. But teams that make it all the way to the mountaintop also need good fortune, particularly when it comes to injuries.
Capturing the Lombardi Trophy for the second time in franchise history earlier this month, the Seattle Seahawks checked off all three of those boxes. General manager John Schneider assembled the deepest, most talented roster in the league with coach Mike Macdonald and a fantastic staff maximizing on that talent, and health-wise, the team suffered far fewer significant injuries than other playoff teams.
With that said, the Seahawks didn’t escape the season without a substantial injury happening in the playoffs as they orchestrated their run to the Super Bowl, as standout running back Zach Charbonnet suffered a torn ACL in a 41-6 Divisional Round beatdown of the 49ers. There’s never a good time for such an injury to occur, but in the case of Charbonnet, blowing out his knee so late in the season creates a conundrum that the organization will have to navigate heading into free agency and the upcoming NFL draft.
Seahawks Place RB Kenny McIntosh on Injured Reserve With Torn ACL
Lost for the season, the Seahawks placed Kenny McIntosh on injured reserve, replacing him on the roster with one of college football’s most prolific punt returners from last season.
Seahawks Fear Kenny McIntosh Lost For Season With ACL Injury
Likely ending his season before it even began, the Seahawks already have taken a massive hit in the backfield with Kenny McIntosh succumbing to a knee injury at Saturday’s fourth training camp practice.
Seahawks Camp Preview: Will New Offense Unlock Ken Walker III, Gifted RB Stable?
Few teams have invested more in the running back position than the Seahawks have in the past four years, but the on-field results haven’t matched those investments. The onus will fall on a new coaching staff and scheme to bring out the best in Ken Walker III and company in 2025.
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.
Seahawks OTAs Preview: What to Watch From Ken Walker III, Talented RB Group
With three veteran backs returning and an exciting rookie in Damien Martinez joining the mix, the Seahawks have as much talent at running back as any team in the NFC. But will that talent translate to better production in Klint Kubiak’s offense?
Post-2025 NFL Draft Way-Too-Early Seahawks 53-Man Roster Projection
With OTAs set to kick off next month, the Seahawks have several intriguing competitions set to commence both for starting roles and roster spots. Who has the inside track for a roster spot in September?
Seahawks Add Run Game Coordinator to Klint Kubiak’s Offensive Staff
Adding another coach to the staff with prior ties to Klint Kubiak, the Seahawks continue to prioritize fixing their run game heading towards the 2025 season.
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