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.”
Seahawks Unveil Super Bowl Rings to Commemorate ‘Unforgettable Season’
It’s one of the benchmarks every Super Bowl champion looks forward to. There’s the trophy ceremony immediately after the game to hoist the Lombardi Trophy for the first time. Then there’s the parade through the city streets. The first game of the next season, there is the unveiling of the Super Bowl championship banner in the stadium rafters.
Before that, of course, the players and staff get their coveted Super Bowl rings. The piece of jewelry every football player ever has dreamed of slipping on their finger one day. Some all-time greats never did. It’s always a moment fans look forward to after their team wins the Super Bowl- what will the rings look like? Now we know.
On Thursday night, the Seattle Seahawks held a private banquet to reveal their Super Bowl LX championship rings. The rings were designed by luxury jeweler, Jason of Beverly Hills, in collaboration with Seahawks leadership. Even the reveal itself was magical. Boxes descended from the ceiling and were placed perfectly on the tables of each player, for them to unbox themselves.
WATCH: Defense Dominates Red Zone-Heavy Day 3 of Seahawks Minicamp
Bringing the offseason program to an end and ushering in summer break before training camp, Emerald City Spectrum reporter Corbin Smith breaks down what he saw and heard at the Seahawks' third and final mandatory minicamp practice, including an opportunistic defense racking up interceptions and pick sixes in a high energy session at the VMAC.
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.
Seahawks Minicamp Takeaways: Nick Emmanwori Adding New Wrinkle, Zach Charbonnet Progresses
Launching the final phase of their offseason program, the Seattle Seahawks kicked off mandatory minicamp on Tuesday with the vast majority of players on the field, including the return of veterans Demarcus Lawrence and Leonard Williams.
What stood out of from Day 1 of Seattle’s annual three-day minicamp? Here are five takeaways from Tuesday’s session at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center:
1. Sam Darnold and Jaxon Smith-Njigba steering towards midseason form in the final week of the offseason program.
Crazily enough, Darnold and Smith-Njigba turned in a historic 2025 season combining to link up for over 1,700 yards and 10 touchdowns with limited practice time, as the two had never played together prior to hitting the field for the first time last April. But they developed outstanding chemistry seemingly overnight with the quarterback and receiver lighting it up throughout the offseason program and training camp before leading the charge for a top-five scoring offense on the way to a Super Bowl victory.
On the heels of that immense success, Smith-Njigba had some bad news for opponents on Tuesday, sending a message on the field and at the podium that the two stars expect to be even more in sync in their second season in tandem. After a somewhat quiet trio of OTA practices, the reigning Offensive Player of the Year jumped back into dominant form, starting with a nifty 20-yard catch on a quick out route where he managed to beat the quarter-quarter side of a Cover 6 look outside to make the catch before the outside cornerback could even blink, setting up a Jason Myers field goal in a two-minute drill situation.
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.”
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.
Ready for ‘Next Chapter,’ Rylie Mills Poised to Capture Bigger Role on Seahawks’ Defensive Line
In their 50 seasons as a franchise, the Seattle Seahawks have appeared in four Super Bowls, with unexpected stars from Kelly Herndon to Malcolm Smith to Chris Matthews shining in every single one of those games regardless of the final outcome.
Helping the Seahawks claim their second Lombardi Trophy in franchise history in February, Super Bowl LX proved to be no exception. Playing in just his sixth NFL game, Rylie Mills emphatically etched his name in the history books, picking the perfect time to record his first career NFL sack by bringing down Patriots quarterback Drake Maye - as well as bullied guard Jared Wilson - in the backfield after unleashing a menacing bull rush that steered his blocker into the pocket faster than the blink of an eye.
Teammates mobbed the rookie defensive end out of Notre Dame as he rose from ground howling in delight, with linebacker Ernest Jones accidently managing to knock him over during the post-play celebration. The electric sack put a positive finish on a challenging first season for Mills, who overcame a lengthy recovery from a torn ACL that cost him most of his first season in the Pacific Northwest to make an unexpected impact on the biggest stage in sports.
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.
Cooper Kupp, Seahawks Aiming to Keep Championship ‘Standard’ in Brian Fleury’s Offense
Learning a new offense for the third straight season under a new coordinator in Brian Fleury during the heat of OTA workouts, Seattle Seahawks receiver Cooper Kupp discusses how the new play caller has done a fine job of meshing his system with the team’s personnel and upheld the lofty standards set by the defending Super Bowl champions so far.
Takeaways: Sam Darnold, Rashid Shaheed Connection Blossoming at Seahawks OTAs
Nearing the midway point of Phase 3 of their offseason program as the 2026 season draws closer, the Seattle Seahawks returned to the practice field for the second of three OTA practices open to media on Wednesday.
What stood out at the VMAC? Starting with an encouraging development for Seattle’s passing attack, here are five takeaways from Wednesday’s session:
1. The Sam Darnold to Rashid Shaheed connection appears to have been upgraded in their first full offseason together.
Coming over from the Saints in the latest trade deadline steal orchestrated by John Schneider, Shaheed left his imprint on the Seahawks’ Super Bowl run functioning as special teams dynamite, returning two kickoffs and a punt for touchdowns, including a kick return for six points on the opening play of a Divisional Round blowout of the 49ers. But as a pass catcher, he didn’t have near as much success as fans may have hoped, struggling to emerge as a consistent weapon complementing Offensive Player of the Year Jaxon Smith-Njigba with just 15 catches for 188 yards and no touchdowns in nine regular season games.
Analysis: Seahawks Wise to Commit to Derick Hall, Lock Up Young EDGE Through 2029
Back in March, the Seattle Seahawks allowed former second round pick Boye Mafe to walk in free agency, watching the pass rusher bolt to join the Cincinnati Bengals a little over a month after helping the team win Super Bowl LX.
As the saying goes, NFL teams can’t keep everybody with salary cap limitations, and that’s especially the case for defending champions. Tough decisions have to be made with the understanding quality players will flee the nest for greener pastures.
By choosing not to bring back Mafe, the Seahawks suddenly faced significant questions with their EDGE group beyond 2026 with only one known commodity - veteran Demarcus Lawrence, who had been the subject of consistent retirement rumors throughout the spring - under contract beyond this upcoming season. The organization faced a real possibility that all four of their primary pass rushers from last year’s Super Bowl run could be either in a different uniform or hanging up their cleats by 2027.
But general manager John Schneider ensured Seattle won’t have to worry about such a disastrous situation coming to fruition on Tuesday, inking rising outside linebacker Derick Hall to a three-year deal reportedly worth $42 million and potentially carrying a maximum value of $46.5 million, tying him to the franchise through the 2029 season.
Seahawks’ Road to Super Bowl Repeat Becomes Far Trickier Following Pair of Blockbuster Trades
Closing in on a new season as the reigning Super Bowl champions, the Seattle Seahawks will have massive targets on their backs every single week, and rivals have already started throwing darts aiming for the bullseye two months before training camp even begins.
Kicking off the month of June with a rare flurry of blockbuster deals for the early summer, the Los Angeles Rams traded a 2027 first round pick, 2028 second round pick, and 2029 third round pick along with defensive end Jared Verse to the Cleveland Browns to acquire superstar pass rusher Myles Garrett. Shortly after, the New England Patriots executed their own blockbuster to give quarterback Drake Maye a new No. 1 weapon, trading a 2028 first round pick and 2027 fifth round pick to the Philadelphia Eagles for standout receiver A.J. Brown.
Of those two moves, the Brown deal carries the most significance in terms of immediacy, as the Seahawks will see Brown donning a silver shell, white jersey, and nautical blue pants right out of the gate in their season opening Super Bowl LX rematch versus the Patriots at Lumen Field. The talented receiver will be reunited with coach Mike Vrabel after previously spending several seasons together in Tennessee and will replace Stefon Diggs as the team’s top pass catcher atop a significantly different receiving corps.
Seahawks Lose Nolan Teasley to Vikings, Creating Major Front Office Void
During the franchise’s re-ascent to Super Bowl champion over the past two-plus years, Seattle Seahawks general manager John Schneider has been able to enjoy great continuity in the front office, maintaining all of his key confidants to oversee a tremendously successful roster reload.
But with a new season less than two months away, Schneider won’t have that same luxury coming out of the 2026 NFL Draft, as one of his longest-tenured staffers will be taking his talents to Minnesota.
According to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network, former Seahawks assistant general manager Nolan Teasley has accept the Vikings vacant general manager position following a second interview with the franchise. His departure will bring a 13-year tenure in the Pacific Northwest to an end as he now inherits the task of getting Minnesota back into contention in the rugged NFC North.
Graduating from Central Washington, Teasley began his rapid rise in Seattle’s scouting department as an intern in 2013, turning that opportunity into three years as a pro personnel scout for Schneider. Impressing in every role the organization awarded him, he stepped up to assistant director of pro personnel in 2017 and then spent five seasons as the director of pro personnel, overseeing everything in free agency and scouting players on other teams throughout the preseason.
Rashid Shaheed More Than Just a Return Specialist for Seahawks
When John Schneider pulled the trigger on a trade with the New Orleans Saints at the trade deadline last season, it changed the trajectory of Seattle’s season. It’s not too far-fetched to say that the move to bring in Rashid Shaheed helped the Seahawks get over the hump and win the Super Bowl.
While Shaheed is a receiver, he truly turned the tide for Seattle as a return man. He ran back a kick return to open the second half against the Falcons when the game was tied and the offense was sputtering. That sparked Seattle to a blowout win in Atlanta. Later, he returned a punt for a touchdown when Seattle was down two scores to the Rams at home, with the division and No. 1 seed in the NFC possibly at stake. That helped the Seahawks rally to one of the most dramatic wins in franchise history.
He didn’t stop there. On the opening kickoff of Seattle’s postseason, against the 49ers, Shaheed ran it 95 yards and pranced into the endzone for the game-opening score amid the smoke from the pregame fireworks. Before the dust and smoke had cleared, Seattle was already winning and they never looked back.
It’s impossible to tell the story of the 2025 Seahawks without Shaheed. He is a vital part of it, interwoven with so many critical moments leading up to Seattle hoisting the Lombardi Trophy.
Seahawks Bolster Gunner Competition, Acquire Irv Charles From Jets
Orchestrating a rare late May trade, the Seattle Seahawks have added another viable contender to the mix to help replace departed receiver Dareke Young as one of the team’s primary gunners covering punts on special teams.
According to Zach Blatt of the Athletic, Seattle has agreed to send a conditional 2028 seventh round pick to the New York Jets for veteran receiver Irvin Charles. The team officially announced the trade on their official website with undrafted rookie Trayvon Rudolph waived to create a roster spot in a corresponding move.
Highly recruited out of high school, Charles began his collegiate career at Penn State, playing two seasons for the Nittany Lions before transferring to Indiana University of Pennsylvania in 2018. He didn’t play football for the next three seasons, returning to the gridiron as a graduate student in 2021 and catching 39 passes for 792 yards and 12 touchdowns, using that successful comeback audition at the Division II level to climb back onto the NFL radar.
Analysis: What to Watch as Seahawks Kick Off OTAs
Taking the next step towards a new season, the Seattle Seahawks will open the final phase of their offseason program with the start of OTAs, partaking in the first open session to media on May 26.
With three open sessions and 10 total practices scheduled in the next two weeks before mandatory minicamp in mid-June, here are five storylines to watch heading into OTAs at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center:
1. Brian Fleury begins his journey as a first-time play caller with massive shoes to fill.
This time last spring, after dismissing Ryan Grubb just one day after missing the playoffs in 2024, the Seahawks handed the keys to their offense to Klint Kubiak, who held previous experience as an NFL play caller with the Vikings and Saints. That courtship ended up being a home run for the franchise and the coach, as Seattle finished in the top five in the league in points scored and set a team record for points scored in a single season. That success ultimately led to Kubiak being hired as the new coach of the Las Vegas Raiders in February, and while nobody could have reasonably expected such a triumphant one-and-done scenario to play out, there were signs that his scheme would bring out the best in quarterback Sam Darnold and company in OTAs.
No Reason to Worry About Devon Witherspoon’s Future With Seahawks Beyond 2026
Close to two months after the team opted to pick up his fifth-year option, the Seattle Seahawks have yet to ink star cornerback Devon Witherspoon to a lucrative multi-year extension, creating questions about when the two sides will strike a deal as the 2026 season rapidly approaches.
From Seattle’s perspective, not having a new contract in place with the former top-five draft choice isn’t a result of not trying or not being interested in rewarding him with a well-earned raise as one of the highest paid players at his position. As reported by Emerald City Spectrum back in March after the team picked up options for Witherspoon and receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba, general manager John Schneider and the front office had already been in extension discussions with representatives for both players prior to that point, agreeing to a record-breaking four-year, $168.6 million deal with the latter on March 23.
Now two months after Smith-Njigba signed the dotted line to become the highest-paid non-quarterback in the NFL, Witherspoon still does not have a new deal of his own, however. According to Brady Henderson of ESPN, the two sides do not appear to be “close to an agreement” at this point, a revelation that may make a large portion of the fan base feel uneasy about the situation.
It’s possible Witherspoon and his agency made their desires to make him the highest-paid cornerback in football known right out of the gate and unlike with Smith-Njigba, the Seahawks balked at such an investment, instead countering with their perceived contract value for the All-Pro. Drawing such a line in the sand has been known to irk a star player or two over the years and can certainly complicate matters trying to get the two sides back on track towards a new deal.
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).
Pre-OTAs Projection: Which Defensive Players Will Make Seahawks’ 53-Man Roster in 2026?
Edging the Houston Texans for the NFL’s defensive scoring title, the Seattle Seahawks used a stingy, aggressive attack to stymie opponents throughout the 2025 season and put a bow on a magical year dominating the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LX.
Now set to begin their title defense with OTAs kicking off next week, in news that won’t be so welcomed by the rest of the league, the Seahawks will have the vast majority of their starters from last year’s squad back in 2026. Though they lost cornerback Riq Woolen, safety Coby Bryant, and outside linebacker Boye Mafe this offseason, nine of the 11 players who logged at least 600 snaps in the regular season last year will return, and the team shrewdly attempted to replace those departed players in free agency and the draft.
With that said, coach Mike Macdonald and his staff have work to do at several positions finding the best personnel to offset the aforementioned departures, particularly in the secondary with noteworthy vacancies at cornerback and safety to address. And with four draft picks invested in the defensive backfield, the competition will be an intense one in Seattle vying for only a handful of spots on one of the most talented rosters in the NFL.
Rumbling into OTAs at the VMAC, which defensive players will survive cuts to make Seattle’s opening week roster?
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