Stock Watch: Who’s Hot, Who’s Not After Seahawks’ 19-16 Preseason Loss to Titans
Winning remains the goal for an NFL team any time they take the field, even in the preseason where games don’t count in the standings, for coach Mike Macdonald, there were plenty of positives coming out of the Seattle Seahawks 19-16 loss to the Tennessee Titans on Sunday at Nissan Stadium.
“I really do feel like our team got better this week from the work that we got in practice, and I thought we did a lot of great things, especially earlier in this game, which is what we're looking for,” Macdonald said post-game. “I think we took a step. I think we're improving. I think the important thing for our team is that we have to shed an expectation about where we need to be right now. I think the focus needs to be about how fast can we improve on a daily basis, and our guys have had that attitude. So through that lens, I think it was a successful week.”
Looking back at Saturday’s defeat in the Music City, which players improved their stock the most? And which ones didn’t seize their latest opportunity as cut down day and the regular season rapidly approach?
5 Burning Questions as Seahawks Face Titans in Second Preseason Game
Taking their training camp show on the road for detour to Nashville, the Seattle Seahawks held a spirited joint practice with the Tennessee Titans on Friday, likely meaning that no noteworthy starters will play for Mike Macdonald’s squad in Sunday’s second preseason game.
However, that doesn’t mean that the second dress rehearsal at Nissan Stadium isn’t still an important one. Even if Sam Darnold, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Leonard Williams, and other stars stay on the sidelines with a jersey and ball cap on, plenty of roster spots remain up for grabs in all three phases with Seattle’s matchup against Tennessee providing another valuable opportunity to impress the coaching staff with cutdown day now less than two weeks away.
Looking to turn in a far better performance than they did in a 17-7 loss to the Cowboys on their home turf last weekend, here are five key questions for the Seahawks heading into their latest preseason tuneup against the Titans:
1. Will Seattle's quarterback duo of Drew Lock and Jalen Milroe bounce back after underwhelming openers?
Putting up just seven points on the scoreboard to kick off exhibition season, there were far more hands in the cookie jar of offensive dysfunction for the Seahawks than just Lock and Milroe, who each completed north of 60% of their passes but failed to generate much yardage with their passing opportunities, combining to average a dismal 3.6 yards per attempt against the Cowboys. As subs started to rotate into the lineup, the offensive line progressively got worse as the game wore on with the third-team unit allowing consistent pressure on both quarterbacks, including Milroe getting sacked twice in the second half. Penalties also proved to be a major issue, including reserve tackle Logan Brown being flagged twice for crucial fourth down holding penalties.
WATCH: Who Could Be Seahawks Next Undrafted Success Story From 2026 Class?
Under John Schneider's direction, the #Seahawks have been as good as any NFL franchise at finding and developing undrafted talent. But with only a handful of undrafted signees this year joining a loaded roster for the defending champions, trying to crack the 53 will be especially challenging once training camp opens in July.
Emerald City Spectrum reporter Corbin Smith takes a deep dive into Seattle's latest undrafted crop, identifying two EDGE defenders who stand out as the favorites to surprise, including All-Big Ten talent Aidan Hubbard, as well as a pair of sleepers to watch at tight end and nose tackle.
Ranking Seahawks: Uso Seumalo, Undrafted Rookies Headline No. 91-86
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.
Featuring nearly half of the team’s smaller undrafted rookie crop, here’s the first six entries to open this year’s 90-man profiles, including a pair of gadget receivers with special teams acumen and a dark horse to watch at nose tackle.
Analysis: Investigating Seahawks’ Key Defensive 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. Even with Riq Woolen, Coby Bryant, and Boye Mafe gone, 11 of the 13 players who logged at least 700 defensive snaps in 2025 remain under contract heading into the new season, presenting rare continuity for a defending champion.
Thanks to the minimal changes, Seattle will open the final phase of the offseason program without many starting jobs up for grabs on defense, leaving rotational reserve roles as the main competitions to play out over the summer. The entire interior defensive line and linebacker corps will return from last year’s Super Bowl squad along with the majority of key starters back in the secondary, headlined by All-Pro Devon Witherspoon and rising star Nick Emmanwori.
But while few starting jobs may be on the line, the Seahawks should still have some enticing competitions on tap on the defensive side of the football when they hit the practice field next week, including a pair of significant openings to replace Woolen and Bryant in the secondary that will be buoyed by using four draft picks at the two positions last month.
Which battles offer the most intrigue with two months until the start of training camp?
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