Seahawks Closer to Full Strength with 'Big Cat,' Ty Okada Ready to Suit Up vs. 49ers

RENTON, Wash. - Gearing up for their biggest game of the 2026 season thus far with the San Francisco 49ers coming to town on Sunday, the Seattle Seahawks will benefit from a near-full strength defense for the first time since OTAs back in May and June.

Despite missing practice on Thursday with an ankle injury suffered during last weekend's 30-23 win over the Chargers, star defensive tackle Leonard Williams didn't receive any injury designations and will suit up for the Seahawks. The defense will have more reinforcements just in time for the 49ers' potent offense as well with veteran safety Ty Okada set to make his season debut after sitting out four games with a hamstring strain.

Per coach Mike Macdonald, the Seahawks purposely slow-played the week with Williams, who exited in the fourth quarter on Sunday and did not return after spraining his ankle. The team opted to give "Big Cat" extra rest on Thursday and after not having any setbacks on his return to the practice field on Friday, he will be good to go in a battle for first place in the NFC West.

“I don’t want to take anything away from Leo. We had a good feel throughout the week," Macdonald said. "We wanted to do right by him and make sure he was good to go.”

Having Williams in the lineup obviously will be a major boost for Seattle's defense, as the veteran has had plenty of success against San Francisco during his three-plus seasons with the franchise. In a 41-6 win over the 49ers in the Divisional Round in January, he produced a sack and two quarterback hits on Brock Purdy, leading the charge for a defense that kept their rivals out of the end zone in a pair of victories over a three-week span.

Schematically, Williams' versatility has created significant advantages for Macdonald in previous matchups with the 49ers, as he has regularly slid him outside to match up against star left tackle Trent Williams as a defensive end. With Byron Murphy, Jarran Reed, and Rylie Mills playing inside, it would be a surprise if the Seahawks don't mix in some of those looks once again on Sunday to pit elite power against elite power off the edge.

Missing the past month after tweaking his hamstring in practice leading up to the season opener, Okada finally will be back in pads. Last season, the Montana State alum emerged as one of Seattle's best stories during a Super Bowl-winning campaign, thriving in 11 starts for Julian Love and Coby Bryant with 65 tackles, an interception, and 1.5 sacks.

Following the departure of Bryant for Chicago in free agency and rookie Bud Clark's unfortunate broken ankle suffered in the preseason, Okada won the starting job next to Love outright in the Seahawks' secondary in camp. Rodney Thomas played valiantly in his place over the past four games, including not allowing more than nine receiving yards in any of those starts.

But while Okada and Thomas could both see snaps with the former on a pitch count, Macdonald indicated they will be going back to their projected starter for Sunday's contest after a strong week of practice showing he's 100% healthy.

“Rodney’s done a tremendous job filing in for Ty. Ty’s going to play, he’s ready to go," Macdonald said. "He’s done a great job doing the things that Ty does. Making plays in the back end. Getting us lined up. Getting us in and out of plays. He’s done a great job. He’s not rusty at all on the mental side and he’s moving around great. Looking forward to seeing him play.”

When asked where Okada's return helps the Seahawks the most, Macdonald pointed to the fact that he took all of the reps with the ones during training camp, building a chemistry with the rest of the secondary that they now hope to reestablish in the heat of the regular season.

Though Thomas played quite well in his absence, Okada also provides a bit more positional flexibility. Along with being able to play deep one or two-high free safety, he can produce dropping down into the box, including as a blitzer, where he generated multiple sacks last year on limited opportunities to rush the quarterback.

In additional injury news, the Seahawks ruled out linebacker Chazz Surratt for a second straight game as he works back from a calf injury. Rookie cornerback Julian Neal injured his hamstring in Thursday's practice and won't be available on Sunday either, likely meaning veteran Trevon Diggs will be elevated from the practice squad for a second week in a row.

Listed as questionable, running back George Holani continues to deal with knee and hip injuries that have limited him in practice. After being signed off of the Commanders' practice squad on Monday, rookie Robert Henry Jr. may be ready to go if Holani can't play, as Macdonald seemed impressed by what he saw from the newcomer in a handful of practices this week.

“He’s done a nice job," Macdonald said of Henry, referencing quality pass protection reps on the field this week. "He’s an impressive guy. I’m glad we have him.”

There's also a "chance," per Macdonald, that the Seahawks could activate veteran receiver/special teams ace Irvin Charles from injured reserve on Saturday. Acquired from the Jets in June, he returned to practice this week after sitting out the first four games with a knee injury and received a questionable designation, opening the door for him to be activated with a corresponding roster move.