By Mazvita Maraire Posted on

Seahawks Begin Title Defense at Training Camp 2026

The Seattle Seahawks hit the Virginia Mason practice fields  Saturday afternoon in front of a festive crowd that welcomed their gridiron heroes with shouts,  screams, and thunderous claps. Saturday marks the first day of the Seahawks title defense.

 During the offseason, Head Coach Mike Macdonald talked about the team cherishing the 2025 season but moving forward in 2026. The first day of training camp is a lot like the first day of school after the summer break.   A lot of smiles from the players and warm acknowledgment back to the 12’s.

STARTING ON THE RIGHT FOOT


For the players and coaches, the first is about energy, rhythm, discipline, and taking care of business, as in giving a full effort and learning with each repetition.  While no player will win or lose a position battle on the first day,  a lack of attention to detail can leave you half a step behind the pack.

“You don’t worry too much about the execution right now. There are some things we are going to want to clean up, the non-negotiables about our style of play, about getting all the weeds,’ said head coach Mike Macdonald after the team’s practice.  “We made that emphasis today, and that’s one of those things where if you don’t nail it in day one, it’s like a teacher – if they don’t lay down the law the first couple of days, it’s hard to gain that back if you lose it. Our guys have been on it. There are a lot of great details between the whistle that we’re pleased with, and we’re going to keep attacking. It’s taken us a while to get to this point this early in camp, and it’s good to see.”

 BUSINESS AS USUAL ON THE FIELD

The Seahawks are returning 20 of 22 starters from last year’s Super Bowl LX roster, making them the most intact Super Bowl winner to date. The Seahawks two primary starters lost to free agency were  Super Bowl MVP  Ken Walker III and Safety Boy Bryant.  Riq Woolen and  Boye Mafe are considered part-time starters but significant losses.  No time was wasted before Macdonald was asked about how he would evaluate the competition at running back.

“It’s hard to right now. We are focused on execution, and there are things you can see in this type of environment. We’re going to be relying on our coaches a lot, our personnel folks, the things they see. It’s one of those things where it plays itself out, “ said Macdonald. “ You’ve seen the way we’ve operated. It’s not like we’re making cut-and-dry decisions going into the first game. Those things are always a discussion on how we want to move and shake throughout the season, too. We’re in a good spot right now, and we have guys coming back, which is a positive. We’ll see how it goes.”

INJURY UPDATE

  After practice, Macdonald provided an injury update on injured players  Nick Emmanwori, Zach Charbonnet, and off-season acquisition Dante Fowler Jr., who did not participate in the practice session.

(On Nick Emmanwori) “It’s the ankle from the Super Bowl. It was something that he’s been dealing with since the Super Bowl. He was able to perform, train, and do some things in the off-season program. But it just got to the point where it was best for him in the long term to go ahead and get it fixed. So that’s what we all decided to do. It was the best thing for him for now and in the foreseeable future for the rest of his career. He’s doing a great job. We don’t necessarily have a timetable. It’s not like we lost him for the season. 
I don’t want to put time on it, but it’s not a serious thing where you’re looking at any long-term consideration.”

(On Dante Fowler Jr.’s role on the team) “Dante’s (Fowler Jr.) worked hard this offseason because he’s in really good shape. Today was a little more precautionary, but he’ll be back out tomorrow. We’ve got a plan for him, so he’ll be practicing soon in the morning.”

(On Zach Charbonnet’s recovery) “Any opportunity to get a chance to talk about Zach (Charbonnet), I’m going to take advantage of it. He’s done a phenomenal job. He’s just attacked the heck out of the offseason in his rehab, as you would expect. The returns have been what he’s deserved. He’s really put in that work. I’m really excited about where he is. No timetable right now, but he’s kicking butt, and he deserves a shoutout because he’s a special guy.”

(On Kenny McIntosh’s recovery) “Kenny’s (McIntosh) doing a great job too. There’s no timetable, but that was a tough injury. We’re going on almost a year now. That was a really unfortunate injury for Kenny-Mac, but he’s right there, and he’s rehabbing and working hard.”

ON THE TEAMS’ ROOKIE CLASS

 Going into the 2026 draft, the Seahawks had four picks.   When the draft concluded, General Manager John Schneider and Macdonald doubled their haul, walking away with eight picks. The biggest storyline was the selection of Jadarian Price in the first round.  Price is the obvious replacement for Walker.  The other seven picks were on five defensive players and two additional offensive players. Macdonald and Schneider expect the rookies to have a significant impact in the upcoming season.

 “This has been a great rookie class. They’re different than last year. It’s a bit smaller, but it has a different personality. Those common threads that we want in our program, like respect and honest work, they’re very talented in their own right; they have all those things. Their personalities are coming out, “ said Macdonald. “ One of the messages to the team right now is, this is a new team and even though you are a rookie there is a responsibility to add to who we’re going to become, and we don’t know what that’s going to be yet so, we’re trying to create that space for them to be themselves and be a part of our team so we can become the best versions of ourselves. It’s been a great group so far, and we’re going to need them this year. Our vets are doing a great job of fostering as well. That process is going to be ongoing for the rest of this season.”



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