The Seattle Seahawks were, shall we say, not at their sharpest in their 17-7 preseason opening loss against the Dallas Cowboys. It’s not unexpected when it’s preseason and the starters are absent, but Mike Macdonald definitely was not pleased with the performance on the night. And why would he? A lot of penalties (21 enforced), a lot of ugly mistakes, and some disjointed play that a head coach will not accept even from the bottom end of a 90-man roster.
But it wasn’t all bad and boring! Heck, the game ended fairly quickly even with all of the flags. And the bad football should make for great coaching staff audio on the next Hard Knocks episode.
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Anyway, it’s time for our first Winners and Losers of the 2026 NFL preseason!
Seattle Seahawks Winners
Tyrice Knight is playing his way back into the defensive rotation
Last season, Knight went from starting in Week 1 to splitting snaps with Drake Thomas to special teams duties by about midseason. Knight was sticky in coverage, tackling soundly, and just generally all over the field in a good way. Ernest Jones IV and Drake Thomas are the starting backers, but Knight can be used off-ball and on the edge, so I can see a scenario where he’s in on some sub-packages.
Montorie Foster Jr may at least be WR7
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Cody White probably has the edge as that last wide receiver on the depth chart, but be on the lookout for Montorie Foster Jr. He caught a touchdown on the opening drive, had a nice block on a George Holani run, and was a step away from a big play to start the second half if not for a Drew Lock overthrow. It’s telling that he was getting early reps over Ricky White III, who’s also had a good training camp. Foster did have a bad drop in the fourth quarter, so that’s one demerit, but he finished with a team-high five catches for 36 yards and the lone TD.
The bad news is WR7 probably doesn’t exist on a 53-man roster, but if Foster clears waivers he might be an immediate practice squad re-sign. Alternatively, keep Foster, waive White, he’ll more likely clear waivers, and Cody ends up back on the PS.
George Holani a rare bright spot on offense
Seattle had no explosive runs from its running backs on Saturday night, but Holani was at least a net positive for his ability to break tackles and showcase that hard-nosed style. Playing behind a second-string offensive line, Holani led the Seahawks with 42 rushing yards on 12 carries. This year will be the first time he won’t have to compete for a roster spot.
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Noah Igbinoghene has a solid Seahawks debut
The journeyman corner had Marquez Valdes-Scantling locked down on a deep shot in the opening quarter, as well as a pressure on a blitz that forced Sam Howell into a bad third-down throw. I think he’s in good position to make the 53 alongside Nehemiah Pritchett. Terrion Arnold‘s addition will make things even more interesting in the cornerback room.
Rashad Rochelle has a special teams highlight
Seattle has no shortage of returner options on special teams. Rashad Rochelle had a 52-yard punt return in the third quarter that got the fans and the Seahawks sideline excited. His path to the roster is nigh on impossible, but practice squad? Maybe. At the very least, he put something on film for the league to notice.
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Seattle Seahawks Losers
The non-Josh Jones swing tackles were a horror show
The second- and third-team offensive lines were brutal at times. Logan Brown, Bobby Hart, and Amari Kight all had some rough pass pro reps. Kight committed a hold that negated a fourth-down conversion, Hart was just horrific, and Brown stacked penalty upon penalty. Brown turned a 4th and 3 into a 4th and 8 punt after a false start, which I noticed he had issues with in the one practice I saw.
There’s Josh Jones and then there’s the rest.
Seattle’s edge rush depth underwhelms
I had concerns about this at training camp and nothing happened in this game to dissuade my opinion. Mike Morris playing big edge is very much a preseason-only thing. Connor O’Toole provided next to nothing. Aidan Hubbard and Marvin Jones Jr were not very impactful. Jalan Gaines at least had a couple of nice plays, a near-sack, and a run TFL. The season doesn’t come down to any of those guys getting serious snaps, but it also underscores that with major question marks at the position in 2027, there doesn’t seem to be a gem deep in the depth chart.
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The third-string interior defensive line wasn’t much better
There was not a whole lot to champion watching Bubba Thomas and J.R. Singleton. Deven Eastern had one notable play against the run but otherwise it was the Cowboys’ backup offensive line getting the better of Seattle’s backup d-line in the trenches.
Shemar Jean-Charles was on the struggle bus
Whenever the Seahawks make the Terrion Arnold signing official, someone has to be let go on the roster. I think Shemar Jean-Charles helped make the decision easier with his performance, which included multiple conversions allowed, an obvious pass interference on third down, and a long touchdown allowed to close out the first half.
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Drew Lock was not sharp
The touchdown pass to Foster aside—really, the opening drive in totality—Lock was not on his game. He was 9/13 for just 40 yards on the night, with some ugly misses to Jake Bobo and Montorie Foster. I’m not all that worried but it was not a convincing display for the veteran quarterback.
Jalen Milroe finishes with single digit net passing yards
With Lock and Milroe alternating every two series, it was actually a negative for Milroe in the sense that there were enough long drives to shorten his opportunities. The second-year QB finished 5/8 for 36 yards, another 36 on the ground, and 27 sack yards lost. A 9-net yard passing performance isn’t something I will champion.
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Milroe didn’t play poorly, in my opinion, but he rarely shined. In quick, “get the ball out” situations, he was on time and accurate. I liked the improvised play to Jake Bobo on fourth down, and it’s not his fault Amari Kight got dinged for holding. When it was a longer developing play it felt like nothing was in rhythm, and for every impressive scramble there was a sack. The offensive line did not help matters but some of those pressures and sacks looked like Milroe not being decisive as far as whether to throw or look to run.
If you were hoping for tape of Milroe showcasing himself as a franchise player or even just QB2 over Lock, this wasn’t a good start. Preseason is still young and there will be two more games and a joint practice for him to showcase his development.
Bryce Cabeldue is firmly on the bubble
This has nothing to do with his actual game performance, of which my recollection is hazy. It’s telling that Cabeldue was with the third-team offense deep into the game, which is normally a sign that you’re fighting to make the team. Beau Stephens quickly got some run with the second-team, while Christian Haynes and Mason Richman were other nominal second-team guards. Cabeldue may be the odd man out come roster cuts, especially given Richman has more positional versatility as G/C.
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Final Notes
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Rylie Mills had some beastly moments as a pass rusher, but not necessarily as a run defender. There were some times where he got stymied at the line. It’s still good that he had extended playing time when he had limited reps last season. I’d caution that in a normal game, Mills would be lined up alongside Byron Murphy II or Leonard Williams and not Brandon Pili or Jared Ivey.
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There was a crunching block from Brock Lampe on Justin Jones’ near-touchdown run in the fourth quarter. I will be interested in seeing how he performs over the next couple of weeks and whether he becomes the starting fullback over Brady Russell, whose job should be safe for special teams reasons alone.
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Michael Dansby was a bit unlucky on that touchdown to Camden Brown. He wasn’t in bad position but it was a hell of a catch by Brown.
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I have no big thoughts on Brian Fleury as a play-caller. It’s game one of preseason with no starters out there. He’s not going to call a straight dropback on 4th-and-goal at the 1 with Sam Darnold and the first-team crew. Game strategy, sequencing, etc. is almost useless to assess in preseason. I do think it’s valuable to know how much the Seahawks used heavier personnel, put tight ends in motion, and mixed in wide zone with more gap-based run blocking.
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Michael Bennett and Michael Robinson provide comic relief and smart football analysis at the same time. I’m glad to have them together as part of the Seahawks local broadcast team.
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I suppose if there’s anything that stood out in a negative way in this game, it’s the fact that outside of Foster, there was no standout bubble player who could quickly become a fan favorite. Foster might be the only preseason darling out of this year’s group, which is fine when you consider how much of the Super Bowl roster was retained, but having some August superstars helps make preseason games more watchable.
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