Biggest Questions for Seattle Seahawks After Cutting Roster to 53 Players

The Seattle Seahawks’ process is underway for the upcoming 2026 NFL Season as they’ve created their initial 53-man roster and their 17-player practice squad. The Seahawks have prepared for multiple scenarios for when they kick off the season versus the New England Patriots. General manager John Schneider, head coach Mike Macdonald and the rest of the team have laid out the vision, but there are still questions that surround the team after assembling.

How Much of a Concern Should the Cornerback Room Be?

Avery Smith makes a tackle in a preseason game for the Los Angeles Chargers. — Aug 20, 2026; Inglewood, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers running back Kaelon Black (26) is tackled by Los Angeles Chargers cornerback Avery Smith (36) during the first quarter at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Seahawks made cornerback a key development focus for most of the offseason. Seattle brought in veteran Noah Igbinoghene via free agency and rookie Julian Neal through the 2026 NFL Draft and challenged Nehemiah Pritchett to step up.

Throughout training camp, Pritchett and Igbinoghene have challenged each other for the No. 3 cornerback spot while Neal has been injured. Seventh-round rookies Michael Dansby and Andre Fuller have also looked good at times.

Just when the vision was set with that group, the front office made a lot of changes. They added veterans Trevon Diggs and Terrion Arnold as the preseason was set to conclude. Shortly after the final preseason game versus the Kansas City Chiefs, Seattle traded a sixth-round pick in the upcoming 2027 NFL Draft to the Los Angeles Chargers for previously undrafted cornerback Avery Smith.

Pritchett and Neal were added to the 53-man roster, though Neal was brought on by default. Smith was added as the new versatile weapon to play boundary and slot cornerback after a stellar preseason with the Chargers. Diggs, Dansby and Fuller were added to the practice squad. Arnold is on the commissioner’s exempt list for his off-the-field issues. Finally, Igbinoghene is currently a free agent.

The Seahawks must’ve not liked what they saw from their original plan and decided to take risks with new additions near the start of the season. Arnold won’t likely play early in the season until after his hearing and Diggs needs time to get better at tackling for the Seahawks.

Otherwise, they are ready for Smith and Pritchett to be key backups. There are a lot of questions about Neal, but they feel he might be able to adapt on the spot. They have their own timeline for their cornerback room.

Why Were Only Five Wide Receivers Added to the Roster?

Montorie Foster during a 2026 preseason game for the Seattle Seahawks. — Aug 28, 2026; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Montorie Foster Jr. (87) is tackled by Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Jeffrey Bassa (31) during the first half at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Another big surprise for the Seahawks with this roster is the number of wide receivers selected. The Seahawks added only five wide receivers to the squad, with Hard Knocks star Montorie Foster Jr. being the last one in. Seattle didn’t bring back Cody White, who reunites with Klint Kubiak and joins the Las Vegas Raiders’ practice squad. The Seahawks opted to use their veteran spots on the practice squad for other players.

Seattle has all rookies and second-year wide receivers on the practice squad. It is a surprise to not see rookie Emmanuel Henderson Jr. on the roster, considering he was valuable on special teams. This might be why the Seahawks signed Tyrice Knight, Patrick O’Connell, Connor O’Toole and Chazz Surratt to the squad because of experience and special teams.

The Seahawks added ten offensive linemen to their roster, including several interior offensive linemen. They also added a lot of players to the front seven, which meant taking away a roster spot for a position group.

Overall, Seattle only had five wide receivers, including one in Tory Horton, who is 100%. The team might look to free agency for a suitable replacement to Jake Bobo, who is out for the season. It was clear in Seattle’s second preseason loss to the Tennessee Titans that White wasn’t capable of filling Bobo’s role. A new veteran might be the answer this season.

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