What to Expect From the Seattle Seahawks Mock Game Today

The Seattle Seahawks play in their annual mock game later today, which should allow for new and additional insight into the kind of team they’re going to have in 2026.

General view down the line of scrimmage as Seattle Seahawks center Jalen Sundell (61) prepares to snap the ball against the New England Patriots during Super Bowl LX. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Later today, the Seahawks will participate in the closest thing to an actual NFL game since winning the super bowl back in February. The results won’t count in the standings, they’ll be playing against themselves, and the focus will be on specific situations rather than an exact game flow, but the environment will be constructed to mimic an actual game.

The Details

The game is expected to kick off tonight at 5:20 PM at Lumen Field, and yes, you can attend it. Ticket prices are much cheaper than an actual Seahawks game, and gates open at 4:15. The full pre-game process will be included, meaning you can expect warmups, a run out of the locker room, the national anthem, and a coin toss.

Seattle Seahawks general manager John Schneider celebrates with the Vince Lombardi trophy on the podium after defeating the New England Patriots. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Exactly how the ‘game’ plays out from there isn’t entirely clear. Last year, the focus was on practicing certain situations that might come up in a game, rather than an actual game. If you want to see the details of how the happenings play out, you’ll probably need to attend in-person, since the game won’t be televised. Some clips may propagate out, but that’s about it.

What to Watch on Offense

On some level, everything on offense is worth watching due to the presence of a new playcaller in Brian Fleury. I’d be very interested to get an idea of how much he’s going to lean on tight end usage, and redzone playcalling is always crucial. Comparing the offensive line’s run blocking from last year to this year should be compelling as well.

Seattle Seahawks quarterback Jalen Milroe (6) passes the ball against the Las Vegas Raiders. | Steven Bisig-Imagn Images

But beyond that, I’ll be paying close attention to any details on Jalen Milroe’s play. It might not be an entirely fair fight, since he could be playing with the third stringers, but he’ll still have an opportunity to show something. If Jadarian Price plays, some idea of how he looks in a game situation would be great as well, and throw Emanuel Wilson in as well.

Perhaps the most pivotal player on the offense, however, is Beau Stephens. If he’s going to make a serious push for the starting job over Anthony Bradford, a strong performance in the mock game could go a long way. I remain pretty confident that Bradford will be the starter, but I don’t believe the team would ignore it if Stephens actually looks better.

What to Watch on Defense

So much on the defense is the same as it was from last season, there isn’t that much we need to see here. It’s not as if DeMarcus Lawrence or Leonard Williams needs to make plays in a mock game to prove their worth. So my focus is going to be mostly on Bud Clark, who has a real chance of winning the starting job over Ty Okada in the next few months.

TCU Horned Frogs safety Bud Clark (21) intercepts a pass intended for Iowa State Cyclones wide receiver Brett Eskildsen (9). | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

If Bud can make a couple plays, or at least not look lost, that’s a great sign. Rylie Mills could also continue to inflate the hype balloon with some plays in the backfield. But I also have eyes on the fifth edge rusher spot, a battle between Jared Ivey, Connor O’Toole, Jamie Sheriff, and Jalan Gaines. Who’s the first man up in the event of an injury to one of the top four?

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