Who Will Start At Safety Between Ty Okada and Bud Clark in 2026?

Pretty much every NFL goes into a new season with a set of positional battles that get settled in training camp and preseason. Sometimes those battles spill over into the regular season as well. For the Seahawks, it seems like one of those battles will take place at safety, opposite Julian Love (who seems likely to have one of the spots locked up).

Choose Your Fighter

In one corner, you have Ty Okada, a three-year veteran who started eleven games in 2025 and was surprisingly good, both in relief of the injured Love and injured Coby Bryant. Okada was largely looked at as an afterthought after his first two seasons, playing 33 defensive snaps total and only being active for nine games. It was a big boon to the team.

But then, the other corner has Bud Clark, who the Seahawks just spent a second round pick on and has a wealth of collegiate experience that makes him likely to be ready to go early on. His skillset includes tremendous ballhawk abilities and a knack for taking the ball away, which is something this team could stand to benefit a lot from.

Clark is coming for Okada's job, but does it happen now or later? — TCU Horned Frogs safety Austin Jordan (1) and safety Bud Clark (21) celebrate the interception made by Clark. | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

So, who starts week one, and does that player continue to start through week seven, week thirteen, and into the postseason? Is this a rotation situation, a la last year’s Josh Jobe and Riq Woolen constant switcheroo act? Is the truth going to end up being even more complicated than that, with both of them being on the field at once?

Make Your Case

Bud Grant, legendary NFL coach of the Minnesota Vikings, once said that you can expect to add one loss to your team’s record for every rookie you have starting. No matter how good the rookie is, they’re inevitably going to make mistakes that add up. Our former head ball coach, Pete Carroll, learned under Grant and has echoed similar beliefs. So, that says Okada.

But given that this Seattle Seahawk team just went 17-3 and won a Super Bowl with Grey Zabel and Nick Emmanwori starting, it’s entirely possible that they’re not going to look at things quite that way. Clark is coming into the league as a 24-year-old with a massive wealth of experience in multiple roles, and has a much higher pedigree than Okada. Now, I’m thinking Clark.

I say Okada wins for now. — Seattle Seahawks safety Ty Okada (39) celebrates intercepting a pass during the second quarter. | Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

You can get pulled back and forth on this one. The two of them will probably have to fight for it in July and August, and whoever wins may get a short leash. Also, keep in mind it’s extremely likely that whoever loses the battle will still get to play a lot. Injuries are inevitable, and Clark in particular has flexibility to play nickel if injuries hit there.

Pick Your Winner

My sense is that Okada has pole position, just by virtue of his experience. And we shouldn’t forget how good he was last year filling in, to the point where many fans argued he was better than Bryant and should have kept the starting job after Coby’s return for the postseason. I personally don’t agree with that, but the fact that it was arguable is very valid.

Whoever it is, expect to see plenty of both, and I don’t doubt both will have plenty to offer the Seahawks for the next few years. And either way, I trust that the position will be earned, and that’s all that really matters.

— Enjoy free coverage of the Super Bowl champions from Seattle Seahawks On SI —

Sign Up For the Seahawks Daily Digest - OnSI’s Free Seattle Seahawks Newsletter

Add us as a preferred source on Google