Nov 3, 2024; Seattle, Washington, USA; Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Cooper Kupp (10) catches a pass against the Seattle Seahawks during the first quarter at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images

Seattle Seahawks have three players to watch, and they’re all on offense

Originally posted on Seattle Seahawks on SI
By Russell Baxter | Last updated Jul 26, 2025 12:00 PM ET

The rookies arrived more than a week ago, and the veterans reported on Tuesday. Mike Macdonald’s new-look Seattle Seahawks are a few days into practice. This offseason was about overhauling the offense, with a new coordinator (Klint Kubiak), quarterback, and pass-catching corps. General manager John Schneider used nine of his 11 draft picks on this side of scrimmage.

In his extensive training camp preview released earlier this week, ESPN’s Brady Henderson picked three Seahawks players to watch. In keeping with the theme of the franchise’s offseason, all three are newcomers on the offensive side of the football.

Quarterback Sam Darnold enjoyed a Pro Bowl season with the Vikings in 2024. Wide receiver Cooper Kupp is looking to remain healthy and return to his All-Pro form of 2021. Schneider used a second-round pick in April on University of Miami tight end Elijah Arroyo.

Seattle Seahawks renovated its offense this offseason

“Players don’t necessarily pick up where they left off even when most things around them remain the same, said Henderson. “The Seahawks are hoping that Darnold—who held a 21-34 record as a starter before his Pro Bowl breakthrough last year in Minnesota—can replicate his 2024 success. He’ll need Kubiak to reach him the same way Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell did, and he’ll need to play on time to in order to avoid a repeat of his disastrous finish to last season.”

Meanwhile, 2024 Pro Bowl wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba has some new faces. On the other hand, Seattle released 10-year pro Tyler Lockett and dealt DK Metcalf to Pittsburgh. “The Seahawks saved a significant amount of money by moving on from Metcalf and Lockett,” said Henderson, “but their receiver corps didn’t get any younger by replacing them with Kupp (32) and (Marquez) Valdes-Scantling (30).

"Whether or not it got better will depend largely on Kupp’s ability to stay healthy. Since his Triple Crown and Super Bowl MVP season of 2021, he’s missed 18 of a possible 51 games due to injury, leading to his release by the Rams.”

The tight end room bears watching, especially after the team parted way with Noah Fant recently. “That writing was on the wall to some degree after they spent a second-round pick on Arroyo,” explained Henderson, “a player with a similar mix of size and speed. But Schneider and Macdonald wouldn’t have moved on from Fant if they weren’t confident that Arroyo and second-year tight end AJ Barner were ready to fill the void. Now they have to prove the team right…”

Seattle was the only team in the league in 2024 to win at least 10 games and not make the playoffs. The massive overhaul on offense must pay immediate dividends.

This article first appeared on Seattle Seahawks on SI and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: