3 takeaways from Seahawks-Titans joint practice

The Seahawks are off to joint practices with the Tennessee Titans. It's the second time under Mike Macdonald they've taken to the practice field in training camp with the Titans, and every season since Mike Macdonald took over the Hawks, they've traveled for a joint practice with another team (Green Bay in 2025).

Now, certainly, the biggest news to come out of the first practice Friday was the serious knee injury suffered by Jake Bobo, which we talk about here.

For this story, let's talk about some of the practice moments and matchups that stood out.

The headline here, and for obvious reasons, is the pick-six by Ty Okada, who impressed last season and hasn't stopped throughout training camp.

“Yeah, he’s got a ton of confidence. He’s taking on more of a leadership role too, in terms of really holding our younger guys to a higher standard, which is great. We need that right now from those guys. From my stance, he's playing really good football,” Macdonald said of his safety, who may be starting alongside Love this season.

But there were other plays, too. Josh Jobe had a nice pass breakup in the end zone that made the rounds on social media, and with every rep from that unit — even as it heals up with Nick Emmanwori and Julian Neal working their way back — Macdonald gets a clearer view of what he may be able to do this season.

“It's still rolling. We’re trying to figure out what the best combinations we have in our secondary are going into the season. Noah's (Igbinoghene) right there. Mighty’s (Nehemiah Pritchett) right there. Got a couple of other guys in the mix,” Macdonald said.

We've seen the videos all week, joint practices turning into major fights, and while the Seahawks didn't have that scene Friday, some could wonder about the risk vs. value.

If done right? There's a ton of value.

“I thought our guys handled it really well today. There's going to be some excess energy at some point. But it's how well you collect yourself, take a deep breath, and get to the next play. Our guys knew that it was really important for us today, to get great work in. That was really our focus, and I think we hit that target for the most part, which is great. We got a lot of reps in. If you play starters in a preseason game, you're looking at maybe upwards of 20 reps, but now you're getting upwards of 40 or 50 really good physical reps in a little more controlled environment, which is a positive for everybody. But you've got to nail the execution. It takes both clubs to work together. It takes both teams to work together. There's a lot of logistics involved. That's why I’m so pleased. It took everybody pushing in the same direction to get it done today,” Macdonald said.

Think of it this way, too — instead of a preseason game that is broadcast to the entire world, these practices are largely unseen by cameras and eyes not at the facility, meaning you can do more stuff without providing film to future opponents. If done right, the gained experience is incredible for both sides.

This isn't necessarily a shock, with two preseason games still to be played ahead of the Sept. 9 opener vs. New England.

But for all the returning players from the Super Bowl-winning team, there's still a lot that's new.

Including offensive coordinator Brian Fleury.

“They do a really good job of reminding us, it's kind of a similar thing but saying it a different way. Progress,” Sam Darnold said of how the Hawks coaches characterized the growth.

“Continue to trust your eyes, trust your feet with your progressions. If something's not there, move on and continue to go through your progressions and find the open guy. If it’s not there, play fast, move around. If it’s a throwaway, then that’s the right play. You've always just got to make the right play and make fast decisions. And (learning) from things is also a huge thing. When you're not sure, you throw the ball away, move on to the next play, and we’ll correct it when we get back to our meetings.”

There were moments, like a beautiful strike from Sam Darnold to George Holani and a host of other plays. Darnold also threw a pick-six to Alontae Taylor.

So, yes, they're still finding their way. But the hope is these joint practices and the preseason game in Tennessee help provide the directions to the right spot to start the 2026 season.