The Seahawks preseason is about to take another step forward.
The Seahawks preseason is about to take another step forward.
The Hawks hit the road for a weekend visit in Tennessee, which includes two practices and a preseason game on Sunday.
We've seen around the country how these joint practices can go, the Saints and Cowboys had some jarring fights at their practice Tuesday.
The Seahawks certainly don't expect that sort of thing, but fights can happen.
Much more importantly, it's a chance for the Hawks to test things out. Run their stuff without the entire world watching a broadcast preseason game.
“You're going to practice the stuff you've been practicing in camp. There might be some things you hold back, but it's different than a game. You're not game-playing the team. So you're just kind of running the greatest hits, so to speak. There's also times where we need to see guys in certain matchups and guys in certain positions. You're trying to compete and do very well, but not at the expense of evaluating your team the best you possibly can and putting them in those situations. I think it's kind of a combo platter for all those things" Mike Macdonald told me on Monday.
So here comes an opportunity to test things out schematically but also get a team that's very close already even closer as they bond by hitting the road.
“When we went to Green Bay last year, that's when we realized how special of a team that we had. I thought we had a fairly good joint practice with them. You're obviously going to have the rookie talent show to bring the team together and have fun and have the joys of being a football team. It brought us together and showed us our first road trip together and how things work, how to operate, and what to expect," said 2nd year lineman Grey Zabel.
Zabel, for his part, says his rookie talent show act was rapping to "Future."
“It’s a lot of intentional reps. You’re not just going through a game setting. You’re doing one-on-ones against these guys, you’re doing third down period, like certain concept periods against them, but you’re going full go. It’s cool where you get intentional work. It’s always good to see other ones. You can read and react because me, as a defensive back, it’s nice when you can play a ball in a different setting against different people, get some different tendencies and stuff. We’re going to value it; the whole team is going to take advantage of these reps because they’re important," said safety Julian Love.
So there it is, the next step in preparations for the 2026 season take this team on the road. First for practices, then a game.
It's all about getting the experience necessary, because the next time the Seahawks play at home at Lumen Field.
It will count, in the regular season opener.
