How Seahawks’ top free agent departures fared in Week 1

After hoisting the Lombardi Trophy in February, the Seattle Seahawks kept the vast majority of their Super Bowl-winning roster intact.

Daniel Jeremiah: Seahawks’ defense looks even better than last year

Entering the 2026 season, Seattle returned 20 of 22 starters and 85% of its total offensive and defensive snaps from last year, including the postseason. Both of those marks are the second-highest for any defending Super Bowl champion over the past 15 seasons.

But under the modern-day NFL salary cap, it’s virtually impossible to keep everyone.

For the Seahawks, that meant bidding farewell to four key players in free agency this past March: Super Bowl MVP running back Kenneth Walker III, edge rusher Boye Mafe, cornerback Riq Woolen and safety Coby Bryant. All four players were 2022 Seattle draft picks, and thus were hitting the open market for the first time in their careers.

How did those players fare with their new teams in Week 1? And how did the Seahawks fare without them in their season-opening 13-10 win over the New England Patriots? Here’s a look.

RB Kenneth Walker III

• How Walker fared: Walker rushed for a career-high 173 yards and on 23 carries – including a 60-yard touchdown run – in the Kansas City Chiefs’ 31-10 win over the Denver Broncos on Monday night. He also had three catches for 18 yards and a touchdown, which gave him a career-high 191 scrimmage yards and two total TDs. Walker’s 23 carries were his most in a regular-season game since Week 9 of 2024. Walker, who was the Super Bowl MVP for Seattle in February, signed a three-year, $43.05 million deal with the Chiefs.

KENNETH WALKER 60-YARD TD

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— NFL (@NFL) September 15, 2026

• How the Seahawks fared: Rookie running back and first-round draft pick Jadarian Price rushed for 52 yards on 10 carries in a promising NFL debut. George Holani added 29 yards on eight carries, while Emanuel Wilson chipped in 3 yards on two carries. Price is expected to split the backfield duties with Holani until Zach Charbonnet returns from February ACL surgery. Price is on a four-year, $16.8 million rookie deal.

EDGE Boye Mafe

• How Mafe fared: Mafe had a strip-sack fumble of Baker Mayfield in the fourth quarter of the Cincinnati Bengals’ 33-27 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Mafe also recovered another fumble earlier in the game and finished with a team-high four pressures, according to Pro Football Focus. Mafe, who had just 2.0 sacks with the Seahawks last season, signed a three-year, $60 million contract with the Bengals.

THIS BENGALS DEFENSE 🔥

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— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) September 13, 2026

• How the Seahawks fared: Seattle’s edge rushing corps had a strong showing. Derick Hall, who signed a three-year, $42 million extension in June, had one sack and two pressures. Uchenna Nwosu added one tackle for loss and five pressures, while DeMarcus Lawrence had two pressures. And as a collective unit, the Seahawks’ edge rushers helped limit New England’s running backs to just 2.8 yards per carry. However, veteran Dante Fowler Jr. played just 16 snaps and had a quiet night after signing a one-year, $2.5 million deal with Seattle in May.

CB Riq Woolen

• How Woolen fared: Woolen started and played all 70 defensive snaps in the Philadelphia Eagles’ 24-22 win over the Washington Commanders. According to PFF, he allowed only one reception on five targets – although that one reception was a 1-yard TD by wide receiver Antonio Williams with 1:01 remaining. Woolen signed a one-year, $12 million contract with the Eagles after an up-and-down tenure in Seattle.

• How the Seahawks fared: Nehemiah Pritchett shined in his debut as Seattle’s third cornerback, the role Woolen occupied for most of last season. Pritchett made one of the game’s biggest plays, corralling a fourth-quarter interception off a deflection from safety Rodney Thomas II on a deep pass down the sideline. Pritchett also had a key third-down pass breakup and allowed just three catches for 25 yards on five targets, according to PFF. However, Pritchett may still have more challengers to fend off for the CB3 role – including recently signed former two-time Pro Bowler Trevon Diggs and rookie third-round pick Julian Neal.

S Coby Bryant

• How Bryant fared: Bryant will miss at least most of the season after suffering a knee injury in training camp that required surgery. The Bears said on Aug. 11 that Bryant would be out four to six months, which would mean a mid-December return at the earliest. He signed a three-year, $40 million contract with Chicago.

• How the Seahawks fared: Seattle also has been hit hard by injuries at safety. Rookie second-round pick Bud Clark suffered a season-ending broken ankle in the preseason, while Ty Okada (hamstring) and Nick Emmanwori (ankle) were both sidelined for Week 1. The aforementioned Thomas, who was elevated off the practice squad to make a fill-in start in Okada’s spot, rose to the occasion with a strong all-around performance. Thomas delivered the pass breakup that resulted in Pritchett’s interception and allowed just two catches for 9 yards on three targets, according to PFF.

Seattle Seahawks news and more

• Lefko: Week 1 of NFL season showcased Seahawks’ greatest strength
• Brock floats a trade target to make Seahawks elite at cornerback
• Drew Lock showed off his best trait in Seattle Seahawks’ Week 1 win

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