4 takeaways from Seahawks’ initial 53-man roster

The Seattle Seahawks set their initial 53-man roster on Sunday. What stood out from cutdown day? Here are four takeaways.

More clarity on injury timelines

The Seahawks kept running back Zach Charbonnet on the physically unable to perform list as he continues to recover from February ACL surgery. That means he’s required to miss the first four games of the season.

There was speculation that Charbonnet had an outside chance of returning within the first few weeks of the season, but general manager John Schneider said Sunday the plan was always for him to open on the PUP list.

Meanwhile, it’s a good sign that standout safety Nick Emmanwori (ankle), wide receiver Tory Horton (undisclosed injury), running back Emanuel Wilson (undisclosed injury) and rookie cornerback Julian Neal (quad) are beginning the season on the active roster instead of injured reserve. An IR stint would have required them to miss the first four games, so that means they each have a chance to return sooner than later.

Schneider was coy when asked whether Emmanwori has a chance to play in the Sept. 9 season opener after undergoing ankle surgery in July.

“We’ll see how that goes,” Schneider said. “We’ll see what kind of progress he continues to make.”

Foster’s rapid rise earns him a spot

Second-year wideout Montorie Foster Jr. was the surprise story of the summer for the Seahawks. And in the wake of Jake Bobo’s season-ending injury, Foster’s rapid climb up the depth chart earned him the fifth and final receiver spot on Seattle’s initial 53-man roster.

It’s truly stunning how far Foster has come. As an undrafted rookie out of Michigan State, Foster hurt his knee early in 2025 training camp and was waived by Seattle with an injury designation. He returned home to the Cleveland area, got his real estate license and spent much of last fall working as a high school substitute teacher while waiting for his next crack at the NFL.

Foster finally got another chance after signing with Seattle’s practice squad last December. He stayed on through the Seahawks’ Super Bowl run, spent the offseason with the team and then emerged as a surprise standout in training camp.

Foster’s playmaking then carried over to the preseason, where he hauled in seven catches for 73 yards and a touchdown. He also made two tackles in kick coverage and delivered a key block on Jacardia Wright’s 69-yard TD run against Tennessee. And if not for a pair of overthrows by Drew Lock, Foster might have had two more TD receptions.

“It’s hard to remember a player at the receiver position that’s improved as quickly as he has,” said Schneider, who added that Foster appears to have learned a thing or two from Seahawks star wideout and reigning NFL receiving leader Jaxon Smith-Njigba.

“I told Jax I felt like he just took his film and just completely studied it, or just followed him around for all spring or something. And then his special team stuff’s been really nice too, so he’s done a great job.”

Stockpiling at cornerback

Three-time Pro Bowler Devon Witherspoon and Josh Jobe are entrenched as the Seahawks’ top two cornerbacks. But after that, it’s anyone’s guess how the rest of the cornerback room shakes out.

Heading into training camp, third-year pro Nehemiah Pritchett, free agent addition Noah Igbinoghene and Neal figured to be the top contenders to replace Riq Woolen in the CB3 role. But with Neal missing most of camp with a quad injury, Schneider began searching for additional depth.

The Seahawks signed former first-round draft pick Terrion Arnold, who faces eight felony charges and was placed on the NFL commissioner’s exempt list Sunday as his legal proceedings unfold. They also signed former two-time Pro Bowl cornerback Trevon Diggs, who is aiming to resurrect a once-promising career that’s been derailed by knee injuries.

And then on Sunday, the Seahawks swung a trade with the Los Angeles Chargers to acquire undrafted rookie cornerback Avery Smith, who reportedly was a standout in camp.

Pritchett, Neal and Smith each made Seattle’s initial 53-man roster, while Igbinoghene and Diggs were both released. But Schneider indicated that was strategic roster maneuvering. As vested veterans, Igbinoghene and Diggs aren’t subject to waivers, which means they can re-sign with the Seahawks’ practice squad and then be added to the 53-man roster later on.

When asked about the slew of cornerback additions, Schneider said it’s a position where depth is particularly vital.

“That position, you can never have enough guys all the way through,” Schneider said. “We’ve been in spots before where we’ve been stuck and we’re signing a guy to the practice squad (and then) elevating.

“We want to be able to have guys that are in the system for a long time that the coaches feel comfortable about playing in games. … You always (want to) have a guy in the chamber ready to go.”

Plenty more roster shuffling to come

While the initial 53-man roster draws significant attention, the reality is that it’s simply the first iteration in a season-long churn of signings, practice squad elevations and other transactions. And moreover, it’s an incomplete look at the full picture.

Schneider has stressed that his goal is to compile the best possible 70-man roster – a reference to the 53-man active roster and the 17-man practice squad. And as Schneider explained Sunday, that means assembling the 53-man roster with an eye toward protecting as many of his team’s top 70 players as possible from the waiver wire.

Keep in mind, if a player with fewer than four seasons of accrued service time is cut, he’s subject to waivers and can be claimed by other teams. But if a player with four-plus seasons of service time is cut, he immediately becomes a free agent and can sign with any team or practice squad.

That’s why the Seahawks released veterans like Diggs, Igbinoghene, safety D’Anthony Bell and wide receiver Cody White. Since they aren’t subject to waivers, they can re-sign with Seattle’s practice squad and be added to the 53-man roster later on. That allows the Seahawks to use a few of the initial 53-man roster spots to protect younger players from being claimed off waivers.

“Having veterans on the practice squad has enabled us to not expose certain players to the waiver wire,” Schneider said. “It’s a strategy for the initial 53 cut, and then as well as what we’re gonna look like in the middle of October, and trying to be as strong as we possibly can and as deep as we possibly can with a combination of older and younger players down the stretch.”

Schneider said there will be “a lot of moving parts” with the roster in the coming days and weeks. That continues in earnest on Monday, when teams can begin signing players to their practice squads after the 10 a.m. waiver-claim deadline.

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