After blockbuster trade, what’s the Seahawks’ next move?
With just under two weeks until the NFL trade deadline, Seattle could go back onto the market to further bolster its roster.
Velus Jones Jr. of the Seattle Seahawks runs against the Kansas City Chiefs on Oct. 25, 2026, in Seattle. (Caleb Bowlin/Getty Images)
(Caleb Bowlin/Getty Images)
The NFL trade deadline on Nov. 10 is just under two weeks away, but that doesn’t matter for the Seattle Seahawks, who kicked things off early by acquiring All-Pro guard Quenton Nelson from the Indianapolis Colts in a splash move Tuesday.
The biggest challenge Seahawks will get from Bears
The move is massive for Seattle, even if it’s the only one it makes. An offensive line that took a step forward last season and returned all five starters has struggled through the first seven weeks. It’s not been all bad all the time — Sunday night’s win over the Chiefs was its best performance yet — but the O-line is one of many broken wheels on a Seattle offense that’s been waiting to catch fire (at least until Week 7).
Maybe getting of the best guards in the biz is enough, especially once you consider the imminent returns of running backs Zach Charbonnet and Jadarian Price. In fact, the second-most popular choice in a casual poll of Seahawks fans on social media was to stand pat and hang onto the remainder of those draft picks.
Would you still wanna see the Seahawks deal for a running back? Another position? @SeattleSports
— Stacy Jo Rost (@StacyRost) October 27, 2026
Here’s what voters wanted to see Seattle do next.
Deal for another position (not RB or WR)
The most popular response on the poll was to deal for another position, with many fans eyeing edge rusher depth.
The Seahawks have the second-highest pressure rate in the NFL (30%) but not quite the sack numbers to follow (17, tied for fifth).
Arizona’s Josh Sweat and the Los Angeles Chargers’ Khalil Mack are the two to watch here. The still-winless Chargers can recoup some value after a wildly disappointing start to their 2026 campaign by dealing the 35-year-old Mack, who has three sacks and 11 pressures. The Chicago Bears have been a popular candidate (per Jordan Schultz and FOX’s NFL insider Jay Glazer) after they failed to land DeForest Buckner, who was acquired by the 49ers Tuesday afternoon.
Could the Seahawks throw their name in the hat, too? They’ve not seen much of a return from free agent addition Dante Fowler (one quarterback hit in 81 defensive snaps).
Sweat is a bit younger at 29 and also on a team closer to a top-10 pick than a postseason bid.
Add to the running back room
OK, maybe it’s not Jonathan Taylor, whom the Colts may end up keeping as part of a rebuild in the end if they’re not tempted by a gaudy trade package. But Titans halfback Tony Pollard is a popular name coming off a hot Week 7 where he had 129 rushing yards and three touchdowns.
The Seahawks will get Charbonnet and Price back eventually, but it’s not clear yet whether that means for this coming Monday against the Bears. Both are eligible to return: Charbonnet has been added back to the 53-man roster and Price has been out the minimum four weeks he needs to be activated off injured reserve. Price has shown enough intrigue in limited carries to keep fans (fairly) optimistic about a second-half run, but how much confidence does the team have in a rookie and a vet returning from ACL surgery? They may very well get the best version of Charbonnet in the final stretch of the season — which works out for a Super Bowl run if you manage to get there first, and they’ll need more consistent production from their running back room to do that.
Other trade candidates to watch: James Conner (Cardinals) and Roschon Johnson (Bears).
Add a wide receiver
The least popular choice among voters is also the most intriguing.
The Seahawks have injuries to their running back room. They’ve longed for a stellar offensive line. Those are additions that make sense.
But this offense? They’ve got the best receiver in football. A year after leading the NFL in receiving yards, Jaxon Smith-Njigba is doing it again. He’s got 867 yards through seven weeks at a 123.9 yards per game clip, which puts him on pace for just over 2,000 yards.
The problem? JSN has 58 receptions, and the next closest receiver is Cooper Kupp… with 19.
JSN led the league in target share last season (36%), so maybe this isn’t a problem. After all, the Seahawks won a Super Bowl with an offense that relied heavily on production from their star wideout. But without Kenneth Walker III and Charbonnet in the backfield, that feels like a riskier bet.
Rashid Shaheed was supposed to be an option here but hasn’t blossomed into the WR2 Seattle was hoping to see. He’s also dealing with a knee injury, with coach Mike Macdonald telling Brock and Salk on Monday the initial prognosis was positive but falling short of committing to much more than that.
The Seahawks have in-house options: more chances for Shaheed once he’s out there, more targets for tight end AJ Barner. But a team willing to look outside for help last year could do it again.
Names to watch: Brian Thomas Jr. (Jaguars), Jauan Jennings (Vikings) and Garrett Wilson (Jets).
Fun fact: Wilson was selected with one of the first-round picks the Hawks sent the Jets for Jamal Adams.
Seattle Seahawks news and more
• Where Quenton Nelson fits on Seattle Seahawks’ offensive line
• Brock and Salk: Quenton Nelson trade a ‘steal’ for Seattle Seahawks
• Schlereth: Seattle Seahawks’ Sam Darnold has ‘redemption game’






Comments
0 Comments