Seahawks on ‘Hard Knocks’: What stood out from episode 2

The second HBO “Hard Knocks” episode featuring the Seattle Seahawks premiered on Tuesday night.

Seahawks FB Robbie Ouzts to IR, will miss 2026 season

And it featured all sorts of interesting sights, sounds and tidbits from the reigning Super Bowl champions as they go through the heat of training camp.

What stood out? Here are a few highlights.

Living on the edge

NFL players have to toe the fine line between practicing with intensity, but not putting their teammates at risk of injury. That challenge was front and center in this episode.

Edge rusher Derick Hall crossed that line twice in one practice when he bull-rushed his way into the backfield and got too close to quarterback Sam Darnold.

Head coach Mike Macdonald let Hall hear about it both times. And after the second instance, he ordered Hall to sit out.

“Hey, you can complain all you want,” Macdonald said. “You can complain all the (expletive) you want. You’re too close. That’s twice! It’s not smart. You can (expletive) all you want, but it turns out I’m running the (expletive) practice. Stay away from the quarterback.”

Macdonald expanded on the situation during a one-on-one interview shot.

“What makes Derick so special is how he plays the game,” Macdonald said. “He’s violent, aggressive. We talk about chasing edges – he lives right on the edge.

“And sometimes,” Macdonald said with a laugh, “he’s one of our habitual going-over-the-edge players.”

After practice, Macdonald went over to Hall and patted him on the back.

“I know you’re upset,” Macdonald told him. “It’s gonna be OK. You’re my guy.”

Conflict resolution

Tensions can boil over in the heat of training camp, especially during the raw intensity of one-on-one drills. That was evidenced in one particular scene that chronicled a flare-up between defensive tackle Rylie Mills and offensive lineman Mason Richman.

Mills initially overpowered Richman and got into the backfield, but Richman recovered and held off Mills with one arm. The two players kept tangling for a few more seconds after the drill appeared to be over – at which point Mills then threw a punch that landed on Richman’s facemask. Richman responded by laughing it off and nodding his head in what appeared to be a taunting manner.

So, how did the Seahawks smooth things over between the two 2025 draft picks?

Well, with a good, old-fashioned sledgehammer-holding competition, of course.

During a team meeting, the Seahawks showed a replay of the skirmish in front of the whole team, which prompted plenty of laughter. Mills and Richman were then pitted against each other in a competition to see who could go the longest while holding two sledgehammers out to the side with their arms fully extended.

As the two players battled it out, their teammates hooted and hollered from their seats. Mills seemed completely unfazed by the task, remaining stoic while keeping his arms fully outstretched. Richman put up a good fight, but ultimately caved. Afterward, Richman congratulated Mills and the two players dapped it up.

The Terrion Arnold saga

The episode touched on the recent developments surrounding cornerback Terrion Arnold.

The Seahawks are among at least several teams interested in the 2024 first-round pick, who was released by the Detroit Lions earlier this summer after being arrested on felony charges in connection to a robbery and kidnapping.

In one scene, Seahawks defensive coordinator Aden Durde asks Macdonald: “Is there anything on that guy in Detroit, the one they cut?”

“John’s looking into it,” Macdonald said, referring to Seahawks general manager John Schneider.

“He’s gone in spy mode,” Durde replied.

In another shot, Schneider recounts to Macdonald a conversation he had with Seahawks third-string quarterback Jalen Milroe, who was a college teammate of Arnold’s at Alabama.

“He was awesome,” Schneider said. “He was like, he’s got a buddy, a high school buddy. He’s like, this place would be awesome for him. He just had a baby. His girl would move up here with him. It’d be awesome.”

Schneider then recounted how Milroe said Arnold is “just like Spoon” – a reference to Seahawks three-time Pro Bowl cornerback Devon Witherspoon, whose talent and infectious energy have him on the brink of a contract extension that could make him the highest-paid corner in NFL history.

Later on, the episode closes with Arnold going through a tryout at the Seahawks’ facility.

“Mike Macdonald has questions,” the narrator said. “Will Arnold make the team better? And equally important – does he understand the culture and what Seattle is building?”

The episode’s final shot shows Macdonald and the Seahawks’ brass huddled around and talking with each other following Arnold’s tryout.

Other highlights

• Shadowboxing, a game where two competitors try to guess each other’s movements, played a key role in the Seahawks’ tight-knit team chemistry last season. And it made an appearance on this week’s episode, which highlighted just how prevalent the game is throughout Seattle’s locker room and facility.

“You’ll see running backs shadowboxing with D-linemen, you’ll see O-linemen with the corners,” Pro Bowl defensive lineman Leonard Williams said. “So you’re seeing people who wouldn’t normally sit down and talk together – because we’re kind of separate in the building most of the time – you see those type of people meshing together more because of shadowboxing.”

• Veteran wide receiver Cooper Kupp’s wisdom and football IQ was a big storyline in last week’s premiere, and it was on display again in this episode. During one-on-one drills, Kupp beat Witherspoon twice on a similar route. Afterward, Kupp coached up the three-time Pro Bowl cornerback on what he was reading in his coverage.

Best quotes

• “Whoever set that fire, we’re gonna kick his (expletive)” – linebacker Ernest Jones IV on the wildfire smoke from eastern Washington that blanketed the Puget Sound region last week

• “This lettuce is going crazy. We need to find some people who like salad” – defensive lineman Leonard Williams while examining the plants in his garden

• “His timing compared to a year ago is ridiculous” – head coach Mike Macdonald on quarterback Sam Darnold

Seattle Seahawks news and more

• Seahawks’ Nick Emmanwori takes big step toward return from surgery
• Huard: 3 thoughts on Seahawks’ interest in CB Terrion Arnold
• Huard: The Seattle Seahawks ‘what-if’ question nobody is asking

Related

NFC West Check-In: Puka Nucua hurt, Myles Garrett held out of Rams’ joint practiceEx-Seahawks safety Coby Bryant out 4-6 months after surgerySeahawks set a throwback uniform matchup vs an old rivalSeahawks FB Robbie Ouzts to IR, will miss 2026 seasonSeahawks’ Nick Emmanwori takes big step toward return from surgeryNFL changes who is allowed to throw challenge flag for instant replay