Seahawks on ‘Hard Knocks’: What stood out from episode 3

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

‘Hard Knocks’ catches teammates’ reaction to Spoon’s extension

What stood out? Here’s a look.

The Terrion Arnold situation

A significant chunk of the episode focused on the Seahawks’ decision to agree to sign cornerback Terrion Arnold, who was released by the Detroit Lions earlier this summer after being arrested on eight felony charges in connection to a robbery and kidnapping.

At one point, general manager John Schneider was shown discussing the matter with special teams coach John Harbaugh.

Harbaugh asked why the Lions released Arnold before the legal process played out, to which Schneider responded: “Because it was very shocking. Like, if you read The Athletic article, it’s not good.”

Schneider then acknowledged the Seahawks “probably would’ve had to let (Arnold) go” if they were in the Lions’ situation. Schneider agreed with Harbaugh’s notion that the situation is different for a potential “second-chance team” like the Seahawks.

The episode also captured a conversation between Schneider and Seahawks fullback Robbie Ouzts, who was a college teammate of Arnold’s at Alabama. Ouzts is one of several former Alabama players and coaches in Seattle’s building who vouched for Arnold during the team’s vetting process.

“He was a great kid,” Ouzts said.

Ouzts mentioned that Arnold was “constantly hanging out with” legendary former Alabama head coach Nick Saban’s family during his time in Tuscaloosa. Ouzts also said he was in disbelief upon hearing news of Arnold’s arrest.

“The first thing I said was, ‘Terrion?'” Ouzts said. “I don’t really know what happened or what to believe, really. I heard a lot of different things.”

Schneider then mentioned Seahawks third-string quarterback Jalen Milroe, who was another teammate of Arnold’s at Alabama. The Seahawks have previously praised Milroe for his character.

“Jalen was like best friends with him,” Schneider said. “I talked to coach Saban. Coach Saban was like, I liken his character to Jalen’s.”

“I think it’d be a good fit,” Ouzts said.

In another shot, Schneider was rewatching footage of the Seahawks’ interview with Arnold at the 2024 NFL scouting combine. Schneider said the team was high on Arnold during the pre-draft process.

“Literally, this was one of the best interviews we’ve ever had – like the most fun,” Schneider told vice president of player performance Sam Ramsden. “It was awesome.”

Also of note: In a phone conversation with Schneider, Arnold’s agent revealed that seven other teams were interested in signing the 23-year-old former-first round pick.

Macdonald’s authenticity

The episode began with head coach Mike Macdonald addressing the team in a meeting and describing how he’s grown as a defensive play caller over the years.

“Earlier in my career, especially calling plays, I called it not to lose the game,” Macdonald said. “If I’m really honest with myself, I did that too often, and we lost leads.

“And our first year here (in 2024), I still feel like I had that mentality. I really felt like, hey, how do we just not screw this up? … I was like, do I really deserve to be here? I was trying not to lose it.

“At some point last year, it shifted to, how are we going to call and manage this game to go win the game?” he added. “There’s a difference, right?”

Macdonald then used that as a lesson for his players. Instead of playing not to lose a potential job or roster spot, “let’s look at it through the lens of opportunity to go put your best foot forward, no matter the circumstance,” Macdonald said.

The scene was another encapsulation of Macdonald’s authenticity. He’s widely regarded as the NFL’s brightest defensive mind, and yet he shows a level of humility in critiquing himself and acknowledging moments of self-doubt earlier in his career.

Extra points

• The episode included a segment on what makes reigning NFL receiving leader Jaxon Smith-Njigba so difficult to defend. While other receivers may be faster or more physically imposing, Smith-Njigba’s “superpower” is his ability to make every route look the same, as safety Julian Love described.

“Jaxon is one of those guys who can run full speed, and cut full speed, and stay at the same level,” Love said. “It’s a superpower. His style is very unassuming if you’re watching from the sidelines. He has no indicators if he’s gonna break in or break out. Everything’s on the table.”

• Perhaps the most entertaining clip was the shot of 6-foot-3, 330-pound undrafted rookie nose tackle Uso Seumalo playing eight-man high school football on the small Hawaiian island of Moloka’i. Seumalo played a variety of different positions growing up, including quarterback. The footage showed him carrying the ball and mauling through an overmatched defense on his way to a long touchdown.

• Special teams captain Brady Russell’s wife, Annie, went into labor during the Seahawks’ preseason opener this past Saturday night. The episode showed Russell sharing the news with Macdonald and his teammates at halftime as he got ready to leave the stadium to be with his wife.

Seattle Seahawks news and more

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