RENTON, Wash. — John Schneider recognizes the difficult task that awaits the Seattle Seahawks in seeking to defend their Super Bowl title.

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Seattle’s general manager trimmed the squad’s roster from 91 players down to 53 ahead of Sunday’s deadline. Schneider was adamant, though, that this 53-man roster might not be the same one the Seahawks open the season with on Sept. 9 against the New England Patriots in a Super Bowl rematch.

“A lot of moving parts over the next, especially two weeks, as we kind of figure out what the landscape looks like for our team,” Schneider said, “as well as the rest of the National Football League.”

Aside from a few surprises, there was little out of the ordinary on Seattle’s initial 53-man roster. Here’s a look at who made the team, and who didn’t, before the calendar turns to September.

Offense (26)

Quarterbacks (3): Sam Darnold, Drew Lock, Jalen Milroe

The Seahawks will roster the same three quarterbacks they opened the 2025 season with. Darnold, fresh off a second straight Pro Bowl campaign, has impressed throughout training camp ahead of his second season in Seattle

“We were very impressed last season with the way he came in,” Schneider said of Darnold. “Became a leader right away in the way he does it.”

Lock, the presumptive No. 2 quarterback after serving in that role all of last year, looked sharp in the preseason, completing 21 of 27 passes for 143 yards and two touchdowns.

Milroe played all of Friday night’s game and delivered a fine performance, completing 16 of 26 passes for 223 yards and a touchdown. The 23-year-old still has plenty of work to do in his bid to become an NFL starter. But Milroe showcased why the Seahawks are high on his future.

Running backs (4): Jadarian Price, George Holani, Emanuel Wilson, Brady Russell (FB)

PUP: Zach Charbonnet

Cut: Jacardia Wright, Velus Jones Jr., Justin Jones, Brock Lampe

A room at the center of many questions throughout training camp has solidified. Wilson was back on the practice field Sunday, despite missing much of training camp with an injury, and will likely open the season as Seattle’s third-string running back. That development made Wright, who had a 69-yard touchdown run in the preseason, expendable.

Schneider said Charbonnet, who tore his ACL during the playoffs, was not a candidate to start the season on the active roster. By starting the season on the physically unable to perform list, he will miss at least four regular-season games, but he will be eligible to practice after Week 2.

Wide receivers (5): Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Cooper Kupp, Rashid Shaheed, Tory Horton, Montorie Foster Jr.

IR: Irv Charles

Cut: Cody White, Emmanuel Henderson Jr., Ricky White III, Rashad Rochelle, Julian Hicks

An injury to Jake Bobo, who will miss the season with a torn ACL, opened up a spot on Seattle’s roster. Foster made the most of the opportunity, tallying seven catches for 73 yards and a touchdown in the preseason and standing out throughout training camp. Schneider said it’s hard to remember a player who has grown as much as Foster, who spent time last year working as a substitute teacher and real estate agent.

“We’re really proud of him,” Schneider said. “And proud of his teammates and obviously his position coaches.”

Henderson, pick No. 199 in April’s draft, was one of the NFL’s highest-drafted rookies to be cut. If he clears waivers, he’s a candidate for the practice squad. Horton has not practiced recently due to an undisclosed injury and was not on the practice field on Sunday. But Schneider said Horton was not a candidate to start the season on injured reserve.

Schneider said Charles, whom Seattle acquired from the New York Jets over the offseason, is a “dominant gunner” on the punt team. Currently sidelined by injury, Charles will be eligible to come off injured reserve as early as Week 5.

“He came in today and we talked. I forgot how big he was,” Schneider said. “He’s running 22 mph. He’s just a monster special teams player. So, it’s definitely worth the wait.”

Tight ends (4): AJ Barner, Eric Saubert, Elijah Arroyo, Nick Kallerup

Cut: Nick Vannett

As anticipated, Seattle kept four tight ends. The group is expected to take a more prominent role in first-year offensive coordinator Brian Fleury’s offense, which could mean increased opportunities in the passing game for both Barner and Arroyo.

Saubert and Kallerup — both known more for their blocking than receiving — should each get plenty of snaps, too.

Offensive line (10): LT Charles Cross, LG Grey Zabel, C Jalen Sundell, RG Anthony Bradford, RT Abe Lucas, OT Josh Jones, C Olu Oluwatimi, G Beau Stephens, G Bryce Cabeldue, G Christian Haynes

Cut: OT Amari Kight, OT Bobby Hart, OT Logan Brown, C Federico Maranges, OT Kellen Diesch, OT Derrick Graham

Haynes, a third-round pick in the 2024 draft, is perhaps the most notable offensive lineman Seattle retained. He appeared in 16 games as a rookie, then was slowed by injuries in 2025 and appeared to have slid down the depth chart. But the Seahawks still think the 6-foot-3, 317-pounder has room for improvement, especially if he can stay healthy in 2026.

Hart, who has started 75 NFL games, could return as a member of Seattle’s practice squad. As a vested veteran, he does not have to clear waivers.

Defense (24)

Interior defensive line (6): Leonard Williams, Byron Murphy II, Jarran Reed, Mike Morris, Rylie Mills, Brandon Pili

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Cut: Deven Eastern, J.R. Singleton, Bubba Thomas, Uso Seumalo

A position group that includes Williams, who recently signed a multiyear contract extension, will be among the deepest on the team. Mills and Pili could receive regular playing time as third-stringers.

Mills, a fifth-round pick in 2025, recorded his first career sack in the Super Bowl, and could be in line for more snaps in his second season after missing most of his rookie campaign due to injury.

Coach Mike Macdonald was pleased with reserves like Eastern and Singleton, as well as the potential that Seumalo showed. Though none of the players who were cut seriously threatened for spots, a few should return to the practice squad.

Outside linebackers (5): DeMarcus Lawrence, Uchenna Nwosu, Derick Hall, Dante Fowler Jr., Connor O’Toole

Cut: Jared Ivey, Jamie Sheriff, Jalan Gaines, Marvin Jones Jr., Aidan Hubbard

Lawrence, Nwosu, Hall and Fowler were all locks to make the 53-man roster, with their combined 170.5 sacks and respective contracts. Retaining O’Toole, who made the team as an undrafted rookie last season, might raise some eyebrows. O’Toole played in eight games and logged five tackles as a special teamer in 2025. This preseason, he recorded 10 tackles. He should be a regular on special teams once again.

O’Toole was competing with Ivey, Sheriff and Gaines, all of whom spent time with the Seahawks last season. Both Sheriff and Gaines were practice squad players in 2025, while Ivey appeared in two games for Seattle.

Inside linebacker (5): Ernest Jones IV, Drake Thomas, Tyrice Knight, Chazz Surratt, Patrick O’Connell

Cut: Aaron Smith, Power Echols

Surratt and O’Connell are key special teamers. Each player showed flashes of what they are capable of during the preseason, combining for 24 tackles, and O’Connell bolstered his case with eight tackles on Friday.

Seattle is more than set at the position, as it returns its top two tacklers from last season in Jones and Thomas. Macdonald has been pleased with Knight’s play, as well. Knight had 10 tackles in Seattle’s preseason loss to Dallas after totaling 57 in a part-time role last season.

Cornerbacks (5): Josh Jobe, Devon Witherspoon, Nehemiah Pritchett, Julian Neal, Avery Smith

Commissioner’s exempt list: Terrion Arnold

Cut: Trevon Diggs, Noah Igbinoghene, Michael Dansby, Andre Fuller, Jordan Washington

One day removed from signing cornerback Terrion Arnold, who will start the season on the commissioner’s exempt list while he faces kidnapping and armed robbery charges, the Seahawks acquired Smith, an undrafted rookie, from the Los Angeles Chargers in exchange for their 2027 sixth-round pick, capping a busy few weeks at the position.

It is still not entirely clear why it took two weeks for Seattle to sign Arnold after Macdonald said the team had an agreement in place to sign the Alabama product. Arnold is not permitted to practice or play while on the exempt list. He will be paid and can attend team meetings.

“There’s a ton of factors that go into that,” Schneider said of signing Arnold. “The legal stuff has to take care of itself, and then we totally respect that. There’s tons of different buckets to this situation.”

The release of Diggs, who joined the team on Aug. 19, was a mild surprise after he recorded an interception in his debut on Friday night, but his absence is likely temporary. As one of eight vested veterans who were released, he will not have to go through waivers and is expected to return to the team Monday, likely on the practice squad at first. Schneider said Diggs’ late arrival contributed to him not making the initial roster.

“He’s kind of just getting going,” Schneider said. “Just getting ramped up, just getting his legs under him. But he’s confident. We’re excited for him to get going.”

Seattle felt inclined to add Smith, who went undrafted in April after playing four years at Toledo, to a cornerback room even after using three picks at the position in the draft, including two seventh-rounders who were waived Sunday (Dansby and Fuller, Smith’s college teammate). Schneider said Smith might contribute both on the outside and at nickelback.

“He’s a smart, tough guy. Very instinctive,” Schneider said. “(The Chargers) speak highly of him.”

Neal, a third-round rookie, has been limited by a quad injury and did not appear in a preseason game. But Schneider said Neal is doing well after what he considered to be a minor setback.

Dansby and Fuller didn’t demonstrate enough to crack the 53-man roster, but both could return on the practice squad.

Safeties (3): Julian Love, Ty Okada, Nick Emmanwori

Cut: D’Anthony Bell, Rodney Thomas II, AJ Finley, Maxen Hook, Tysheem Johnson

Despite Emmanwori still working back from offseason ankle surgery, Seattle will roster only three safeties at first. However, Bell could be back before long, whether on the practice squad or the active roster, after playing 14 games for Seattle last season. He and Thomas, who had a hand injury during training camp but returned for Friday night’s preseason finale, are vested veterans and do not need to clear waivers.

Finley missed all of last season with a knee injury and did not show enough to earn a roster spot during his return.

Specialists (3)

P Michael Dickson, K Jason Myers, LS Chris Stoll

No other specialists were in camp, so it’s business as usual for this trio. However, Myers endured an ugly preseason, converting only 2 of 5 field goal attempts and 2 of 4 extra point attempts. Myers, who is in the final year of his contract, converted 41 of 48 field goals last season, though, and has been with the Seahawks since 2019, so his job is safe for now. Should his struggles carry over into the regular season, it could be a different story.

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This article originally appeared in The Athletic.

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