The last rehearsal for Seahawks veteran starters of the preseason Jaxon Smith-Njigba’s best day yet this summer.
Homecoming Cooper Kupp has been getting the attention this summer as Seattle’s new receiving target with Super Bowl MVP, NFL offensive player of the year and Yakima-raised pedigree.
Yet Smith-Njigba, the wide receiver who tied Tyler Lockett’s team record with 100 catches last season, was the star of the Seahawks offense Thursday in the joint practice against the Green Bay Packers. He caught just about everything new starting quarterback Sam Darnold threw at, or near, him. Smith-Njigba often did so with Packers defenders all over him, too.
And he let them hear about it.
The Seahawks starting offense’s initial first down of 11-on-11 scrimmaging was from Darnold completing a pass to Smith-Njigba. after the receiver’s sharp cut on an intermediate out route to the left sideline.
The first-round draft choice in 2023 (20th overall) from Ohio State took that ball and spun it on the grass in the faces of two Packers defensive backs, plus the few hundred Green Bay fans watching from the bleachers along that sideline.
Smith-Njigba went to the other side of the field to catch a pass in the right flat and run up the field for a gain. Then he raced over the middle away from a trailing cornerback, leaped and pulled in Darnold’s high, wide throw with extended arms and hands into his chest. After he tumbled to the loose grass he got up, did a finger roll of the ball and signaled first down from the center of the field.
Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba (11) runs through a drill during a joint practice with the Green Bay Packers on Thursday, August 21, 2025, at Clarke Hinkle Field in Ashwaubenon, Wis. Tork Mason/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin Tork Mason/USA TODAY NETWORK
Darnold said this day in Green Bay exemplified what he’s been building with the 23-year-old Smith-Njigba in the five months since the 28-year-old quarterback signed his free-agent contract with Seattle.
“All the time that we put in after practice, if something doesn’t necessarily click during practice, we’re always, ‘All right, let’s get that after practice,’” Darnold said. “That’s the way we’ve been doing things in training camp.
“And it’s obviously been paying off a little bit, so we’re going to continue to do that and work the timing of different routes.”
Seattle Seahawks wide receivers Cooper Kupp (10) and Jaxon Smith-Njigba (11) wait for their next drill reps during a joint practice with the Green Bay Packers on Thursday, August 21, 2025, at Clarke Hinkle Field in Ashwaubenon, Wis. Tork Mason/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin Tork Mason/USA TODAY NETWORK
Jalen Milroe will start in Green Bay
Macdonald said rookie third-string quarterback Jalen Milroe will start the final preseason game against the Packers here Saturday.
And the third-round pick from Alabama will play the whole game, while veteran one and two QBs Darnold and Drew Lock watch from the sideline.
Most of Seattle’s regular starters won’t play Saturday. That’s what Thursday was for.
Packers coach Matt LaFleur said this week Green Bay’s starters may play some of the game.
Kenneth Walker full go again
The best sign Thursday for Seattle’s offense for deep into the season was that Kenneth Walker was full go in it again.
The lead running back fully participated for the third consecutive practice. This, after weeks of him alternating at times, and at other times missing three and four days in a row with a sore foot.
This spring the team most kept Walker out of team drills. He missed six of 17 games last season and ended it on injured reserve for an injured ankle. He’s yet to play a full season since Seattle drafted him in 2022 in the second round out of Michigan State.
Thursday in 11-on-11 scrimmaging Walker had multiple carries, catches out of the backfield and then a touchdown run. He banged off Packers, cut off blocks and ran smoothly.
His score came from another large hole created by the Seahawks’ offensive line in a month full of them. Walker eased up on his run across the goal line when Green Bay linebacker Quay Walker slammed into him. Anthony Bradford didn’t like that. He came running from behind the play and slammed into the Packers linebacker. Right tackle Abe Lucas joined in that fray.
It was the biggest scrap Seattle’s starting offense had in a practice its defense had multiple ones.
Walker appears to have heeded the words coach Mike Macdonald said publicly at the start of this week. The rugged-minded head coach said the running back needed to begin stringing together some full practices to get ready and confident in the new blocking scheme and offense for the regular season.
Macdonald has said all month “we have a plan” for Walker’s practicing schedule, “and we’re sticking to it.”
The News Tribune asked the coach following practice Thursday if this is the next phase of that plan, Walker practicing every day two weeks and three days before the opener Sept. 7 against San Francisco at Lumen Field.
“It’s probably not going to be every day,” Macdonald said. “It’s the way it is.”
But of Walker this week and running through and past Packers Thursday, Macdonald said: “This is great. This week has been big for him.
“It’s hard to plan these things out several weeks in advance, because you don’t know how things are going to respond, but we take it week by week and plan it out and then go attack it.”
Starting offensive line
Charles Cross was full go in team scrimmaging for the first time since he had surgery to repair a dislocated finger the last days of July. That puts the starting left tackle on track to start the opener.
“There’s never any absolutes, but that’s a fair assumption that he’ll be ready to go (week one),” Macdonald said. “Not being able to play in the game (last week in the second preseason game, against Kansas City) and then coming in and having this, (this) is why we do the (joint) practice so you can be in this environment and have good physical competition and test it out.
“They said it went all right.”
Jalen Sundell again was the first center with Darnold and the starting offense. Olu Oluwatimi alternated in some during 11-on-11 scrimmaging.
Oluwatimi was starting earlier this month, until he hurt his back. In the two weeks he missed, Sundell excelled. He was quick off the snap and showed off his athleticism blocking linebackers and even defensive backs during long gains against the Chiefs. That was part of why Seattle rushed for 119 yards in the first quarter behind its starting O-line, and 268 yards in all Friday.
Thursday in Green Bay the holes were large, thought less frequent than against the Chiefs.
Darnold said it was a good for the Seahawks and their run blockers plus ball carriers to face Green Bay’s 4-3 front, after going against Seattle’s 3-4 scheme all month.
The rest of the starting line was the same Thursday: Rookie first-round pick Grey Zabel again at left guard and Lucas at right tackle.
Macdonald said he will announce the team’s starting offensive line next week.
All signs remain it will be Cross, Zabel, Sundell, Bradford, Lucas against the 49ers to begin the season.
Run-game coordinator Rick Dennison (left), right tackle Abe Lucas (72) and center Jalen Sundell (61) at practice in Seattle Seahawks NFL training camp July 31, 2025, at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center in Renton. Gregg Bell/The News Tribune
No news on Tory Horton
Rookie fifth-round pick Tory Horton, a standout early in training camp, missed practice for the third consecutive time after he injured his ankle in the preseason game last week. The wide receiver again watched wearing sneakers and only his uniform jersey over sweatpants.
“I don’t have an update on Tory. It’s not because it’s not going well,” Macdonald said. “We’ve got to see how the ankle, how and when, how fast it calms down.”
The News Tribune asked the head coach if there’s concern on Horton might no be available by the opener.
“I’m always concerned. I’m concerned about everything,” Macdonald said. “’Are you concerned about anything?’ Yes, that’s my nature.
“I’d say we’re optimistic about where he’s at. And he’s got two weeks.”
Marquez Valdes-Scantling has been with the starting offense replacing Horton. The rookie had passed the veteran on the depth chart and in practice before his injury catching a short pass in the second quarter against the Chiefs.
Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Tory Horton (15) scores a touchdown during the second quarter of the game against the Las Vegas Raiders at Lumen Field, on Thursday, Aug. 7, 2025, in Seattle, Wash. Brian Hayes/bhayes@thenewstribune.com
Good news on Tyrice Knight
Drake Thomas was the starting inside linebacker next to defensive signal caller Ernest Jones Thursday.
Tyrice Knight is the regular starter with Jones. And Knight could be that again by week one.
The Seahawks got good news on the undisclosed medical condition that has sidelined Knight for weeks.
“We got some great news today…Now we’re activating the plan (on his return),” Macdonald said. “We’ll see how long it takes, but a really positive day on ‘T-Knight’ (the) front this morning.”
Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Cooper Kupp (10) rides a bicycle to a joint practice with the Green Bay Packers on Thursday, August 21, 2025, at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wis. Tork Mason/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin Tork Mason/USA TODAY NETWORK