The reigning Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks are officially down their starting right guard, Anthony Bradford, who was placed on injured reserve before the Week 3 road game against the Washington Commanders. Bradford had already missed the Week 2 win against the Arizona Cardinals due to knee and hip injuries, but head coach Mike Macdonald hinted he should be back sooner rather than later, after the minimum four games missed. Still, that’s a month without a key starter for our Super Bowl champs, and that opens the door wide open for Christian Haynes and rookie Beau Stephens.
It’s Go Time For Haynes and Stephens
With Bradford sidelined, it’s Christian Haynes and Beau Stephens stepping up to handle right guard duties. We saw a glimpse of this in the Cardinals game, where Haynes took 43 snaps to Stephens’ 27. That’s roughly a 60-40 split, folks, and it shows the coaching staff is willing to give both guys a real shot. Both Haynes and Stephens definitely had encouraging reps on film last Sunday, which is exactly what you want to see when you’re suddenly thrust into the spotlight for a team with championship aspirations. The question now is, who grabs this opportunity with both hands and runs with it?
2027’s Starting Spot Is On The Table
This isn’t just about the next month, Seattle. This is a massive audition for 2027. Anthony Bradford is set to become an unrestricted free agent next year, and even with his best and healthiest season under his belt, an extension doesn’t look particularly likely. Honestly, extending Jalen Sundell, who’s a restricted free agent this offseason, is a higher priority. So, who steps into that starting right guard spot for 2027? That’s what Haynes and Stephens are playing for right now.
Haynes, a third-round pick back in 2024 out of UConn, had a shot to earn a starting spot over Bradford in Anthony’s second season. But it never quite materialized beyond sporadic snap-splitting, and the Seahawks “pulled the plug on that idea.” When Bradford went down with a season-ending ankle injury against the Arizona Cardinals, Haynes did play the rest of the game, but the coaching staff ended up preferring Sataoa Laumea to him. (Laumea isn’t even on an NFL roster now!) We can throw out the Ryan Grubb and Scott Huff year, because as the source says, they were “just boiling poo in a kettle.” Under John Benton, Haynes was even tested at center in training camp, with not even the slightest hint of him threatening Bradford’s spot. His limited regular season time saw him replacing an injured Grey Zabel against the Rams and an injured/resting Anthony Bradford versus the Vikings, but get this: 10 of his 32 snaps came at center.
Then there’s Beau Stephens, our prized Day 3 pick who the team traded 2027 draft capital to get in the fifth round. That kind of investment definitely suggested Haynes was on the roster bubble or even a trade piece this past camp. But Haynes answered the call with an impressive July and August, cementing himself as the main backup guard on both sides. Stephens was mostly with the third-team before Mason Richman’s injury bumped him up. Even with that, he hasn’t cemented himself as a 100% snap guy when called upon.
The Super Bowl champion Seahawks are heading into their Week 3 matchup against the Washington Commanders with a massive question mark at right guard, but also a huge opportunity. Christian Haynes and Beau Stephens just got their shot to prove they belong, not just for the next month, but for the future of the Emerald City’s offensive line. Every single snap counts now.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Field Gulls.
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