Alright, Emerald City, get ready for some frustration because Seahawks wide receiver Tory Horton is officially sidelined, and Head Coach Mike Macdonald is playing it so close to the vest you could suffocate. Macdonald flat out said Horton is “going to be out for a period of time,” and when pressed for details, he hit us with a wry smile and a “Sorry, I just don’t want to tell you.” Talk about a gut punch when we’re trying to figure out what’s going on with our guys.
What’s Up With Horton’s Absence?
This whole thing feels off. We were all hyped to see Horton back on the field, especially after he worked his tail off recovering from that season-ending cracked tibia. He was a full-go for most practices, which was awesome to hear. But then, he wasn’t there for the preseason opener against the Dallas Cowboys, and now we know he’s missing Sunday’s game at the Tennessee Titans. He even sat out Friday’s joint scrimmage with the Titans in Nashville. Macdonald’s vagueness about Horton “still working through his stuff” just adds fuel to the fire. Is it an injury? Is it personal? No one knows, and that ambiguity from “a period of time” could mean anything from a couple of days to a whole month. For a young guy like Horton who needs reps, this mystery is brutal for us fans.
The Camp Scuffle That Raised Eyebrows
Now, you can’t talk about Horton without remembering that absolute circus show of a training camp scuffle back on August 11. Tacoma News Tribune’s Gregg Bell detailed the whole thing, and honestly, it was wild. Horton, who’s a fifth-round pick out of Colorado State, was just a few weeks back from that cracked shin that cut his rookie season short. He got flagged for offensive pass interference against cornerback Nathaniel Pritchett, pushing him after coming out of a deep out route. The defensive players started yelling at him, and what does Horton do? He walks right into their huddle and talks smack to all eleven of them! The next play, he catches a quick pass, and safety Ty Okada just unloads on him from behind, hitting him hard, not once, not twice, but three times after the play was over. Okada then threw Horton to the ground, right into a pile of about three dozen defensive players. Our guy was practically alone, with an offensive lineman having to sprint across the field to even try and help. That kind of intensity and potential for injury is always concerning, especially for a player just back from a serious one.
What’s Next for the Hawks?
So, what are we supposed to make of this? We’re heading into Sunday’s game against the Tennessee Titans still without answers on Horton. We’ve got Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Rashid Shaheed, and Cooper Kupp ready to roll, but losing Horton, especially when he showed flashes of potential last year, is a blow to our depth. We need all hands on deck. We’ll be watching that Titans game, hoping our guys can keep things tight and praying for some clarity on Horton soon. This team needs to be healthy and cohesive, and right now, this mystery surrounding Tory is just a headache for the 12s.
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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