Our Seattle Seahawks are kicking off their Super Bowl defense Wednesday night against the New England Patriots, and while the Lombardi Trophy is safely back in the Emerald City, the secondary is already getting a major shake-up before game one. With key departures and a rash of early season injuries, the Hawks are turning to the practice squad to bolster the back end of the defense, making some crucial roster moves just days before kickoff.
The Holes We’re Suddenly Plugging
It feels like yesterday we were celebrating that incredible Super Bowl win, but the offseason brought some tough goodbyes. Safety Coby Bryant signed with the Chicago Bears, and our man Riq Woolen is now rocking the green of the Philadelphia Eagles. Those are big shoes to fill, right? We had our hopes pinned on the 2026 draftees, Bud Clark and Julian Neal, to step up. But Clark is heading straight to injured reserve for the year, and Neal’s training camp was so limited by injuries that we probably won’t see him in a significant role early on. Add Ty Okada being ruled out after not practicing this week, and suddenly, our secondary is looking thinner than a pre-game hot dog. You can feel the pressure building already.
Practice Squad to the Bright Lights of Lumen Field
So, with the secondary needing some serious love, our Hawks have made some moves. A.J. Finley, who’s been with Seattle since Mike Macdonald arrived after spending his prior two seasons with the Los Angeles Chargers, is now on the active roster. Then we have two practice squad elevations: Rodney Thomas and Velus Jones. Thomas is a veteran, a free agent signing from the spring, who spent his first four years with the Indianapolis Colts. Velus Jones? He’s set to reprise the special teams role he handled for us down the stretch in 2025. To make all this happen, Bryce Cabeldue, a Kansas Jayhawks alum, was waived. And here’s the kicker, some folks out there are already saying “the 2026 Seahawks season is doomed.” Seriously? We are the Super Bowl champs! That’s a pretty wild take after a few early season roster adjustments, wouldn’t you say?
This Wednesday evening isn’t just a game, it’s the start of our Super Bowl defense. We’re going up against the New England Patriots, the very team we beat to get that ring. All eyes will be on these new faces in the secondary, seeing how they step up on the biggest stage. Forget the “doomed” talk; this is where we show everyone what being Super Bowl champs is all about. Let’s go, Hawks!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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