The Seahawks moved training camp to Lumen Field on Saturday night, hosting their annual Football Fest in front of a lively crowd that filled out most of the lower level of the stadium.
Here are six observations from Sunday's practice, the 12th of Seahawks training camp:
1. The Seahawks "really felt the love from the 12s."
With the Mariners celebrating their 50th season next door, including a pregame ceremony honoring the 50 greatest players in franchise history, and with Seattle in August being Seattle in August, there were plenty of good options for outdoor entertainment on Saturday night, but that didn't stop a large contingent of 12s from making it out to Lumen Field to cheer on the Seahawks at Football Fest.
"It's always a fun day getting out to Lumen," Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald said. "We got a lot of great work in, and I tell you, that was a great showing by the 12s with a Mariners game going at the same time, Seafair was last weekend, so I really appreciate the effort that everybody took to get out and have a lot of enthusiasm. We just really felt the love from the 12s today, so what was really great.
2. AJ Finley's "full-circle moment" was part of a strong showing from Seattle's safety depth.
When the Seahawks practiced at Lumen Field a year earlier, safety AJ Finley, who was competing for a roster spot and a role in the defense at the time, left the field on a cart after tearing his ACL while battling for a jump ball in the end zone. Despite the injury, the Seahawks liked Finley enough to re-sign him in March, and in his first practice back at Lumen Field, Finley had what he described as a full-circle moment, intercepting a Sam Darnold pass intended for Jaxon Smith-Njigba, setting off a huge celebration with teammates who knew how big of a moment it was for Finley.
"It really didn't hit me until I got to the sideline and all the boys were congratulating me," Finley said. "It's definitely a full-circle moment. I'm just sticking the process, taking it day-to-day, and honestly, it's been a hell of a ride."
Macdonald said he and the coaching staff were well aware of the significance of this practice for Finley coming into the day, and after practice wrapped up, Macdonald had the fourth-year safety break down the post-practice team huddle.
"It was incredible," Macdonald said of Finley getting an interception. "I'm incredibly happy for him. He's worked incredibly hard, he's been a great teammate the whole process. At this time last year, he was really battling for a great role, and he's put himself right back in the thick of things. He broke the team down at the end, which I thought was really cool.
"It was one of those things like, how do you handle it as a coach? Do you bring it up, do you not? We were thinking about it—I know AD (defensive coordinator Aden Durde) talked to him this morning—we were all kind of thinking about him going into this. That was really cool."
And Finley wasn't the only safety to make a big play, with Rodney Thomas II, a free-agent signing this offseason, also intercepting a pass.
3. Putting players in the spotlight.
While not an every-practice occurrence, Macdonald and the coaching staff sometimes like to dedicate a portion of practice to one-on-one drills that feature a pass-catcher and a defender, or two linemen, battling one-on-one with the entire team watching. And on Saturday, that drill added more excitement with a big crowd cheering on the action. Among the highlights were rookie receiver Emmanuel Henderson Jr. securing a nice back-shoulder catch on a good throw from Jalen Milroe, a combination of good throw and good beating good coverage from rookie corner Michael Dansby.
Milroe also hit a deep ball to running back T.J. Harden, who made a contested catch with linebacker Tyrice Knight all over him. Then to close things out, receiver Montorie Foster Jr. was able to get open with a great move on rookie corner Andre Fuller.
"That's a fun period," Macdonald said. "Guys getting excited. I told the team today, this is an exercise in being us in a different environment. Trusting our training, doing the things that we know how to do, but now we layer it with being at our stadium in front of the 12s and being in front of more people. There's a lot of things to learn from that, which is cool."
4. Montorie Foster Jr. just keeps making plays.
Montorie Foster Jr. first signed with the Seahawks last spring as an undrafted rookie out of Michigan State, but his first training camp was cut short by an injury. He then signed to Seattle's practice squad in December, but with the Seahawks on a run that would take them all the way to the Super Bowl, most fans probably weren't too aware of practice squad transactions at that time of year. But if Foster wasn't on many people's radar last year, that is changing in his second camp with the Seahawks. Nearly every day, including on Saturday night, Foster has come up with a big play or two, and during Football Fest that included a couple of touchdowns in red zone and one-on-one drills, and a great adjustment to catch a deep ball from Milroe. Also notable to his hopes for making the team, he was one of the first players used as a kick returner when the Seahawks practiced kickoffs, though as deep as the Seahawks are at receiver, Foster still has work to do.
"I'm seeing the same things you guys are," Macdonald said. "It's great. He's doing a great job for himself, he really is. I don't have anything else to add other than that he's doing a phenomenal job."
5. Emanuel Wilson keeps making plays.
The Seahawks have been without rookie Jadarian Price for the past couple of practices, though he is expected back soon, but even without this year's first-round pick in the backfield, the Seahawks still have some really good options in the backfield, led by George Holani and Emanuel Wilson.
Wilson, a free-agent signing who previously played for the Packers, has had a couple of strong practices in recent days, including some big runs on Saturday.
"This sounds really cliché right now, but he keeps stacking days from where he started to where he is now," Macdonald said. "It seems like he keeps making plays, he keeps being productive in his style of ball, which is really cool. What he brings to the table is exciting. There's a physicality, a heaviness to his game, which is fun to have on offense."
6. Elijah Arroyo is a playmaker.
Second-year tight end Elijah Arroyo had some flashes of his ability as a rookie, but the former second-round pick out of Miami was limited at times by injuries that kept him from really breaking out as a rookie. After a couple more big plays on Saturday, including a touchdown over a leaping Julian Love, Arroyo is looking more and more like a player who can make big contributions on offense this year. And as good as Arroyo has been a couple of weeks into camp, Macdonald is challenging him to strive for even more.
"When Elijah's been out there, he's been productive for us," Macdonald said. "It not a fault of his own that sometimes he's gotten nicked up, but if he can continue this trend of having a routine, attacking the details, making those marginal gains every day, then this is the type of stuff that he's capable of, and he can take it even further. So the challenge is, keep going, let's not be complacent two weeks into camp with what your role is. Let's blow the roof off of the expectations for what you can do, and let's go get it. He's doing all those things, but it's two weeks in, let's keep it rolling."
The 12s attended Seahawks Football Fest on Saturday, August 8 at Lumen Field.

The 12s attended Seahawks Football Fest on Saturday, August 8 at Lumen Field.

The 12s attended Seahawks Football Fest on Saturday, August 8 at Lumen Field.

The 12s attended Seahawks Football Fest on Saturday, August 8 at Lumen Field.

The 12s attended Seahawks Football Fest on Saturday, August 8 at Lumen Field.

The 12s attended Seahawks Football Fest on Saturday, August 8 at Lumen Field.

The 12s attended Seahawks Football Fest on Saturday, August 8 at Lumen Field.

The 12s attended Seahawks Football Fest on Saturday, August 8 at Lumen Field.

The 12s attended Seahawks Football Fest on Saturday, August 8 at Lumen Field.

The 12s attended Seahawks Football Fest on Saturday, August 8 at Lumen Field.

The 12s attended Seahawks Football Fest on Saturday, August 8 at Lumen Field.

The 12s attended Seahawks Football Fest on Saturday, August 8 at Lumen Field.

The 12s attended Seahawks Football Fest on Saturday, August 8 at Lumen Field.

The 12s attended Seahawks Football Fest on Saturday, August 8 at Lumen Field.

The 12s attended Seahawks Football Fest on Saturday, August 8 at Lumen Field.

The 12s attended Seahawks Football Fest on Saturday, August 8 at Lumen Field.

The 12s attended Seahawks Football Fest on Saturday, August 8 at Lumen Field.

The 12s attended Seahawks Football Fest on Saturday, August 8 at Lumen Field.

The 12s attended Seahawks Football Fest on Saturday, August 8 at Lumen Field.

The 12s attended Seahawks Football Fest on Saturday, August 8 at Lumen Field.

The 12s attended Seahawks Football Fest on Saturday, August 8 at Lumen Field.

The 12s attended Seahawks Football Fest on Saturday, August 8 at Lumen Field.

The 12s attended Seahawks Football Fest on Saturday, August 8 at Lumen Field.

The 12s attended Seahawks Football Fest on Saturday, August 8 at Lumen Field.

The 12s attended Seahawks Football Fest on Saturday, August 8 at Lumen Field.

The 12s attended Seahawks Football Fest on Saturday, August 8 at Lumen Field.

The 12s attended Seahawks Football Fest on Saturday, August 8 at Lumen Field.

The 12s attended Seahawks Football Fest on Saturday, August 8 at Lumen Field.

The 12s attended Seahawks Football Fest on Saturday, August 8 at Lumen Field.

The 12s attended Seahawks Football Fest on Saturday, August 8 at Lumen Field.

The 12s attended Seahawks Football Fest on Saturday, August 8 at Lumen Field.












