The Seahawks begin the next phase of their voluntary offseason workout program this week with the first of six sessions of organized team activities. OTAs, or Phase 3 of the offseason workout program, isn't quite actual football practice just yet—no live contact is permitted—but it is the first time the team can do 7 on 7, 9 on 9 and 11 on 11 drills with the offense going against the defense. And with a handful of these OTAs open to the media, this will be the first chance for the public to learn a bit more about the Seahawks' 2026 offseason. With that, here are five things to watch in Seahawks OTAs, which begin on Tuesday at the Viriginia Mason Athletic Center.

1. How is this team embracing Mike Macdonald's "we're not defending anything" approach?

In March, when asked about his team heading into 2026 as the defending champions, Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald noted that he and the team are "trying to be really careful with our language, we're not really saying we're running anything back, we're not defending anything."

Later in the offseason, during his appearance on a SiriusXM Front Row event, Macdonald expanded on that thought, saying, "We're a new team. We're proud of what we did, that team's going to live forever, but we want to run it forward. We want to run our process forward. We want to perpetuate our way of life around here. That's sustainable, that's what's exciting. The journey of last year to become the team we became is the stuff we'll remember and cherish the most."

Putting a dominant, Super Bowl-winning season in the rearview mirror is easier said than done, and we won't really know how this team has embraced that challenge until this fall when the games start counting, but because players will be available to the media this week, it will be a chance to see how that messaging is getting through to the team. Moments after Julian Neal was selected in the third round of this year's draft, the understandably excited cornerback talked about wanting to help the Seahawks go back-to-back. Hearing about that comment later in the evening, Macdonald joked that he will "Talk to him about messaging."

As last year's team mentioned throughout its playoff run, the bonds formed early in the offseason workout program were crucial for that team to be as close as it was, a key element to its success. The 2026 team is still finding its own unique personality, and for that process to play out, Macdonald knows the focus needs to be on "running it forward," not reminiscing about the past, no matter how memorable it is.

2. Who steps into jobs vacated by free-agent departures?

The Seahawks are returning the vast majority of the players who helped them win Super Bowl LX, but there were a few noteworthy departures in free agency. And while there is a ton of time to sort things out between now and the September 9 opener, OTAs will provide an early glimpse at who is competing for those roles.

At running back, starter and Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker III is gone, having signed with the Chiefs, and Zach Charbonnet, who split time with Walker last season, is recovering from a significant knee injury, meaning the depth chart will look quite a bit different, especially until Charbonnet is back, whenever that happens. When it comes to returning players, George Holani looks like the leading candidate to take on a bigger role, having stepped into the No. 2 spot in the playoffs after Charbonnet's injury. The Seahawks will also have back Kenny McIntosh, who missed all of last season with a knee injury. The Seahawks added Emanuel Wilson in free agency, then, of course, there is first-round pick Jadarian Price, who figures to be a big factor.

On the other side of the ball, the Seahawks lost starting safety Coby Bryant, who signed with the Bears, as well as cornerback Riq Woolen (Eagles), and Boye Mafe (Bengals). At safety, Ty Okada, who started 11 games last season when Julian Love and Bryant were out with injuries, figures to be the leading candidate to open things up, but he will have challengers, from second-round pick Bud Clark to free-agent signing Rodney Thomas II to AJ Finley, who is back after missing all of last year with a knee injury. At cornerback, the Seahawks do still have starters Devon Witherspoon and Josh Jobe, but the third corner spot is open with Woolen gone. Julian Neal, a third-round pick, is one of several options along with Nehemiah Pritchett, who stood out on special teams last year, Shemar Jean-Charles, free-agent signing, Noah Igbinoghene and others. Veteran edge rusher Dante Fowler Jr. is the logical replacement for Mafe, but there are also plenty of young players, including Connor O'Toole, Jared Ivy and Jamie Sheriff, who will also push to break into that rotation.

Again, there's a ton of time to sort all of those spots out, but the next couple of weeks are a good early look into where things stand.

3. What does a Brian Fleury-run offense look like?

Ok, so we probably won't really know much about the intricacies of the offense after a few OTAs, especially not when new offensive coordinator Brian Fleury is expected run an offense that's pretty similar to the one the team ran a year ago. But these early OTAs will still give media, and by extension, fans, a first chance to see how Seattle's new OC runs an offense, and what players think of their new coordinator.

4. How do Jadarian Price, Bud Clark and the rest of the rookies fit in with the veterans?

Rookies got their first taste of NFL life in rookie minicamp in early May, and have since returned for Phase 2 of offseason workouts, but as things ramp up with OTAs, they'll get a good early test going against a roster full of veteran players who just won a Super Bowl.

As mentioned earlier, Jadarian Price and Bud Clark both figure to compete right away for significant playing time, and Julian Neal could also be in the mix early on at cornerback, but the next few weeks will also be a chance for Seattle's later picks to show where they fit in while competing on a really deep roster. Among the players whose progress fans will no doubt be tracking is guard Beau Stephens, who the Seahawks traded up to get early in the fifth round.

5. What second-year players look ready to make a leap?

When talking about the 2026 team earlier this offseason, both Macdonald and general manager and president of football operations John Schneider talked about several young players, particularly second-year players, who flew a bit under the radar last year, but who have a chance to step into bigger roles in Year 2. Among the names mentioned by those two are tight end Elijah Arroyo, defensive end Rylie Mills and outside linebackers Jared Ivey, Connor O'Toole and Jamie Sheriff. Will every one of those players enjoy a breakout 2026 season? Probably not, but it's a good reminder that there is a lot of young talent on the team beyond just the handful of players who are able to be standouts as rookies.