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Top 2026 Training Camp Storylines: How Much Will Continuity Help This Year's Offensive Line?

Returning all five of its starting offensive linemen, the Seahawks will look to build off the continuity of that unit. 

Training Camp storylines OL

With Seahawks training camp kicking off later this month, Seahawks.com is counting down, in no particular order, 10 of the most intriguing storylines, position battles and players heading into the 2026 season. So far, we've looked at special teams, and the return game in particular, safety, cornerback and off-ball linebacker, the defensive front and today we turn our attention to the offensive line. Check back tomorrow when we look at the tight end group.

Key offensive line additions: Beau Stephens (fifth-round pick), Bobby Hart (free agent signing)

Key offensive line departures: none.

While the Seahawks had very few departures following their Super Bowl LX winning season, one position group that will be returning all its starters and most of its depth players, is the offensive line. Last season, Seattle started the same four lineman for every single game – Charles Cross, Grey Zabel, Anthony Bradford and Abe Lucas – including the playoffs. Jalen Sundell was the only player to not start every game due to a knee injury that landed him on injured reserve. He still started 13 regular season games and every playoff game. That offensive line unit did a great job protecting quarterback Sam Darnold, allowing just 27 sacks, tied for fifth fewest in the league.

That group will also be spearheaded again by offensive line coach John Benton.

Zabel, who ended the season ranked as the No. 7 rookie in 2025 by ESPN and was named to the PFWA All-Rookie team, is looking forward to building on last year.

"It's really good to have that continuity in the offensive line," he said. "I think it's gonna be great going from last year, this year, because now there's not as much of a learning curve once you get into training camp, you kind of understand how everybody plays, the different sets people are going to take, the different angles on the run scheme. It's great, but we constantly got to continue to improve."

Like Zabel, Lucas noted the continuity being a large factor.

"I'm excited about it because there's a lot of continuity in the room," he said. "Kind of feel bad for Beau (Stephens) a little bit, just being the only rook, but I mean, he's taken to everybody well, and everybody likes him, so it's just nice to kind of have the gang together, so to speak, not have too much shuffling around or anything. And in that way, we're able to really hit the ground running, and it helps not having to learn a whole, total new system this year, so we're all just kind of picking up where we left off and just continuing to go forward."

As Lucas said, Stephens is the only rookie in the offensive line room. When Stephens was drafted in the fifth round, general manager/president of football operations John Schneider was surprised he was still available at that point and moved up to select him.

"It was too big of a gap and too much talent there," he said. "Beau (Stephens) came on a 30 visit. Really cool, right? Just the process of (him) coming in."

He added, "But when the guy lasts that long, you're like, 'Okay, how do we figure this out?'… The coaches, we got a lot of buy-in from the coaches. They're really excited about it."

And training camp will be a good indicator of where exactly the coaching staff sees Stephens fitting in. Following rookie minicamp, head coach Mike Macdonald said Stephens will be trained at multiple places across the line.

"Beau (Stephens) is on the right side, but we're going to train him at both (guard) spots. We'll see how it goes inside. You need flexibility across, on the interior part of your line. He's played both in his career. Right now, he's playing right guard, but we'll be training him right and left."

The Seahawks do also have experienced depth players in tackles Amari Kight and Josh Jones who both saw some game action in place of injured players, as well as center Olu Oluwatimi who started in place of Sundell while he was on injured reserve.

Check out photos of the Seahawks roster for the 2026 season.

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