CHARLOTTE—On the Panthers' second play from scrimmage, quarterback Bryce Young threw a short pass to running back Rico Dowdle, who, if he could make one man miss, had a lot of room to run.

Seahawks safety Ty Okada, the man Dowdle needed to make miss, did not miss, hauling down the elusive back for a 2-yard loss. Three plays later, the Panthers would punt, and thanks in no small part to Okada, the tone had been set for one of the Seahawks' best defensive performances of the season in a 27-10 win over the Panthers.

The tackle was one of six for Okada on Sunday, which was tied for the team lead, and one of multiple impressive open-field stops that limited completions and runs to minimal yardage. It was just the latest example of Okada stepping up in a big way when his number was called.

An undrafted free agent out of Montana State, Okada signed with the Seahawks in 2023 and played a total of 33 defensive snaps over nine games in his first two seasons while splitting time between the practice squad and 53-man roster. This season, Okada has been a vital part of one of the NFL's best defenses, starting 10 games while making sure the defense doesn't miss a beat when starters have been sidelined by injury.

Okada started nine games earlier this season while Julian Love was out with a hamstring injury, then was back to a reserve role when Love returned earlier this month. But with Coby Bryant sidelined on Sunday due to a knee injury, Okada got another start, and came through with another strong performance.

"Look, it's remarkable," Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald said of Okada's play this season. "It really is. He's just—his tackling all year has been phenomenal. I'm thinking of a play in Atlanta, he's coming across, making a play. He's a tough son of a gun and takes great angles and trusts it."

Said Okada, who now has 62 tackles, three tackles for loss, six passes defensed, an interception and a fumble recovery this season, "I'm just super thankful that the coaches, my teammates, they have that trust and faith in me to go out there and understand my role in this defense and go and execute. It's awesome getting to play with the 10 other guys on this defense. Everybody flies around. Everybody, you know, plays extremely fast and physical. And so just to be able to own my role and help the team in any way that I can, I'm extremely thankful for it."

But while Okada is grateful for the opportunities that have come his way this season and staying humble about his success, his teammates and coaches can't help but marvel at the play of the one-time Montana State walk-on turned practice squad player turned defensive standout for an elite NFL defense.

"It's been a great story and a great year for Ty," said Love. "He's battling, he works his ass off, obviously filling in for me, right now for Bean (Bryant), and he we don't miss a beat. He steps in—early in the game, he's making his presence felt. He's making his presence felt on the sideline, a few of their players mentioned how well he's playing. He's done a great job, and he's made a name for himself, for sure, which I love to see.

"He grinds, he puts in the work. He's at the facility super early every day, taking care of his body, meeting extra with coaches. He's just a true pro. Before the game, he's with a pen and the call sheet, going through, writing notes on stuff before every series. If you hear him—I'm sure you probably hear him from the press box. He's calling out what personnel they're in, down and distance, situation, he's doing everything off the field to be successful, so it's no surprise that he can go into a role and do well."