ESPN analyst believes Cal Raleigh can bounce back. The Seahawks begin their title defense with five intriguing storylines, including the contract of Witherspoon and a battle at running back. Rookie Eastern is on the injured list.
Title
ESPN analyst is confident: Mariners star catcher Cal Raleigh will fix things himself
Last year, the Seattle Mariners reached the American League Championship Series for the first time in 24 years, and one of the biggest reasons for the success was the breakout season of their catcher, Cal Raleigh. He slugged 60 home runs in the regular season and added a few more in the playoffs. But in 2026, everything went wrong. An oblique injury early in the season and a sharp dip in his performance meant Raleigh is now hitting far below .200 and posting a negative WAR.
In an interview with Seattle Sports, ESPN insider Jeff Passan expressed confidence that Raleigh can correct course on his own. According to Passan, any advice from the outside is something Raleigh has already considered and tried to implement himself. The key issue, the expert notes, is that Raleigh has been swinging more often at pitches that don’t suit him—putting him at a disadvantage. Passan believes the way out is to simplify: go back to the basics, get more frequent at-bats, and end up again in “Cal’s advantage” territory.
The most unpleasant part of the slump, in Passan’s view, is the feeling of drowning—when the lifebuoy seems to be just inches away. But the analyst believes in Raleigh’s character, calling his current performance the first percentile of what he’s capable of, whereas last year was the 99th. So despite a brutal first stretch, analysts remain optimistic: “Big Dumper” can get back on track without outside help—by stopping the overcomplication and returning to what made him the league’s best catcher.
Five key storylines for the Seattle Seahawks’ training camp
The last time the Seahawks took the field as a team, they were celebrating their second Super Bowl title in franchise history—and then received championship rings in a private ceremony. But the NFL runs on the principle of “don’t linger,” and once training camp opens in Renton, the team has to move on.
Ahead of the first open practice on July 26, Seattle Times highlighted five top storylines shaping the offseason of the defending champions.
The first—and most financially significant—topic is the contract of cornerback Devon Witherspoon. He has two years remaining on the current deal, but the Seahawks have picked up an option for 2027, and are expected to offer him a long-term extension that could make Witherspoon the highest-paid player at his position in league history. A change of ownership could affect the timeline as the team transitions from the estate of Paul Allen to the Hosls. The club, however, says it’s operating as usual; a recent record contract for receiver Jackson Smith-Njigba (42.15 million dollars per year) serves as proof.
Another layer of intrigue comes from the situation involving Christian Gonzalez of the New England Patriots—he has the same draft year, the same agent, and is also looking for an extension. The Seahawks’ front office often finalizes deals like these around the start of camp or in the first few days, and each side hopes the wait won’t drag on.
The second storyline is the competition for the starting running back spot after Kenneth Walker III signed a multi-million-dollar contract with the Chiefs. The club has leaned on a committee approach involving first-round rookie Judarian Price, third-year back George Holani, and free agent Emmanuel Wilson while Zach Charbonnet is recovering from a knee injury suffered in the playoffs.
Charbonnet is expected to return no earlier than mid-to-late October. Price’s selection at No. 32 suggests he’s the most likely starter at the beginning of the regular season, but the coaching staff emphasizes that everything has to be earned—especially on a team defending a title. While a combined approach at running back may not thrill fantasy players, for the Seahawks the priority is improving their ground game, which finished last season 25th in average yards per attempt (4.1 yards).
The third question is whether Jackson Smith-Njigba can repeat his breakout season. At age 23, he posted 1,793 receiving yards—eighth-best in league history. The historical numbers suggest it’s extremely difficult to put up that kind of output again. For example, Isaac Bruce totaled 1,781 yards at age 23, but his next-best season came in at 1,471.
In the offseason, there were rumors the Seahawks would lean more heavily on Rashid Shahid and tight ends, and that Tory Horton and Elijah Arroyo would take a step forward. Opposing defenders will almost certainly focus on Smith-Njigba, but betting against him after last year would still be risky.
The fourth issue is who will fill the spots in the secondary vacated by the departures of Coby Bryant and Rick Woollen. Safeties in the mix include second-round rookie Bud Clark, veteran Tai Okada, and free agent Rodney Thomas II. For the third cornerback role, along with third-year player Nehemiah Pritchett and Noya Igbinogene, the team is also considering third-round pick Julian Neil. It’s reasonable to assume the long-term bet is on Clark and Neil, but as with Price, the newcomers will have to prove themselves to earn playing time.
The fifth story is life under the watch of the cameras. From the first day of camp, the team will be followed by the crews behind NFL Films and HBO’s documentary series “Hard Knocks.” The first episode will air on August 11, but press attention and camera coverage will stick with the Seahawks at every step.
Head coach Mike Macdonald has already set the tone: “It’s like, okay, it’s coming close. Squeeze the most out of it—you’ll have fun.” He took the same approach during the Super Bowl, and the scoreboard results speak for themselves. Most likely, there will be more talk about a potential distraction than real consequences; plus, the cameras will disappear at the beginning of September. One interesting detail: seventh-round rookie nose tackle Deven Eastern was placed on the physically unable to perform list due to an injury from earlier this spring—he could return at any time after clearing a medical evaluation.
Seahawks place rookie lineman on PUP list
The Seattle Seahawks added rookie defensive tackle Deven Eastern to the physically unable to perform (PUP) list due to an unspecified injury. The decision was made on Saturday, and now the 23-year-old, drafted in the seventh round of the 2026 draft from Minnesota, will miss the start of the training-camp period, which begins July 25.
As The Seattle Times reporter Bob Condotta noted on social media, Eastern missed most of the organized team activities and the mini-camp due to the same injury. Now he has a chance to return to action at any point during training camp, but if by the final roster cutdown to 53 players he is still on the PUP list, the team can either move him to reserve PUP (forcing him to miss the first four games of the regular season), trade him, waive him, or even include him on the main roster. This is standard procedure for players on the edge of rotation.
Eastern, who is 196 cm tall and weighs 145 kg, spent four seasons in Minnesota, playing 45 games and recording 12 tackles for loss (sacks/behind the line of scrimmage), 4.5 sacks, and two forced fumbles. Last year, he added 5 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, and one forced fumble.
Despite those numbers, breaking into the Seahawks’ starting lineup won’t be easy: the team already has star interior linemen like Leonard Williams, Byron Murphy II, Jarran Reed, Riley Mills, and Brandon Pili on the roster. Given the depth, Eastern is likely being viewed as a developmental reserve, but any prolonged absence due to injury could significantly complicate his chances of carving out a spot in the NFL.
In the broader context of Seahawks news, it’s also worth noting that the team previously appeared in ESPN position rankings, and Jackson Smith-Njigba was recognized as the NFL’s top receiver by AP. For the young defensive player, though, the priority right now is health. As Seattle Sports reports, there’s currently no exact information about the nature of the injury, but the timing leaves room for hope of a quick return. If Eastern isn’t cleared by the start of the regular season, the Seahawks will have to make a tough personnel decision—possibly trying to keep him via the practice squad, or parting ways.
Either way, the situation underscores how important roster depth and player health are—especially at the demanding defensive tackle position.
