RENTON, WASHINGTON - JULY 25: Leonard Williams #99 of the Seattle Seahawks reacts before practice at Virginia Mason Athletic Center on July 25, 2026 in Renton, Washington. (Jack Compton / Getty Images)
RENTON, Wash. - Mike Macdonald seemed to be channeling his inner Ice Cube on the first day of padded practices for the Seattle Seahawks.
"I don’t know if it gets much better than this," Macdonald said. "Beautiful weather, training camp, pads on, playing football. We got bald eagles flying. We got the Blue Angels in the sky. It’s pretty awesome. We’re very blessed. Awesome day, great practice."
"Today was a good day" would have also captured the mood.
The first day of full contact since the Super Bowl marked a new phase for training camp in 2026 for the Seahawks. Some things just can't be accurately gauged when pads aren't a part of the equation. And while it's a balancing act of protecting health while simultaneously getting ready for the start of a new season, these days are necessary.
"The intent was there," Macdonald said. "There was physicality, both sides making plays. Just incremental gains, operation wise. Didn’t have a lot of guys on the ground, which was great. Back and forth, I just noticed a lot of great things individually and in each unit."
Here are some of the key points from day five of camp at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center:
Nick Emmanwori makes an appearance on the sidelines.
Second-year safety Nick Emmanwori made his first appearance during practice after having surgery right before training camp to address a lingering ankle injury from the practice lead-up to the Super Bowl in February.
Emmanwori was clearly early in his recovery from the procedure, but managed to engage with his teammates on the sidelines throughout practice.
"He's in an adverse situation and he's attacking it, and that's all you can ask him to do," Macdonald said. "He's made a lot of progress, which is exciting. ... Returns so far, he's done a great job. It's not going to be easy, but he's just the man for the job."
Macdonald wouldn't commit to a timeline for Emmanwori either at the start of camp or after Thursday's practice, but it does seem as though it's possible he's not ready for the start of the season.
"It's one of these things where you don't want to put a timetable on it because you don't want to limit him but just go rip it every day. We got great people surrounded by him and let's go see where we get," Macdonald said.
Deven Eastern activated from PUP list.
Seventh-round nose tackle Deven Eastern was activated from the physically unable to perform list on Thursday, leaving only running back Zach Charbonnet (ACL) and safety Nick Emmanwori (ankle) on the list.
Cornerback Julian Neal, nose tackle Brandon Pili, linebackers Jamie Sheriff and Jared Ivey, and wide receivers Jake Bobo and Irv Charles were held out of practice.
"Some training camp things. And they’ll be back. There’s nothing crazy going on right now. Just training camp stuff," Macdonald said.
Wide receiver Kyre Duplessis took part in his first practice with the team after being signed on Wednesday to fill the vacancy created by releasing running back Kenny McIntosh.
New Leonard Williams contract incoming?
Defensive tackle Leonard Williams confirmed after practice on Tuesday that he's had discussions with the Seahawks about a new contract.
"There's been few conversations, but nothing set in stone," Williams said. "We're all focused on the season starting right now, and we know that that's towards the end of the season. We have time to figure that out when the time comes."
Williams' deal is set to expire at the end of this season as his three-year deal signed in 2024 also carried a pair of void years to mitigate the salary cap cost.
"I've had a lot of contracts at this point in my career, and I've always noticed players that focus on their contract end up not playing well," Williams said. "They end up having their head in the wrong place. I've noticed that when I focus on being where I'm at, focusing on my team and how I can get better individually, things always tend to work themselves out."
NFL Network reporter Mike Garafolo told the Puck Sports podcast on Thursday that a deal for Williams is coming soon, definitively before Week 1.
"And it's going to be a big number," Garafolo said.
Williams currently averages $21.5 million a year on his current deal. Jeffrey Simmons of the Tennessee Titans is the top interior defensive lineman in the NFL at $35.3 million a year, and Kansas City Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones is second at $31.8 million a year. They're the only two over $30 million a year at the defensive tackle positions.
Williams could certainly join them coming off a season when he was a second-team All-Pro.
The Source: Information in this story came from FOX 13 Seattle reporting.
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