Seahawks Notebook: Takeaways from practice at Lumen Field

SEATTLE - A year ago, Mike Macdonald and the Seattle Seahawks closed their practice at Lumen Field by saying prayers for safety A.J. Finley after he tore his ACL contesting a jump ball catch from Dareke Young for a touchdown.

On Saturday night, Finley broke down the huddle to close practice after his interception of Sam Darnold on a pass for Jaxon Smith-Njigba served as one of the nightlights of the team's annual practice foray to SoDo.

"Incredibly happy for him," head coach Mike Macdonald said. "He's worked incredibly hard. He's been a great teammate for the whole process. At this time last year, he was really battling for a great role, so he's put himself right back in the thick of things."

Contrast that to Macdonald's comments after the practice last year.

"Thoughts and prayers are with A.J." he said then. "That's what we were doing at the end there – saying a prayer on his behalf. What a great, what a great person, what a great young person, full, great spirit, incredibly smart, treats everybody with respect. He's got such a life about him, man. It's heartbreaking. These guys, they work so hard, it's just one play. It's such a shame."

Finley has been under-the-radar since getting back onto the field for the Seahawks this offseason. Seattle re-signed him in March despite missing all of last season with his knee injury. He was originally a waiver claim from the Los Angeles Chargers in December 2024 and appeared in four games for the team at the end of that season.

"It didn’t hit me until I got to the sideline and all the boys were congratulating me," Finley said. "It’s a full-circle moment. Sticking to the process and taking it day to day. It’s been a hell of a ride. I have a lot of good people in my circle; my wife, my family. Being here with the team last year helped me a lot. It’s been a great experience.

"There was a lot of people that were saying they didn’t want to say anything to me before practice. Everybody knew and a lot of people that came up to me were like, ‘Man, a year later, you come back and you get a pick. That’s so special.’ And it is. I’m appreciative, and I thank God for being in this situation."

Finley said he's fully back to 100 percent physically and is just trying to get the last little bit of mental reaction back to full speed.

"When it happened, I went through every emotion you can imagine. You put in so much work and then it’s taken away from you like that. I feel like what I did well was I dealt with it so fast to where the next week when I came in for treatment, I was already over it. Put my best foot forward every day. Getting over it fast was the best thing I did."

Finley is in the mix for a roster spot in Seattle's secondary, particularly with Nick Emmanwori being questionable for Week 1 as he returns from ankle surgery.

Jadarian Price expected back soon

First-round pick Jadarian Price has missed the last two practices for Seattle due to what the team is calling lower body soreness. However, Macdonald said it's a minor issue and he'll be back to practice soon.

"It’s a matter of days," Macdonald said.

Emmanuel Wilson had a couple of strong runs during practice on Saturday and has made a nice impression throughout training camp as he works with Price and George Holani at the position.

"He just keeps stacking days from where he started to where he is now, but it seems like he keeps making plays, he keeps being productive in his style of ball, which is really cool," Macdonald said. "What he brings to the table is exciting. There is a physicality, a heaviness to his game, which is fun to have on offense."

Montorie Foster Jr. keeps showing up

Wide receiver Montorie Foster Jr. had another really impressive practice for the Seahawks on Saturday as his run of strong performances continued.

Among his best plays were beating rookie cornerback Andre Fuller for a big gain, and adjusting to an underthrown ball from Jalen Milroe to haul in a long pass against D'Anthony Bell. 

"That guy's electric," Finley said of Foster. "It feels like he makes a play almost every day. He's definitely putting a lot of good stuff on tape.

Foster originally joined the Seahawks last year after making an impression as a tryout player at the team's rookie mini-camp. He appeared in 54 games for Michigan State with 108 receptions for 1,426 yards and eight touchdowns during his time with the Spartans.

He was waived with an injury designation during training camp and re-signed to Seattle's practice squad in December, earning a Super Bowl ring with the team in the process.

"I'm saying the same thing as you guys are," Macdonald said. "It's great. He's doing a great job for himself. He just really is. I don't have anything else to add, except he's doing a phenomenal job."

Notes

– Players that didn't take part in Saturday's practice at Lumen Field include: cornerback Julian Neal, defensive end Mike Morris, linebacker Jamie Sheriff, running backs Jadarian Price, Jacardia Wright and Robbie Ouzts, and wide receivers Jake Bobo and Irv Charles Jr.

Safety Nick Emmanwori (ankle) and running back Zach Charbonnet (knee) remain on the PUP list.

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