Jaxon Smith-Njigba versus Devon Witherspoon.
Best on best. Star on star.
The NFL offensive player of the year against the three-time Pro Bowl cornerback. The wide receiver who got a record $169 million contract from the Seahawks this spring against the other 20-something franchise cornerstone, the guy who’s about to get his own, top-of-the-market deal.
It was a featured showdown impossible during the regular season. It was an only-in-training-camp feature of the Super Bowl-champion Seahawks’ seventh camp practice Saturday.
Witherspoon lined up tight on the line opposite Smith-Njigba outside left in a one-on-one, goal-line drill. Sam Darnold was the quarterback with only him, the receiver and the defensive back. At the snap Smith-Njigba ran straight at Witherspoon up the field. JSN then cut hard left in the end zone outside left. Witherspoon grabbed him on the cut.
The NFL side judge on the crew officiating the play and the practice threw a penalty flag on Witherspoon. Darnold’s pass was on a line hard over Witherspoon’s helmet onto Smith-Njigba’s hands for a touchdown in the back, left corner of the end zone.
As the crowd of about a thousand or so fans on the grass berm roared, Witherspoon complained to the official. Smith-Njigba jogged back to high-five Darnold.
Elijah Arroyo’s strong start
Saturday was the latest very good day for Elijah Arroyo.
The second-year tight end and 2025 draft choice caught two touchdown passes on deft moves in his pass pattern during that same one-on-one drill that featured Smith-Njigba versus Witherspoon. Arroyo faked a move outside right then cut sharply left to turn around safety Rodney Thomas for one of his touchdowns.
Arroyo also caught a touchdown pass in the back of the end zone from Darnold, past starting safety Ty Okada on a deep tight-end route that appeared to confuse Okada and Witherspoon on that side of the field.
The Seahawks spent a second-round pick on Arroyo out of Miami last year. He had little impact as a rookie. He played only 40% of the offensive snaps, with just 15 receptions in 13 games.
Now he’s in an offense with new coordinator Brian Fleury having been the San Francisco 49ers’ tight ends coach the previous half-dozen years.
Seattle’s offense so far this camp is showing Fleury may using tight ends more and deeper down the field in the Seahawks passing game this season.
Bud Clark with 1s–and Richard Sherman
Rookie second-round pick Bud Clark got his first extended time in 11-on-11 scrimmaging with the starting defense, after six practices with the twos.
It happened after Pro Bowl veteran safety Julian Love appeared to get much of the almost three-hour practice off Saturday to watch Clark play for him.
“It felt amazing,” Clark said. “Everything was moving fast, and I felt like I was moving fast with it. I adapted to it pretty well.”
Earlier this week Clark reunited with Seahawks Super Bowl-champion legend Richard Sherman on the field at practice, after they had done the same thing in May during offseason practices. This time, the NFL Films Hard Knocks camera and sound crews had a microphone on Clark, under his practice uniform.
“I was on mic and everything like that, but I felt like we talked outside,” Clark said.
“He ended up giving me his number, and things like that. So we got to chat. I loved it.”
Clark smiled like he was talking about an idol.
He joked the meeting with Sherman on camera ensures he will make the editing cuts and be on the first Hard Knocks episode on the Seahawks’ training camp. It airs Tuesday on HBO.
Rookie 2nd-round pick Bud Clark on talking at #Seahawks training-camp practice with Richard Sherman—”He gave me his number!”—and the DB’s first extensive work today with the starting defense in scrimmaging @thenewstribunepic.twitter.com/UespHpcXKE
— Gregg Bell (@gbellseattle) August 1, 2026
Tory Horton
Tory Horton had his flashiest day since he last played. That was last November at Washington when he scored two touchdowns. Days later doctors discovered he had a cracked shin and his rookie season ended.
Saturday was the fourth consecutive practice and sixth of the camp’s seven practices Horton’s participated in, in his return from the injury. On his latest day, Horton scored two touchdowns on consecutive drives in 11 on 11.
For his first score the 6-foot-2 Horton leaped over 5-10 cornerback Shemar Jean-Charles to rip Drew Lock’s pass out of the air in the end zone.
The second score was out of the left slot, a seam route. Darnold’s bullet pass hit Horton’s hands in stride on his sprint through the starting secondary to the end zone.
Horton spent much of practice on the first- and second-team offenses. It was his most extensive scrimmaging since the injury, another sign he is progressing following surgery in February to have a metal rod put in his lower leg to heal his tibia.
Extra points
*Ernest Jones was back at middle linebacker calling the starting defense’s signals in scrimmaging. He had walked off the field into the team headquarters with a trainer before the end of practice Friday.
*Anthony Bradford was back as the starting right guard a day after he watched the end of practice not in pads. Christian Haynes was back to second-team right guard.
*Jadarian Price continued his extensive work in pass blocking and pass catching with running-backs coach Thomas Hammock. The rookie first-round pick again split first-team back reps with George Holani during scrimmaging.
*Wide receiver Jake Bobo and rookie third-round pick Julian Neal at cornerback missed their fourth consecutive practices each. A source told The News Tribune Bobo may have a hamstring issue.
*Fullback Robbie Ouzts did not practice, for the first time in camp.
*Nose tackle Brandon Pili missed a third consecutive practice with a lower-leg issue.
#Seahawks finish long 7th practice of training camp:
Featuring star on star, Jaxon Smith-Njigba vs Devon Witherspoon
Elijah Arroyo again really good
Tory Horton 2 TDs on consecutive 11-on-11 drives
Jadarian Price’s education in the pass game continues@thenewstribunepic.twitter.com/L6qcXrR4od
— Gregg Bell (@gbellseattle) August 1, 2026
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