Seattle opens the 2026 preseason against Dallas at Lumen Field, with Jalen Milroe, the offensive line and key roster battles taking center stage.
The Seattle Seahawks vs. Dallas Cowboys preseason opener won’t count in the standings, but don’t tell that to the players fighting for jobs Saturday night at Lumen Field.
Seattle begins its first preseason as the defending Super Bowl champion, hosting a Cowboys team it will see again on Monday Night Football in December.
The Seahawks own a 5-3 advantage in the all-time preseason series and won the most recent exhibition meeting 22-14 in 2023.
For Seattle, the scoreboard is secondary. Mike Macdonald needs answers.
Start at quarterback. Sam Darnold is firmly established as QB1 after throwing for 4,048 yards during Seattle’s championship season, while Jaxon Smith-Njigba erupted for 1,793 receiving yards. The more interesting preseason snaps belong to Drew Lock and, especially, Jalen Milroe.
Milroe has worked his way back onto the practice field after rehabbing an ACL injury and currently sits third behind Darnold and Lock on Seattle’s depth chart.
Every preseason rep gives Seattle another chance to evaluate how much the former Alabama quarterback has developed as a passer while still using the athleticism that makes him such an intriguing long-term project.
The offensive line deserves just as much attention.
Macdonald recently said the group has had a strong camp, and Seattle returns several important pieces, including Charles Cross and Abraham Lucas.
For a team trying to defend a championship, preseason success means seeing clean pockets, fewer breakdowns and enough push in the running game to suggest last season’s momentum is carrying over.
Rookie running back Jadarian Price is another name Seahawks fans want to see, though his availability bears watching after he recently missed practice with what the team characterized as a minor injury issue.
The No. 32 overall pick rushed for 674 yards and 11 touchdowns on just 113 carries during his final Notre Dame season, averaging 6.0 yards per attempt.
Defensively, Seattle doesn’t need to prove much after a postseason run capped by six sacks and two interceptions in its Super Bowl victory.
Instead, Saturday is about depth - young defensive backs, rotational pass rushers and special-teams players making themselves impossible to cut.
Dallas brings recognizable stars, but preseason football rarely belongs to stars. For Seattle, Cowboys-Seahawks is about finding the next one.
WHAT: Dallas Cowboys (0-0) at Seattle Seahawks (0-0) NFL Preseason
WHEN: Saturday, Aug. 15, 2026 | 7 p.m. CT
WHERE: Lumen Field | Seattle, WA | Capacity 68,740
TV: KING 5 (NBC Seattle) Kate Scott on play-by-play with Michael Robinson and Michael Bennett as analysts.
RADIO: Seattle Sports 710 AM and KIRO Newsradio 97.3 FM — Steve Raible and Dave Wyman on the call, with Jen Mueller reporting from the sideline.
BETTING ODDS via DraftKings.com
SPREAD: DAL +3.5 | SEA -3.5
TOTAL: 39.5
MONEYLINE: DAL +150 | SEA -180
