Bud Clark’s severe ankle injury leaves Seattle reeling, turning a routine summer workout with a savvy veteran playmaker into a potential lifeline for the Seahawks' secondary.
The Seattle Seahawks might have already met with one potential answer to a problem they didn't even have yet.
Less than a month before Bud Clark broke his ankle against the Tennessee Titans, Seattle brought former Dallas Cowboys safety Donovan Wilson in for a workout.
At the time, it looked like pretty standard veteran due diligence.
Now? That workout suddenly looks a whole lot more relevant.
ESPN's Adam Schefter reported on July 29 that Wilson was working out for Seattle after spending the first seven seasons of his career with the Cowboys.
Wilson didn't sign with the Seahawks following the workout, and that could've easily been the end of the story.
Then Clark went down.
The rookie suffered a broken right ankle against Tennessee, leaving the field on a cart after an air cast was placed on his leg. Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald has since said Clark will be out "multiple months."
So, no … we're not reporting that Wilson is already booking another flight to Seattle.
There has been no report that the Seahawks have renewed their interest in the 31-year-old since Clark's injury. But if Seattle decides it needs another veteran safety, it wouldn't exactly have to start its homework from scratch.
The Seahawks already brought Wilson into the building less than a month ago — and there's plenty for them to know.
Dallas selected Wilson in the sixth round of the 2019 draft, and he went on to make 75 starts during seven seasons with the Cowboys. He finished his Dallas tenure with eight interceptions, nine forced fumbles and 13 sacks.
There's also a familiar face waiting for him in Seattle.
Defensive coordinator Aden Durde spent three seasons as Dallas' defensive line coach from 2021-23, overlapping with Wilson throughout that stretch. Durde didn't coach Wilson's position, but the Seahawks haven't exactly been afraid to dip into his old Dallas connections.
DeMarcus Lawrence made the move from the Cowboys to Seattle in 2025. Dante Fowler Jr., who previously spent time in Dallas, followed this offseason.
That doesn't make Wilson next in line … but it does make him awfully easy to circle on the list of potential options.
Seattle was interested enough in Wilson to work him out before it knew Clark would miss multiple months. The Seahawks have already gotten an up-close look at him, and Wilson spent three seasons in the same organization as Durde.
Maybe Seattle decides it has enough in-house. Maybe another safety makes more sense.
Or maybe a workout that didn't seem all that important on July 29 ends up becoming a whole lot more important in August.
Because when Clark went down against Tennessee, the Seahawks suddenly had a problem they didn't have when Wilson first walked through the door.
The convenient part?
They might have already done some of the homework needed to solve it.
