The Seattle Seahawks lost to the Dallas Cowboys 17-7 on Saturday night, but the true takeaways reside in the lessons we learned. There might be no more relevant week to prioritize takeaways than preseason. You didn’t need to win. You did need to come away with as many ways to improve your team as possible. Here were the five most obvious lessons.
No. 1- George Holani is the starting running back until he’s not
First, the running back rotation ended up being fairly varied like I predicted, but George Holani received 12 carries. Velus Jones Jr. took 7, TJ Harden took 2, and Justin Jones took 1. None of Emanuel Wilson, Zach Charbonnet, and Jadarian Price played, with both of the latter two likely to supplant Holani at some point this season when they return from injury. Until then, though, last year’s third-stringer Holani will start. Price will likely be back in the near future and regular season, might also need to show pass-blocking prowess to earn the every-down workhorse role some might envision.
No. 2- The Seahawks’ violence seminars are paying off
While the rather excellent episode two of Hard Knocks has been the talk of the town the past week, the tape will reflect the team’s focus on managing and controlling violence. Derick Hall was coaching up Jalan Gaines, who was relentlessly attacking Dallas’ quarterbacks, and Mason Richman and Beau Stephens were taking the competition to the Dallas’ defensive line, both getting great downhill push in the run game. The young offensive lineman are a product of the culture Mike Macdonald and company have created and prioritized.
No. 3- Jalen Milroe will have a shot to start in the NFL someday
Jalen Milroe is a good quarterback prospect who the Seahawks can just keep waiting in the wings until they might need him, and he showed enough improvement tonight compared to last preseason to justify the draft capital they spent on him. They won the Super Bowl, but they might end up with an extremely interesting asset here the longer he’s allowed to wait. He’s 23, has 1st-round level athleticism, and is hitting the middle of the field consistently. Watch out.
No. 4- Terrion Arnold could end up being the difference vs. Rams
I know, you could say any DB is a perfect fit here and be right, but Arnold’s first-round athletic profile seems like an anti-Puka Nacua device. Having both him and Devon Witherspoon would be such a ridiculous blend of aggression and athleticism with Nick Emmanwori and Julian Love, and although Josh Jobe has played great too, the team clearly needs more experienced depth behind them outside.
No. 5- Jalan Gaines and Montorie Foster Jr. are making cases for roster spots
Two completely different players and positions, strong and aggressive defensive end Jalan Gaines was showing tons of smarts, effort and coachability tonight, and possession wide receiver Montorie Foster Jr. was the quarterback’s best friend all night. They’re still outside candidates, but definitely names to watch closer after solid performances in their first opportunity of 2026.
This article originally appeared on Seahawks Wire: Top Seahawks takeaways from 17-7 presason Week 1 loss to Cowboys