Tory Horton is making people notice him again, and this time it isn’t a rookie flashing potential — it’s a receiver proving he’s all the way back.
The Seattle Seahawks’ second-year wideout has been a fixture of positive buzz through the opening week of 2026 training camp at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center in Renton. Horton missed the second half of last season, plus the playoffs, with a shin injury. He showed up to camp this month with no restrictions, and he hasn’t slowed down since.
The Seahawks’ own social channels captured a piece of that on Thursday. A clip posted to the team’s X account, part of a sponsored series with Boeing, showed Horton hauling in a catch near the sideline during a padless practice rep, captioned “TOE-TAP TORY.” It’s a small moment in a long camp, but it fits a pattern that’s been building since the pads came off on day one.
From Shin Injury to First-Team Reps
Horton’s rookie year ended early. A shin injury in November wiped out the back half of his 2025 season and Seattle’s playoff run, right as he was becoming a weapon for quarterback Sam Darnold. He finished his rookie campaign with five touchdown catches on just 13 receptions, including a two-score outing in his final game against Washington.
Tapped in. 🙂↕️ @toryhorton11
Powered by @Boeing pic.twitter.com/BWmSD8QGuM
— Seattle Seahawks (@Seahawks) July 31, 2026
Head coach Mike Macdonald had expressed optimism Horton would be ready for camp, though he stopped short of promising a Day 1 return. Horton answered that question himself. He avoided the physically unable to perform list entirely — a list that opened camp with safety Nick Emmanwori, running backs Zach Charbonnet and Kenny McIntosh, and rookie nose tackle Deven Eastern on it — and instead walked straight into practice reps, according to The Seattle Times.
He didn’t ease in, either. Beat writer Gregg Bell described Horton gliding through route work and catches from Darnold in group drills, plus fielding punts in special-teams work — both roles he handled as a rookie, when a 95-yard punt return touchdown against New Orleans made him one of the most electric young players on the roster.
Kupp’s Endorsement
Horton isn’t just impressing coaches. He’s earned attention from a future Hall of Fame candidate in the receiver room. Cooper Kupp used part of his own camp press conference to highlight his mentorship of Horton, according to comments shared by the Seahawks on July 28. Kupp also praised the direction of the offense under new coordinator Brian Fleury and the growth he’s seen from the quarterback room heading into year two of the post-Geno Smith era.
That kind of endorsement matters for a receiver trying to build on a rookie season that ended in a walking boot. Seattle enters 2026 as the defending Super Bowl champion, having beaten the Patriots in February, and the passing game around Darnold now includes Kupp, AJ Barner at tight end, and a healthy Horton — a group with real speed and separation ability if it stays on the field.
What It Means Going Forward
None of this is confirmed as a depth-chart lock. Training camp reps in shorts and helmets don’t guarantee a role once pads go on or preseason games start. But the early signs line up: no PUP list, full route trees, special-teams work, and a veteran receiver publicly investing time in him. For a team trying to defend a championship, getting a talented second-year piece back healthy is exactly the kind of storyline that can go unnoticed in July and matter a great deal in December.
The Seahawks continue camp with more padded practices on the way, which will offer a clearer look at where Horton fits once contact returns.
