Seahawks Camp: Hard Knocks, New Owners
Defending Super Bowl Champion Seahawks Open Camp with Hard Knocks and New Billion-Dollar Owners
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The Seattle Seahawks kicked off their 2026 training camp five months after winning Super Bowl 60, and almost nothing looks the same as last year. NFL Films and HBO have taken over with cameras for Hard Knocks, new tech billionaire owners are waiting on a $9.6 billion sale vote, and coach Mike Macdonald wore a microphone during practice for the first time ever, according to The News Tribune.
The Seahawks are the first defending Super Bowl champion to appear on Hard Knocks in the show's 25-year history, Bellingham Herald reported. The first episode airs Aug. 4, with the finale set for Sept. 1.
New Owners Worth $9.6 Billion Watching From Sidelines
The biggest off-field story at camp is the pending ownership change. Vinod, Neeru and Neal Khosla — tech entrepreneurs from the San Francisco Bay Area — are buying the team for $9.6 billion. NFL owners still need to vote to approve the sale, according to The Olympian.
The Khosla family represents a new wave of tech money entering the NFL. Vinod Khosla is a well-known Silicon Valley venture capitalist. Their arrival signals a major shift for a franchise that has been one of the NFL's most successful in recent years, Tri-City Herald reported.
Hard Knocks Cameras Change the Feel of Camp
NFL Films and HBO crews took over large parts of the Seahawks' training camp facility on Day 1. Macdonald agreed to wear a microphone during practice — something he has never done before. The cameras will follow the team all the way through the preseason, Bellingham Herald reported.
This marks a milestone for the show. No defending Super Bowl champion has appeared on Hard Knocks since the series launched 25 years ago. The Seahawks' run of success makes them a natural draw. Fans will get a rare look inside a championship program trying to repeat, according to The News Tribune.
Sam Darnold and Wide Receivers Take the Field
Quarterback Sam Darnold took his first preseason snaps as a Super Bowl champion on Day 1. Darnold led Seattle to the title last season and is now the face of a team trying to defend its crown, according to The News Tribune.
Wide receiver Horton stood out on Day 1 as one of the early highlights of camp, according to Field Gulls. The Seahawks are looking to build on their Super Bowl 60 win over the New England Patriots, with most of the key pieces back and ready to compete again.
What to Watch as the Season Draws Closer
Training camp runs through the preseason, with Hard Knocks episodes airing every week starting Aug. 4. The finale airs Sept. 1, just before the regular season begins. Fans will get six weeks of behind-the-scenes access to the defending champions, Tri-City Herald reported.
The ownership vote, Macdonald's comfort with the cameras, and the team's ability to stay focused amid the media circus are the three big things to track. Winning a Super Bowl is hard. Repeating is even harder — and now the whole country will be watching, according to The Olympian.
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