Ty Okada's Breakout Year Earns Him a Return to the Seahawks in 2026

Ty Okada is staying put in Seattle. The defensive back inked his exclusive rights free agent tender with the reigning Super Bowl champs, locking in his spot on the Seahawks roster for the 2026 campaign. After a monster year in the secondary, Okada's back for another run with Mike Macdonald's defense.

From Afterthought to Playmaker

Here's the thing about Okada's journey with the Seahawks: his first two seasons were basically invisible. Over nine total games, he recorded just four tackles. You could forgive anyone for thinking he was a depth piece who might not stick around long term.

Then last year happened. Okada absolutely exploded as part of the Seattle secondary. In 15 games, he started 11 times and racked up 65 tackles, three tackles for a loss, one interception, one fumble recovery, and six pass breakups. That's the kind of stat line that gets your name back into the conversation. That's the kind of year that gets you re-signed.

What's Next for Okada

The exclusive rights tender means Okada will likely have a big role again in 2026. The Seahawks are betting on him to build on last season's success. And here's the real incentive: if he puts up similar numbers or even better ones in his fourth NFL season, he's looking at a much larger payday down the line.

Okada joined a group of exclusive rights free agents who re-signed across the league on April 20th, but his story stands out. He went from barely playing to being a key cog in the secondary. Now he gets another chance to prove last year wasn't a fluke.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.