RENTON, Wash. (AP) — It was around Week 3 last season that Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Tory Horton felt something was wrong with his shin.
That didn’t stop Horton from returning a punt 95 yards for a touchdown in the third game of his rookie season, or hauling in two touchdown catches against the Washington Commanders in November.
But, Horton knew he was playing through an injury, and learned there was a crack in his shin after getting his leg checked
out. Horton underwent surgery on his leg in February after missing the second half of the 2025 season, and had a metal rod inserted into it.
“I felt like I let the team down a bit, not being able to go back out there as much as I wanted,” Horton said Friday. “There were times I still tried to go out there and run some routes and the trainers had to tell me to take it easy. Dealing with a bone thing, you have to let that heal.”
The plan was originally for Horton to return during the Seahawks’ Super Bowl run, but that never transpired.
Horton is again a full participant six days into Seahawks training camp. He is part of a crowded wide receiver room, though, one that includes reigning AP Offensive Player of the Year Jaxon Smith-Njigba, veteran Cooper Kupp and fellow speedster Rashid Shaheed, who signed a $51 million, three-year contract in March.
“It’s a lot of things out there that we’re trying to combine, see our roles and see how much weapons and power we’ve got on the field,” Horton said. “There’s a lot of things that we’ve got in the bag that we can switch it up from and I feel like it’s an exciting thing to have that.”
Horton considers himself grateful to be back in the fold. He is continuing to familiarize himself with first-year offensive coordinator Brian Fleury’s scheme, one which Horton said is quite similar to that of current Las Vegas Raiders head coach Klint Kubiak.
Simply being on the practice field at Virginia Mason Athletic Center, though, is enough to bring a beaming grin to Horton’s face.
“It was a whole bit of excitement,” Horton said. “You want to hear that you’ve been cleared and you’re going to start progressing to field work and that’s something that I’ve been looking forward to. Having the opportunity to hear that from the head coach (Mike Macdonald) himself, that’s great to me and I’m excited about it and I’m trying to keep it moving forward.”
What Horton proved as a rookie was that he was well worth a fifth-round draft pick. With five touchdowns receiving and one more in the return game, Horton showcased a tantalizing combination of size (6-foot-2, 196 pounds) and speed.
Perhaps most importantly for the Seahawks, Horton demonstrated a nose for the end zone, which dates to his time at Colorado State. Horton had consecutive eight-touchdown seasons for the Rams before getting hurt in 2024.
“I feel like the ball finds energy,” Horton said. “I just had the right energy out there to find the endzone and build a little bit of confidence, get a little bit of Sam’s (Darnold) trust to trust me out there and at least give me a shot.”
Now, the Seahawks are entrusting Horton with picking up where he left off in 2025. Rather than play through injury, the 23-year-old Horton wisely stayed on the sidelines, even amid the franchise’s second Super Bowl run.
Horton has his work cut out to get regular playing time, and will likely slot in as the fourth receiver on the depth chart when the Seahawks open the season against the reigning AFC champion New England Patriots on Sept. 9. Just having the opportunity to compete means the world to Horton, especially considering how his rookie season ended.
“I’m excited for my guys,” Horton said, “and now we’re looking forward to another year just trying to move forward from the injury.”
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