The Seattle Seahawks will have a busy weekend at their rookie minicamp. Not only did the team have a bigger 2026 NFL Draft class than expected, but the Seahawks invited three quarterbacks to try out for the team this weekend.
The Seattle Times’s Bob Condotta posted the full list of tryout players for the team’s rookie minicamp on Friday. It’s a very long list that included former Mississippi State’s Blake Shapen.
Shapen recorded 2,433 passing yards with 15 touchdowns and eight interceptions in 11 games last season. He also had 111 rushing yards and three scores on the ground.
The Seahawks confirmed Shapen received an invite to the team’s rookie minicamp. The team also announced it invited former Washington quarterback Kai Horton and ex-Tulane signal-caller Jake Retzlaff to rookie minicamp.
Overall, the Seahawks invited 44 players to their minicamp this weekend to try out for the team.
QB Blake Shapen Trying Out for Seahawks at Rookie Minicamp
Shapen began his college career at Baylor from 2021-23. He started his final two seasons for the Bears. In his best statistical season of 2022, Shapen threw for 2,790 yards with 18 touchdowns. He completed 63.3% of his passes and averaged 7.6 yards per attempt.
Before the 2024 campaign, Shapen transferred to Mississippi State. He earned the starting job for the 2025 season.
The ex-Mississippi State starter has physical deficiencies that make him a long shot for an NFL roster. But scouts consider him athletic with above average instincts.
“He’s a pure athlete, loose-limbed and flexible,” said his profile at NFL Draft Buzz. “Shapen has the speed to pick up yardage in scramble situations.
“Ball placement is a strength. He has the natural instincts to make plays when forced to improvise. He’s a threat with his legs.”
Similar to Shapen, Retzlaff experienced moderate college success.
At BYU, Retzlaff threw for 3,595 yards with 23 touchdowns and 15 interceptions in 17 games from 2023-24. Last season at Tulane, he registered 3,168 passing yards while averaging 8.1 yards per attempt. Retzlaff also had 15 touchdowns and seven interceptions in 2025.
Horton only played in 19 college games over five seasons. He also played at Tulane, where he registered 866 passing yards with six touchdowns and five interceptions from 2021-24.
Last season with Washington, Horton completed 7 of 13 attempts for 98 yards.
Seattle’s QB Depth Entering 2026 NFL Offseason Workouts
The Seahawks have so many players trying out at their 2026 NFL rookie minicamp that it’s hard to pinpoint which prospects might actually have a shot at an offseason roster spot.
But the team currently has only three quarterbacks on the roster. That means there’s a pretty decent chance one of the signal-callers trying out will join Seattle’s 90-man roster for the summer.
Sam Darnold is obviously back as the team’s starter behind center. The Seahawks also still have backup Drew Lock and developmental project Jalen Milroe.
With those three signal-callers, the roles in the Seahawks quarterback room are pretty defined. It’s going to be very difficult for any of the three quarterbacks trying out at the team’s minicamp to ultimately land a roster spot.
Even earning a practice squad role might not be possible. The Seahawks have a lot of talented players they might want to stash on the squad once the regular season begins.
But Shapen or the other two quarterbacks would likely get an incredible experience spending a few months with the defending Super Bowl champions. It could set them up for an opportunity with another team this fall.
Seahawks Invite Former SEC QB to Rookie Minicamp for Tryout