This year, the Seahawks have a chance to join an elite group of teams that won back-to-back Super Bowls. In the salary cap era, this has only been done by two teams. The Bill Belichick and Tom Brady Patriots, and the Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes Chiefs. So why do I think Sam Darnold and the Seahawks can join this short list?
1: The offensive line should just get better
Last season, the Seahawks rolled out an offensive line that did not have a bunch of proven talent. Rookie Grey Zabel impressed, but he was far from the only standout performer. Charles Cross has continued to be excellent, and Abraham Lucas made a great return to form. That line dictated the trenches, setting up the run. These guys are all just entering their primes, and should continue to get better. They managed to retain the exact same 5 starters, allowing for increased continuity, perhaps the most important thing for any offensive line to have.
2: The Championship defense stayed together
Despite losing S Coby Bryant, LB Boye Mafe, and CB Tariq Woolen to free agency, there is a good reason to believe that the 2025 #1 ranked defense will be just as dominant. Coby Bryant was a reserves player in 2024, and Tariq Woolen’s antics put him on ice for the majority of this season. Boye Mafe was just a rotational piece that came in when needed for additional pressure edge, but has significanat limitations in the run blocking scheme. None of these players were standouts, and all 3 were actually considered net-negatives by the fanbase at one point time. To replenish what we lost, we drafted Bud Clark, one of the best college safeties, and brought in Dante Fowler Jr., a player who should be comparable if not better than Boye Mafe. Outside of that, we retained key players in the center of our line like Byron Murphy, Big Cat, and Demarcus Lawrence. The core of the defense is still here.
3. Special teams brilliance
Lost in the sauce of Sam Darnold’s breakout year and the Seahawks record setting defense, was their special teams. The unit was electric, ranking first in the NFL and single handedly flipping numerous high-stakes games, like they did in the NFC Divisional and Championship rounds. The Seahawks have perhaps the best kicker-punter combo in the NFL in Michael Dickson and Jason Myers (they are paid as such as well). At the same time, the Special Teams coordinator Jay Harbaugh, and team captain Brady Russell are both returning, providing even more stability and continuity. Lastly, the Seahawks have the most dynamic punt returner in the game, in Rashed Shaheed. Not to mention Tory Horton, another speedster, is coming off of IR and will likely play a role in Special Teams as well. In all likelihood, the Seahawks will continue to field one of the best units in the game,
4: Mike Macdonald is the best defensive coach in football
Mike Macdonald is only 37, making him the third-youngest head coach in the NFL, yet his track record already speaks for itself. He transformed Baltimore into one of the league’s best defenses, then came to Seattle and did the same thing again. Different personnel, different circumstances, same result. That consistency is what makes him so valuable. Macdonald has repeatedly shown that he doesn’t need a perfect roster to build an elite defense. He finds ways to maximize the players he has, disguise weaknesses, and put his best defenders in positions to succeed. As long as he is in Seattle running this defense, there is little reason to expect it to fall far from the top of the league.
5: The architect is still here
And lastly, there is John Schneider. The architect of two Super Bowl-winning rosters is still running the show, and his track record speaks for itself. In his first three years, he drafted five potential hall of famers in Earl Thomas, Kam Chancellor, Richard Sherman, Bobby Wagner, and Russell Wilson. More recently, he has rebuilt Seattle’s core again through the draft with Devon Witherspoon, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Charles Cross, Byron Murphy, Grey Zabel, and Nick Emmanwori.
Then there is his real specialty: the trade deadline. In three straight years, Schneider landed Leonard Williams, Ernest Jones IV, and Rashid Shaheed: three players Seattle likely does not reach, much less win, the Super Bowl without. Different era, different roster, same result. Schneider has already built two champions in Seattle, and there is little reason to doubt his ability to keep this one in contention.