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I’ve delayed doing a mock draft this year, in protest of how unsatisfying the class is. I have a hard time putting names in the first round who otherwise wouldn’t be close to being there.

This mock is very much based on how I’m viewing things, more so than how I expect they’ll end up. There are too many draft media folk these days in constant contact with people in the league, who all put the same players in pretty much the same spots — and for good reason. They’re hearing the same things. They’ll probably end up being right.

I don’t want to just basically reflect their information in a mock. I want to give some takes on how I view this class and what I think teams should consider doing.

Before we get into the mock, I wanted to post the video below. It’s Adam Schefter, suggesting we might see more trade activity than usual this off-season because of the way teams are viewing free agency and the draft. Regulars to the blog will know I’ve been suggesting this since October. Now someone tuned into the league is saying the same thing:

With teams considering the upcoming free-agent and draft classes to be subpar, there could be an uptick in trade activity this off-season.

With @DanStanczyk:

🎧 https://t.co/FSBvK8wSE8 pic.twitter.com/bb9pX31jHV

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) February 11, 2026

Don’t be surprised if come April, some of these first round picks have been moved around.

Here’s the mock — with a blurb for each pick below the image:

#1 Las Vegas — Fernando Mendoza (QB, Indiana)
Personally I would shop this pick. They aren’t likely to do that though. You’ve hired a coach who works in a system that has consistently won with quarterbacks capable of executing the scheme at a high level. Mendoza is not a first round talent in my view but the Shanahan offense reached Super Bowls with Matt Ryan, Jimmy Garoppolo, Brock Purdy and Sam Darnold. Mendoza’s super power is doing what the scheme demands at a high level.

#2 NY Jets — Arvell Reese (LB, Ohio State)
The Jets need to add good players at this point and forget about needs. Build a roster. Reese has the potential to develop into an outstanding hybrid player who can attack the edge as a pass rusher and roam around making plays at linebacker.

#3 Arizona — Spencer Fano (T/G, Utah)
If the Cardinals are serious about rebuilding they should focus on becoming excellent in the trenches. They have some pieces but they need to keep building. Fano is an outstanding, physical tackle who plays like an old school AFC North lineman.

#4 Tennessee — Caleb Downs (S, Ohio State)
No pass rusher is worth a top-five pick in my view. Don’t reach, just take the best player because this defense needs a lot of work. Downs isn’t an electric athlete who will be an eraser at the next level but he’s intelligent, instinctive and packs a punch. He could be the best player in the draft in terms of pure talent.

#5 NY Giants — Francis Mauigoa (T/G, Miami)
Fano and Mauigoa are both Raven-type linemen so it’s easy to imagine John Harbaugh liking both. This would be an immediate upgrade at right tackle.

#6 Cleveland — Caleb Lomu (T, Utah)
The Browns are facing a rebuild on their O-line. Lomu is a brilliant pass-protector who is expected to test exceptionally well. His kind of upside can’t be ignored. Most of the picks in round one are going to be perceived as “reaches” — so why not take a shot on a left tackle with a ton of potential?

#7 Washington — Kayden McDonald (DT, Ohio State)
For me he’s a similar type of player to Derrick Brown, who went sixth overall in 2020. An outstanding run defender in college, McDonald also has excellent quickness and agility for his size. There’s untapped pass-rush potential here. In a draft without much sparkle, getting a player who could be really good for a long time shouldn’t be sniffed at.

#8 New Orleans — Jeremiyah Love (RB, Notre Dame)
Love has a chance to be the next cab off the rank in terms of play-making dynamos at his position. He can have the same impact as Gibbs, Achane, Cook and others as an electric runner.

#9 Kansas City — Caleb Banks (DT, Florida)
The Chiefs love to take shots on high-upside physical talents. With Chris Jones’ influence waning, why not take a shot on Banks? He has as much potential and upside to be ‘great’ as anyone in this draft. There simply aren’t many humans like him on the planet.

#10 Cincinnati — Peter Woods (DT, Clemson)
He had a really disappointing 2025 season but the expectation is he will run a 4.8 at +300lbs. Also, his 2024 tape was really good. There’s a player here and someone is going to roll the dice early.

#11 Miami — Jermod McCoy (CB, Tennessee)
In terms of physical potential, McCoy has it. There’s a bit too much face-guarding at times and missing the 2025 season is an injury flag. Yet this is the type of corner who goes early.

#12 Dallas — Colton Hood (CB, Tennessee)
The more I watched of Hood the more I liked. He will be a penalty risk with the amount of contact he makes but that’s mainly due to the fact he lives in the receiver’s hip-pocket so much that it’s hard not to get a little too close for comfort.

#13 LA Rams v/ATL) — Avieon Terrell (CB, Clemson)
I wouldn’t assume he’s just a slot corner. He is a very willing run defender and has shown natural skills for his position. His brother has been a good player in Atlanta and there’s a chance he could fill a big hole for the Rams.

#14 Baltimore — Vega Ioane (G, Penn State)
Just a classic Baltimore lineman. I think he can have a very long, productive career and lock down the left guard spot.

#15 Tampa Bay — Keldric Faulk (DE, Auburn)
There aren’t many players with his size, length and mobility. The lack of production is a concern but you have to take a chance on a defensive end who looks like this.

#16 NY Jets (v/IND) — Makai Lemon (WR, USC)
The best receiver in the draft for me, with great ball-tracking qualities and there’s some JSN to his game. Not a burner but a savvy receiver who knows how to get open and can make plays on an intermediate and deep level.

#17 Detroit — Kadyn Proctor (T/G, Alabama)
Another player where the more you watch the more you appreciate what he does. He’d be a great fit in Detroit’s scheme, whether he replaces Taylor Decker at left tackle or kicks inside (which would be his best fit).

#18 Minnesota — Dillon Thieneman (S, Oregon)
If this is the end for Harrison Smith, I’d take a chance on Thieneman being a capable long-term replacement. He has outstanding range, can line-up in multiple spots, he can hit and he’ll bring great character and energy to Minnesota’s defense.

#19 Carolina — Carnell Tate (WR, Ohio State)
Tate’s a really good player but his skill-set is predicated on precise routes, body control, ball-tracking and consistency. He ended the season hurt and ineffective and I’m not sure he’s going to be an amazing tester. But eventually someone has to take him and they’ll feel good about it.

#20 Dallas (v/GB) — Sonny Styles (LB, Ohio State)
If he tests as well as people expect then absolutely I understand why he’s going to go very early and possibly earlier than this. But the Fred Warner comparison everyone is making is way too rich for my taste.

#21 Pittsburgh — Jordyn Tyson (WR, Arizona State)
A very natural receiver with some injury things that need checking out. The Steelers require feisty, competitive players at this position who can be consistent and deliver in big moments.

#22 LA Chargers — David Bailey (EDGE, Texas Tech)
I’m at a loss to understand all the sudden top-five buzz. Bailey is a slippery pass-rusher who had a good 2025 season but he lacks ideal length, height and it’s hardly like he’s a bend-and-straighten specialist. I think he’s a bit overrated.

#23 Philadelphia — Max Iheanachor (T, Arizona State)
Lane Johnson might be coming to the end of the road and even if he isn’t, investing in a right tackle who is this good in pass-pro would be a smart move.

#24 Cleveland (v/JAX) — KC Concepcion (WR, Texas A&M)
The Browns need playmakers and Concepcion has something about him. He can do a lot of things for a creative offensive-minded Head Coach.

#25 Chicago — Rueben Bain (DE, Miami)
I appreciate that at some point someone will go for Bain and it could be a lot earlier than this. Here’s my justification for him lasting though. How many players are thriving in the NFL with his body type and such short arms? I feel like a handful of players like this have been overrated over the years and ended up going way later than expected. He played very well for Miami at times in 2025 but you’ve got to project to the next level.

#26 Buffalo — Mansoor Delane (CB, LSU)
I think speed is going to be a problem for Delane. As a player he is talented and you can see he plays with a lot of instinct. But if he runs poorly at the combine or pro-day, I think it has to cap his range a little bit.

#27 San Francisco — Chris Brazell II (WR, Tennessee)
Kyle Shanahan has highlighted speed on offense as a glaring weakness and I think Brazell will be his kind of receiver. A player who can run good routes and just has that bit of extra pace to stretch a defense. He was a playmaker during his best spells in 2025.

#28 Houston — CJ Allen (LB, Georgia)
Just a very solid, dependable linebacker who isn’t going to make a ton of wow plays but he’s going to lock down the middle of the defense and bring toughness and presence to your team.

#29 LA Rams — Omar Cooper Jr (WR, Indiana)
Cooper is going to be at his best as a complementary piece at the next level. Giving him Matthew Stafford at quarterback and Puka Nacua drawing attention elsewhere, he could be highly productive.

#30 Denver — Kenyon Sadiq (TE, Oregon)
I have a few questions about Sadiq. Why did he need Terrance Ferguson to get out of the way to become TE1 if he’s a high first round pick? He had some drops on tape, his routes need major work and he has tweener size. However, there’s also talk of a legendary combine performance being a distinct possibility. This offense would be a good fit for him.

#31 New England — Akheem Mesidor (DE, Miami)
Whenever I’ve watched Mesidor I’ve always thought the Patriots would be a good fit. There’s no doubt he could go earlier, as with Bain, especially in this draft class. He also lacks ideal length and he’s an older player (25). Again, I’m also not sure the production translates. But I did like the way he got after it on tape.

#32 Seattle — Joshua Josephs (EDGE, Tennessee)
The Seahawks built a strong foundation in the trenches and it’d be worth continuing to add here, especially with Boye Mafe seemingly set to depart. Josephs has a bunch of transferable skills to the NFL — length, evidence of speed to power, he works to disengage, he is disciplined vs the run, he’s a very physical player, he performed well against good SEC opponents and his motor constantly runs hot. He also fits the personality of this team.

Further thoughts on Seattle’s pick

I went with Josephs for a number of reasons. The Seahawks typically value length in their pass rushers. He has it in a way many alternatives within this class don’t. He’s also very physical, plays with intensity and his personality fits this team. I think in time he could develop into a long-term successor to DeMarcus Lawrence.

Joseph’s pass-rush win percentage was 21.2% in 2025. Here’s how that compares to some of the bigger names in this class:

Rueben Bain Jr — 23.5
Romello Height — 21.8
David Bailey — 21.6
Joshua Josephs — 21.2
Akheem Mesidor — 20.8
R Mason Thomas — 20.3

He also had a 77.0 grade for run defending, which is perfectly acceptable at his position.

Further to what I said in the initial blurb above, he is a highly dynamic pass rusher with a bunch of transferable skills to the NFL. He looks the part with great arm length and a long, lean frame. He works to disengage and is capable of initiating contact but he’s slippery to break off a block. He seems to prefer to sprint into contact and then disengage rather than win with pure bend/straighten. His arm/over can be effective to win 1v1 and he does show quickness off the snap.

His run discipline is evident and he keeps his eyes on the ball-carrier when engaged. He has a spin move counter that succeeds enough to be a weapon. He could do with adding more weight and becoming more of a power player and he can lose leverage battles at times. However, his acceleration to the quarterback on the chase is impressive and there’s evidence of throwing down tackles with disdain (love to see that). There is a lot to work with here.

Adding an EDGE is important too. They’re likely to let Boye Mafe move on and Uchenna Nwosu has a $20.7m cap-hit in 2026. The chances are he will need to take a pay-cut or he will move on too.

I’m fairly certain the Seahawks will check-in with the Raiders for Maxx Crosby but that will be a very competitive market. He is the kind of ‘force multiplier’ Mike Macdonald talks about. His contract is very acquirable and he won’t need new money committing to him. It’d also be the best way possible for this team to show how serious it is about winning again next year. Imagining Crosby on the current defense will be a scary thought for opponents.

If they can’t make that trade, and unless other appealing options emerge, the draft is really the only realistic alternative.

We’re in full-on off-season mode now and this week is just the start. Stick with Seahawks Draft Blog throughout as we count down to the big events coming up — the combine, free agency and the draft.

The season has come to an end and this is therefore my final Tuesday appearance with Bump & Stacy. I’ve loved being on Seattle Sports during this outstanding last few months for the Seahawks. If you could all do me one final favour and check out the video below, leave a comment and a like on the YouTube page — it’d be much appreciated.

The off-season is here, delightfully later than 30 other teams, so let’s look at the big things we need to consider over the coming days and weeks. Let me be clear, we’re talking about ‘challenges’ here. Before anyone accuses me of being negative, the Seahawks are very capable of taking these challenges head on and succeeding.

The test to keep the team together

The Seahawks have a lot of cap space ($62m in effective cap). However, we often overlook cash when considering how much a team can spend. There isn’t an endless amount of available money to pay large guaranteed sums that need to go in escrow.

The situation could be complicated further given the franchise is expected to be sold soon.

It’s highly likely Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Devon Witherspoon will be rewarded with handsome new contracts this year. Previously the peerless Brady Henderson said the pair plus Charles Cross would get new deals. Cross is done, now it’s the turn of Smith-Njigba and Witherspoon.

These contracts will be expensive with big guarantees, creating a challenging situation to keep everyone together for next year. Difficult decisions will need to be made.

Ken Walker’s bargaining position couldn’t be stronger having just won the Super Bowl MVP. Here are the top ‘average per year’ deals at his position:

Saquon Barkley — $20.6m
Christian McCaffrey — $19m
Derrick Henry — $15m
Jonathan Taylor — $14m
Alvin Kamara — $12.25m
Josh Jacobs — $12m
James Cook — $11.5m

Without a strong end to the season, including in the Super Bowl, Walker wouldn’t have touched these numbers. Now it’s perfectly reasonable for his newly appointed agents to ask for top dollar.

At the very least he can expect to be in the Cook, Jacobs and Kamara range.

The franchise tag is projected to cost $14.5m. I’m not convinced they’ll pay that — particularly because it sets a high mark for any extension talks beyond 2026.

Ideally the Seahawks keep Walker. Zach Charbonnet’s injury creates a question mark at the position, plus the options both in the draft and free agency are limited. This is not a good draft class of runners if the hope is to try and save money.

The question is how much are you willing to commit to Walker? I think a few weeks ago the expectation would’ve been to let him test the market. Now, he has the leverage.

The best approach could be to check the lay of the land at the combine and find out what his market is. It will only take one team to push him out of range. Then what? Do you see if the Dolphins will do a deal for De’Von Achane? He’ll be in the same boat in 12 months, needing to be paid.

It’s a very difficult position for the Seahawks. It’ll be taken out of their hands if Walker has a bunch of suitors willing to spend big money. It’ll be interesting to see what they do here and feels like it could go either way.

Then there’s Rashid Shaheed. What’s his market? He’s never had more than 719 receiving yards in a season and in his last three years he hasn’t even topped 500 yards. Yet he’s shown to be a highly dynamic weapon — including as a kick returner.

It also doesn’t help that Klint Kubiak, who worked with him in New Orleans and Seattle, is now the Head Coach of a team with $77m in effective cap space to spend (with the ability to add even more).

Here’s the thing though. Shaheed made it clear when the Seahawks traded for him that he saw Seattle as home now. He said he wanted to sign to stay beyond the 2026 season. I also doubt the Seahawks traded away a fourth and fifth round pick to just let him walk. They got deals done in similar circumstances with Leonard Williams and Ernest Jones. I think the same will happen here.

Working with Kubiak again might be appealing — but is signing for the Raiders? Only, surely, if they are prepared to break the bank.

Provided that doesn’t happen, this feels like a deal everyone will be motivated to get done.

Clearly the Seahawks wanted to keep Coby Bryant long-term because they had extension discussions before the season began. He might be very difficult to keep given he has seven interceptions in his last two seasons.

Wether it’s Bryant or Ty Okada, or even Nick Emmanwori for that matter, the Seahawks have shown they can develop safeties. They might need to back themselves to do it again to at least provide replacement depth.

It’ll be interesting to see what Bryant’s market is. Teams often like to pluck from Super Bowl winners. It’s an easy sell to fans and Bryant has been a very solid player for the Seahawks. If his price is reasonable, they probably keep him. If it isn’t there might not be the money to do it.

Could it be a case of either/or between Walker and Bryant? Maybe. It’d be a shame to lose key additions from the 2022 class. Hopefully they find a way to keep both.

I’m going to assume Riq Woolen will not be re-signed. I also think it’s more likely than not that Boye Mafe will move on for a fresh start somewhere else.

There are two other interesting players to consider. Can they afford to lose both Josh Jobe and Woolen without ready made replacements on the roster? Jobe might be a relatively straight forward retain. Josh Jones also provided excellent tackle depth and did a great job filling in for Charles Cross. Can they bring him back?

With guaranteed money saved for Cross already and with Witherspoon and Smith-Njigba due shortly — they might have to be selective here. It could test their ability to again find value in free agency as they did a year ago, plus draft well (a challenge given the weak state of this class, plus the fact they currently only have four picks).

The draft class will be a challenge

Regulars to the blog will know my thoughts on this draft. It’s weak at the top and lacks depth throughout. It’s one of the worst classes I’ve studied since starting this blog in 2008.

The Seahawks are unlikely to be enthused by their options at #32 and I still think there’s a strong chance they use some of their remaining draft stock to enter the trade market to add talent or replace key players.

I’ve graded 175 prospects for my horizontal board so far. I now have seven players with legit first round grades and a further nine with a grade where I would be prepared to draft them in round one.

You might suggest trading down and accepting your lot. Take a second round graded player at #40 instead of #32. That’s easier said than done. Who’s trading up in this draft?

I don’t think it’s a coincidence they traded two picks for Shaheed. I think they know that the picks dealt — a fourth and fifth rounder — might’ve ended up being players with priority UDFA grades in this class.

How they go about using their assets to retain, replenish and bolster will be fascinating. I think this will be one of John Schneider’s most challenging off-seasons to keep the Seahawks at the top of the NFL.

What are the strongest positional groups in the class? There’s depth at defensive tackle, receiver and linebacker. There are some appealing O-line options early on. There are numbers at EDGE rusher but I think it’s typically a group that flatters to deceive.

I’ve put together my first mock draft for this cycle, based on what I would do with this class, and I’ll publish it later this week.

Appointing a new offensive coordinator

Increasingly it feels like an internal appointment is likely. There’s a dearth of external options, given the Seahawks have had to wait until the season’s conclusion to focus on who replaces Klint Kubiak.

It’s important to remember that they have to interview at least one external ‘Rooney Rule’ candidate for this position. So don’t be surprised if you hear about an interview with at least one individual outside of the building.

This is going to be a big challenge for the Seahawks. They’ve become World Champions by being excellent in all three facets of the game. Regress on offense, even just a bit, and they may not be able to outgun the Rams and other top teams again next year.

It can’t just be about consistency for consistency’s sake. Good play-calling, tactical acumen and game-planning are critical given you’ll effectively be hiring the Head Coach of the offense.

There’s no obvious answer here. Jake Peetz has one year of play-calling experience and that was at LSU. He wasn’t considered for this role 12 months ago. Justin Outten similarly has limited play-calling experience, albeit in the NFL. Andrew Janocko was given an opportunity to call plays during Seattle’s final pre-season game against the Packers. Jay Harbaugh has also coached offense if they feel like he has the skill to transition from coordinating the special teams unit.

External candidates could be difficult to insert into a staff that might remain mostly intact. Can you parachute a new voice into a key leadership role, if they are similarly inexperienced, when the rest of the staff just won a Super Bowl together?

They’ve got to make the most of a challenging situation and hope for the best. If it doesn’t work out, they might be looking again next year — albeit with more available candidates.

Expect the unexpected

You can never be fully sure what happens after you win the Super Bowl. The Seahawks have key veteran players on their roster who are nearing the end of their careers. Jarran Reed is 33, DeMarcus Lawrence turns 34 in April, Leonard Williams is 32 in June while Cooper Kupp turns 33 in the same month.

Hopefully all four choose to continue playing with the idea that this team could come back next year and do it all again. It’s also possible they’ll consider going out on top. The NFL is a brutal sport and the names above have played at warrior-like levels for a long time.

If any were to retire, it would create a hole that would need to be filled — both in terms of quality of play, physicality and leadership. Seeing Williams tweeting about a ‘last dance’ prior to the Super Bowl was unnerving, given how critical he is to this team.

Hopefully they’ll decide to continue. There’s no reason why this team cannot be a contender again in 2026.

I’m sat in my hotel room plotting out what my final day will be like in California before my flight home at 5pm. I’ll probably go and see the Golden Gate Bridge and play it by ear. Then it’s 11 hours all the way back to the UK.

I’m anticipating it’ll be the best long-haul flight I ever take.

What a truly incredible experience to be at Levi’s Stadium to witness this moment. Everything about the day was perfect. The weather was sufficiently excellent to the level you rue the day you weren’t born here. The stadium was packed with Seahawks fans.

I didn’t know what to expect from attending a Super Bowl. I’ve always felt it’s difficult to grasp what it’d be like on a TV broadcast. Would it be very corporate? A bit much?

Quite the opposite. It felt like any other sporting event frankly. Just that you were never more than 50 yards away from someone very famous. Green Day played a few songs eight rows in front of us before kick-off, with Tom Brady and Peyton Manning walking past like you were passing them in the mall.

Outside the stadium you’d casually just see former Seahawks, like Zach Miller and Ricardo Lockette, among the crowds desperately trying to find an Uber home.

Inside the stadium it felt loud when the Seahawks were on defense, with the Patriots fans a lot quieter when it was their turn. In fairness, I’d say it was more of a 60-40 split having thought it might 80-20 walking around San Jose on Saturday. But this was a moment for Seahawks fans. It was their day.

I’ve spoken about what 11 years ago did to me a few times in a way I’m not overly comfortable with. It feels a bit embarrassing to say a football game had an almost grieving effect on you — but it did. And it lasted a long time. The desperation not to see what was such an epic journey for a dynastic quality team end in abject misery was overbearing.

It took a long time to come to terms with the fact that would be the footnote of the LOB era. It’s a shame they were never able to channel that interception into a moment to come together and find inner-strength, rather than implode in anger. But I’ve never been in a locker-room or gone through that experience, so what do I know? Very little.

Even so, the emotions of that moment were unbearable at times.

It doesn’t seem real that 11 years on, this opportunity was presented. A chance to play the Patriots again in another Super Bowl. They opted to wear road whites as the home team, meaning the Seahawks would look the same as they did that day in Arizona. Chris Collinsworth was again in the booth for a NBC broadcast.

It’s as if the footballing gods were putting things right.

I posted a tweet after the game as the confetti fell simply saying ‘closure’. That’s how it feels to me. Not everyone will feel that way but I suspect many of you will. Any time I see that Malcolm Butler interception from now on I won’t shudder or immediately want to shut the TV off. I’ll think of this Super Bowl. I’ll think about how that experience became a feature of what made Sunday so amazing.

The Patriots used Butler to try and fire their fans up pre-game. I turned to Jeff Simmons and said I’m glad he’s here. I want him to be here for this too.

The Seahawks put things right. Minds will be calmer for this experience. We have another Championship to celebrate and there wasn’t a more perfect way to draw a line on the past.

The game itself was a one-sided domination. I could tell looking on X/Twitter that there was a little bit of handwringing about play-calling and missed opportunities. To me it was just a classic game of 2025 Seahawks football.

We live in an era, inspired mostly by social media and the talking head on TV (the cool kids) who want you to believe that there’s a way to play the game that is perfectly matched to all 32 teams, regardless of the game situation or opponent. Just do the 10 or so things the true ‘ball-knowers’ have decided matter and everything will be great. If you lose, well at least you lost looking really smart.

This isn’t football.

This sport is multi-faceted. There are many ways to win and it goes beyond an allergic reaction to ‘taking the points’ or ‘never run on 2nd and 10’ or ‘be aggressive on fourth down’.

Situational football matters. For me the most profound lesson from this season is Mike Macdonald repeatedly saying they let games declare and then act accordingly. It’s a level of measured common sense that a lot of teams simply did not possess this season, particularly in the playoffs.

When the Seahawks played the Vikings in the regular season, Greg Olsen — who was commentating for Fox — complained about the Seahawks settling for field goals. He stated ‘field goals get you beat’ — adding:

“I hate when commentators say it, I hate when coaches say it, I hate when the media says it. I don’t know what ‘take the points means,’ it doesn’t make sense to me.”

Olsen is frequently hailed as a broadcasting savant by a cheering online horde. He is, as some say, ‘team never kick’. He is not a fan of the field goal, an opinion shared by an increasing number of try-hards.

Yet here were the Seahawks, gleefully taking the points and the piss out of Olsen et al’s position on kicking. Jason Myers set a record for the most field goals in a Super Bowl (five). They understood what this game was — one where the defense was dominating and keeping the score ticking along was just fine.

Yes, it would’ve been wonderful to be more clinical in key moments and not let opportunities for touchdowns slip away. This isn’t Madden though where you just press the button and the ball goes to the open receiver for a completion. Not everything will go perfectly.

If the Patriots were more potent and productive on offense, I have no doubt the Seahawks would’ve treated the game differently. That wasn’t the case though, so field goals were fine. Frankly, at 12-0, it felt like the game was in complete control.

Cool-headed thinking, great situational awareness, a running game and superior play in the trenches. That’s why the Seahawks handled their business. You can win football games this way. It might not be trendy but it’ll typically be successful.

One other great success for Mike Macdondald is the way he’s created a team that is so together. I can’t recall another with this level of connection. I don’t have an intimate knowledge of every prior Super Bowl Champion, or near miss, but seeing the way these players interact across the entire 70-man roster feels unique.

I watched Top Gun Maverick for the 107th time on the plane to California. The scenes of celebration at the end felt very similar here, as established veterans took in a moment they perhaps thought wouldn’t come. The likes of Leonard Williams and DeMarcus Lawrence, getting their moment. Cooper Kupp was just taking it all in — imagine how he must feel today, getting a second Super Bowl ring but this time with his local team.

Then there’s the GM. Seahawks fans are so unbelievably blessed to have John Schneider at the controls. He has built two Championship rosters now. He hasn’t done it, either, by stumbling into a generational quarterback who just takes the league by storm. He’s done it the hard way — by building complete rosters.

Undoubtedly his place in the Hall of Fame should be secure in the future. It’s a fun exercise to think back to the battering he got in March for the inspired moves that transformed this team into a title-winner. Quite a few people ended up bearing their arse a few months ago and I’m not sure they’ve done enough to hold their hands up to that fact.

By the way, a penny for the thoughts today of Geno “Vegas is perfect for me, I really didn’t fit the culture in Seattle” Smith and DK “grass is greener on the other side” Metcalf.

Jody Allen looked positively overjoyed holding aloft the Lombardi trophy, with the huge Seahawks crowd still in the stadium roaring their approval.

Allen and Bert Kolde made one of the biggest decisions in Seahawks history two years ago and have been proven emphatically justified in doing so. It was time for a new era for this franchise. Backing Schneider and hiring Macdonald was a perfect example of inspired leadership when it was so critically needed.

So what now? Well, this is a draft blog first and foremost. Let’s start discussing ways that they can do it all again next year.

For now though, enjoy every moment. Celebrate in any way you can. The Seahawks are Super Bowl Champions again. I wasn’t sure I’d ever get to write those words but here we are. They’ve done it.

Here’s a video I made of the sights and sounds of Super Bowl LX:

This is a guest article by Curtis Allen…

What an incredible transformation the Seahawks offense has gone through this season.

Gone are cornerstone players Geno Smith, D.K. Metcalf and Tyler Lockett.  Those three were at the top of both the stats charts and the salary cap charts for years.

In their place have come Sam Darnold, the emergence of Jaxon Smith-Njigba as the league’s Offensive Player of the Year and Cooper Kupp.  Together, they have changed the locker room and thus the team outlook considerably.  New (and soon to be former) Offensive Coordinator Klint Kubiak has managed in a single season to marry these talents to his concepts beautifully. 

With the addition of continuity on the Offensive Line, the support of a solid running game, the offense has gone from a very boom-or-bust unit to one that can win games for the team when called upon.

They will be facing a very good defense against the Patriots on Sunday.

In a sense, the Patriots are not unlike the Seahawks defensively: they may not have a superstar talent, a singular player that forces Offensive Coordinators to game plan around them.  What they do feature is solid talent at every level, starting with the interior Defensive Line, some opportunistic Cornerbacks and a Coordinator that knows how to scheme and game plan very well.  Vrabel is instilling his trademark fundamentals and as a result the defense leads the NFL with fewest missed tackles.

The expensive addition of Milton Williams in Free Agency has paid off handsomely.  He pairs with Christian Barmore to anchor the defense.  Williams’ impact on their run defense is profound.

If they have a weakness, it is in generating pass rush.  On the season, they are on the high-blitz (#10 most)/low-pressure-generation (#24 most) spectrum, often needing to commit extra resources to the pass rush.  They gamble that they will disrupt the passer quicker than he can find and exploit the vulnerable matchup.  They currently have one player in the top 50 pressure generators – Harold Landry – and his status for the game is in question with a knee injury (he was limited in practice Wednesday and missed Thursday).  They have three in the top 100 (the Seahawks have six).  They did take advantage of the Chargers’ decimated Offensive Line in the Wild Card Round, sacking Justin Herbert six times and generating a very healthy 29.5% pressure rate.

They are solid, disciplined and creative.  It will be a very fascinating challenge for Klint Kubiak.

We talked about how the Seahawks’ defense can win the game.

Now it is the offense’s turn.

Attack the Defense with Creativity in the Run Game

As we mentioned above, this defense can defend the run very, very well.  The Seahawks rely on the running game as much as any team in the NFL, clocking in at #3 in terms of running the ball in their offensive mix.

Something’s got to give.  There is a bit of an unstoppable force / unmovable object dynamic in play here.  More so with Zach Charbonnet out for the season with a knee injury, leaving Kenneth Walker as the primary back.

The Seahawks will not suddenly abandon the run.  There will be running between the tackles at times, even with the two monster Defensive Tackles on the field at the same time.  However, some creativity is in order so they can attack this defense in different ways.

The first way is to take advantage of personnel matchups.  There can be an element of “throw to set up the run” involved here.  Barmore and Williams “only” play about 60% of the snaps.  If the Seahawks can work their game plan out and get some traction, there will be opportunities to spread the defense out and run on lighter formations.

Kenneth Walker is known as a speed back but his determined running in the NFC Championship game showed he is not afraid of lowering his shoulder and getting the tough yards.  It will be advantageous if they can manipulate the game script to run when their stout tackles are not on the field.

The second way is to throw the ball behind the line of scrimmage and let your playmakers create.  It might be time to dust off this bunch formation play with Kenneth Walker (or Rashid Shaheed).  Or something similar.  A couple of plays like this – or the standard screen pass – might loosen up the defense a bit and get them thinking laterally instead of up field.  The Seahawks feature excellent downfield blockers in Cooper Kupp, A.J. Barner, Eric Saubert.  And you just know that Grey Zabel is more than willing to pull and hit someone.

The third (and most effective) is this: attack the edges of the defense.  It is no secret that the best way to minimize the impact of inside strength is to run away from it.  The Seahawks employ the Wide Zone as well as any team, and there are many ways they can run on the edges to create space for Walker to pick up some meaningful yards.  This is not just an idea to avoid running at the tackles.  The Patriots have shown they are vulnerable to this kind of attack.

Have a look at this play the Ravens ran with Zay Flowers:

Zay Flowers takes the handoff 18 yards for his first rushing TD since his rookie season!

NEvsBAL on NBC
Stream on #NFLPlus + Peacockpic.twitter.com/WLscxDaFHn

— NFL+ (@NFLPlus) December 22, 2025

The Patriots are well-coached on defense, so as you can see, there are several defenders in the neighborhood.  Flowers cannot just walk into the end zone.  But between the misdirection and pulling blockers out in space (ready and willing to move some bodies), the Ravens have a successful play schemed up.  Have a look at Isaiah Likely (245lbs) send Dell Pettus (200lbs) flying with a block to clear the way.  It is not hard to imagine Barner or Saubert doing the same.  The rest is Flowers weaving and dodging through traffic.

The Seahawks ran this exact play with Shaheed recently so do not be surprised if they pull it out of the playbook for a change of pace.

Attack the Middle of the Field in the Passing Game

A lot has been said about Christian Gonzalez and Carlton Davis.  They are very good corners but they can be beaten and the Seahawks will not hesitate to target them in the passing game.

Jaxon Smith-Njigba is such a multi-functional weapon defenses cannot just match one cornerback to him for the whole game.  The way the Seahawks move him around pre snap and deploy him in so many different types of routes, he is going to get his targets and catches.

It is not just using Smith-Njigba as a target but he can be a decoy to pull focus.  He is so good, when he motions or adjusts before the snap, he will usually draw the attention of two or three defenders.  Klint Kubiak loves to use his “gravity” to pull defenders to him and then burn them with routes to those exactly open spots from the Tight Ends and Cooper Kupp.  This is where the Patriots can be exploited.  Craig Woodson (133.9 pass rating conceded) and Marcus Jones (102.2) have each been burned for seven touchdowns in coverage.  Working the field on quick slants and in-breaking routes can really give the offense some traction and momentum for when they want to take a deep shot.

There is good reason to think the Offensive Line will give Sam Darnold enough time to work.  When they do, some of these problem defenders will uncover.  If Darnold can find them at key times, it will make the offense explosive.

Watch Ladd McConkey get away from Jones for a 20-yard gain after Herbert gets good protection from six men in the pocket.

Here is Dalton Schultz hanging out in the flat and then rumbling for 42 yards after C.J. Stroud finds him.

I will say this again.  Give Klint Kubiak a week off, and he will cook up ways to burn defenses.  The Seahawks put 31 points on the Commanders in the first half and then 24 in the first half on the Niners after bye weeks.

Game Notes

— Early is the keyword.  The Seahawks offense needs to be aggressive early in the series and early in the game.  The Patriot defense concedes 5.75 yards per play on First Down, with a 102.1 passer rating and a 70.1% completion rate.  In the first half, they are middling at best on defense: 4.4 yards per rush, a 103.5 pass rating and 7.1 yards per pass.  They tighten up in the second half (Vrable is very good at making halftime adjustments) and later in the down.  The Seahawks can make the game much easier for themselves with some early success.

— Once again, poise is a huge key.  Sam Darnold needs to be poised and take care of the football.  He rose to the challenge in the NFC Championship game in a supreme way.  Now for the biggest game of his life, he will need to replicate that kind of play.  The Patriots like to try and disguise blitzes, with the “we’re going to rush six or seven” look pre snap and then drop three of them into coverage.  Having the vision, patience and perseverance to see these and locate where they are clogging the passing lanes will be very important.  As is his poise in the pocket when the rush is coming.  Again, something he did very well in the last game.

— Special Teams note: Marcus Jones can be a Shaheed-like presence in the return game.  They absolutely cannot let the Patriots get any “cheap points” with a return touchdown.  This will allow Vrabel to coach up all kinds of scenarios for the Seahawks to deal with.  Chaz Surratt is back for the game and kick coverage guys Mike Morris, Drake Thomas and Tyrice Knight will need to be at their best.  They also will need to be very alert to any trick plays to try and steal a possession.

This is a guest article by Curtis Allen…

The Seattle Seahawks are in the Super Bowl.

I keep repeating it to myself like some kind of realization exercise.  If I stop saying it, I will wake up and snap back to reality.  Reality being where the team has been for the last six or seven years.  Desperately needing major changes, while the messaging from Headquarters was consistent: We are just a bounce away and next year will be our year.

Major changes have been made.  Upheaval. It’s refreshing and the rebirth has been accomplished.  The defense has returned to its rightful place as a tough, balanced and aggressive unit that is among the league’s best.  On offense, the run game has returned — complemented by an explosive passing game.

Cherish these moments.  Thirty other teams and their fanbases are spending this time focusing on how to get where the Seahawks are right now.  One game away from glory.

All that stands in their way are the New England Patriots.

The Seahawks are favored to win the game for several reasons.  Not the least of which is they have weathered a much tougher test – with better results – than the Patriots have.

That is not to say that this game should be considered a cakewalk, even if that is how the game plays out on Sunday.  Mike Vrabel-coached teams are thoroughly prepared, well-motivated and fundamentally sound.  They are not to be taken lightly.  Seahawks fans know this as well as anyone.

This is too big a game to do just one Watch Points post.  We are going to present one for each side of the ball, starting with the New England offense vs the Seahawk defense.

What do the Patriots present on offense?

This season, they ran out a 47/53 run/pass mix, fueled by a two-headed monster at Running Back and Drake Maye’s ability to use his legs to push another dimension of his game onto defenses.  Rhamondre Stevenson and TreVeyon Henderson are generally akin to Zach Charbonnet and Kenneth Walker, with Stevenson getting tough yards between the tackles and Henderson using his speed around the edges and getting good angles.

They are likewise very balanced in the passing game.  They do not have a Christian McCaffrey, a Trey McBride or a Jaxon Smith-Njigba.  What they have is depth and an Offensive Coordinator in Josh McDaniels who knows how to spread out their attack to keep opponents guessing.

Drake Maye is not a checkdown merchant.  He leads all Quarterbacks with 9.1 air yards per intended target.  He takes full advantage of the middling pressure rate (21.8%) that opponents have managed to bring.  Stephon Diggs is his go-to Wide Receiver, Hunter Henry is the designated First Down Machine at Tight End, Kayshon Boutte is the deep threat and they are complemented by the Running Backs, along with Wide Receivers Mack Hollins and DeMario Davis.

It is Maye that ties it all together though.  He is accurate on deep balls and is not afraid to either check it down or take off running.  Josh McDaniels likes to use misdirection and rollouts to keep defenses off guard and get them out of position.  In essence, they spread the touches as well as any offense in the NFL and force defenses to have multiple keys, which means multiple opportunities for coverage breakdowns and missed tackles.

They will be facing a defense that is one of the NFL’s best.  The Seahawks have the best rushing defense in the NFL.  They generate turnovers, get pressure without blitzing excessively and have a defender to match up with any player on your roster.  Edge setters, interior pressure creators, speedy linebackers and corners who can both cover and tackle.  It is all tied together with the Swiss Army Knife that is Nick Emmanwori, who can do it all.

It will be fantastic matchup.

How can the Seahawks come out on top?

Win On First Downs by Preventing Explosive Plays

The most effective way to disrupt their offense is to keep them from making good gains on First Downs.

The Patriots are one of the NFL’s best on First-and-10.  They are third overall at 6.75 Yards Per Play (the Seahawks are the best at 6.84) and Drake Maye is especially dangerous. 

How dangerous?

He has a 78.8% completion rating, a 129.1 Passer Rating and is gaining 10.6 Yards per Pass Attempt.  Just to illustrate how good that is, Sam Darnold is the closest to Maye, at 69.4%, 116.7 and 10.0, a healthy step down.

Just for good measure, when he runs, he is picking up 5.1 yards per rush.

He was easily the best player in the NFL on First-and-10s in the regular season.

When you add Henderson’s 5.5 yards per rush and Stevenson’s 4.4 on First-and-10 plays, the Patriots have an offense set up to run their entire playbook on Second and Third Down.

That is the bad news.  Now for the good news…

The Seahawks defense is alternately one of the best at First-and-10 plays.  They are top ten at almost all those numbers we quoted for Maye:  5.09 YPP (#4), 65.8% completions (15), 6.2 YPA (6) and they concede 4.0 yards per rush, good for #2 in the NFL.

They have the versatility to match what the Patriots want to do on offense.  They can play tough between-the-tackles football, they can create pressure without blitzing and they have players who can match up with targets, be they Running Backs, Tight Ends or Wide Receivers.  If and when the defense can be successful right out of the gate, it will limit Josh McDaniels’ ability to mix up his playbook and build some themes he can exploit later in the game.  Tempo and rhythm are strong weapons when you have a young Quarterback in a high-stakes game – even more so when it is on a neutral field.

The Seahawks should be able to contain those early-down explosive plays and limit their effectiveness overall.

What gives us such confidence?  It has already been done in the last two games.

In the Wild Card Round, New England had 6.89 Yards Per Play on First-and-10, powered largely by three explosive Drake Maye passes that gained 118 yards.  Take those away, and they gained 2.5 YPP and the offense was very average.

In the Divisional Round, Houston limited them to a meager 2.92 YPP on First-and-10 plays enroute to only conceding 248 total yards of offense in the game.

In the AFC Championship game, the Broncos took it to another level with only 2.67 YPP and the Patriots only picked up 206 total yards.

There is evidence that New England can play well (and get explosive plays) on other downs of course.  But if the Seahawks can employ their patented blend of run-stopping and getting pressure on the Quarterback without sacrificing their coverage principles, it will be a very successful day for the defense.

Defending Drake Maye

Maye excels at hurting defenses in three ways:

1 — he regularly throws downfield, challenging defenses and creating explosive pass plays

2 — he only has 10 Interceptions against 35 touchdowns this season.  Those are MVP-caliber numbers

3 — he scrambles more than any Quarterback in the NFL.  More than Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen and Justin Herbert

It will take a complete defensive effort to contain him.

We talked in the Warren Sharp link above about how flooding coverage can work against Maye — and yes that is something the Seattle defense excels at.

Getting interior pressure will do a world of good against Maye.  It closes off his lanes and changes his eye level.  The linemen will have to work at keeping gap integrity when it is just the standard rush.  If Maye escapes containment he can become an explosive runner.  This is where stat guys like me can get a little stuck.  Pressure and sacks are great.  But keeping the Quarterback under wraps and forcing short checkdowns that can do minimal damage or throwaways are also effective.  With the speed the Seahawks have at the second level, they should be able to keep things in front of them and limit explosive off-schedule plays.

Mike Macdonald will have a plan to handle this.  My guess is he will instruct his linemen to keep their gaps as a priority and only abandon them when Maye is within arm’s reach.  He will also disguise some of his coverage and rushes to keep Maye and the linemen focused on what is happening in front of them rather than downfield.

I do think he will cook up some schemes to ‘bait’ Maye into running.  Perhaps the linemen split a gap and leave it wide open and have a blitzer take a two-count after the snap and rush the open gap.  Ernest Jones, Drake Thomas and Nick Emmanwori can fill this role nicely.

It should be noted that the Patriots are rolling out rookies at Left Tackle and Left Guard.  There will be opportunities there to win one on one battles without any exotic scheming.  Evidence:  Maye has been sacked fives times in each of his three playoff games.  As you can see, it is a mix of blitzing, coverage and pass rush being well aligned and some clear one on one battles being lost.  It is not unrealistic to think the Seahawks can keep that streak going and sack him at least five more times in this game.

Another statistic to underscore coverage and getting pressure without blitzing is critical: Maye’s sack percentage when blitzed (10.3%) vs when not (8.05%) lends itself to being very selective in blitzing.  It is not necessary to get sacks solely from blitzes.  That style is right in the defense’s wheelhouse.

Something has been revealed in those three games: Maye is vulnerable to being stripped of the ball.  He only had eight fumbles all season.  In the last three games?  Six more.  That is fourteen in total.  Sam Darnold – derided as a turnover machine most of the year – has twelve.  The Patriots have benefited from “fumble luck” in that some of these have been jumped on teammates in the right place at the right time.  One or two of these bounce the Seahawks’ way and we could have a rout on our hands.

Other Game Notes

— Josh Jobe has been targeted for explosives in the passing game and we all know that Tariq Woolen had a huge blunder in the NFC Championship game.  Do not think Vrabel and McDaniels failed to notice that.  Jobe will have to be ready to be targeted mercilessly.  Woolen will probably have Diggs in his ear all game long, trying to provoke him into another stupid penalty.  A fantastic performance by both will make this game far, far easier.

— McDaniels loves to use motions to distract the defense from what his true intentions are.  He will use Stephon Diggs to pull focus and bootleg Maye in the exact opposite direction for a layered pass with short (a RB) and deep options (Hunter Henry) on crossing routes.  The edge defenders will need to counter this with their instincts and smarts.  Having had three full games against the masters of pre snap deception in Shanahan and McVay, I think this defense is as experienced in deciphering intent and keeping disciplined as any.  Holding the edge and sniffing out Maye booting out will be critical at times.  This sounds like a tailor-made play for DeMarcus Lawrence to cause some havoc.

— Keeping the running game in check will be critical for one factor in particular: Maye is the second-most effective passer in the NFL off play action at 10.18 yards per pass attempt (Darnold is #1 at 11.33).  If the defense can put more of the game in Maye’s hands, the factors for pressures, sacks and turnovers increase dramatically.

We will be streaming our Super Bowl preview show at 2pm PT today, you can watch it below:

Prepare for surprises in the Super Bowl

Mike Vrabel mentioned last week he tries to calculate how many points he needs game-to-game. The Seahawks are averaging 31 points in their last five games, all against playoff teams. It’s hard to imagine Vrabel is plotting to keep things close and tight, even if that’s what ends up happening on the day.

The chances are he’ll think New England needs +30 points. In order to do that, he may have a few tricks up his sleeve.

For example, when he was coaching against the Titans against the Chiefs six years ago in the AFC Championship game, he had Ryan Tannehill throw a touchdown pass to offensive tackle Dennis Kelly, acting as an eligible receiver. He also had a big conversion on a fake punt, thrown by the punter.

In the prior game against the Ravens he had Derrick Henry throw a jump-pass touchdown in the red-zone.

If the Patriots are moving the ball freely they might not need to resort to this kind of thing. However, if the Seahawks start scoring, it may be something he turns to. The Eagles famously pulled off an upset against the Patriots eight years ago featuring the Philly special, winning 41-33. Vrabel might think he needs to be similarly aggressive and creative.

In a recent Athletic piece, he was ranked the third most successful coach when being aggressive on fourth down. Don’t be surprised if he consistently takes chances to keep possession of the football in an attempt to score the points he feels like he might need to win.

Klint Kubiak is very important

When you reflect on Seattle’s last few games, the play-calling has been a huge factor. The Seahawks moved the ball freely in their two games against the 49ers. They had to out-gun the Rams in the NFC Championship. Against the same opponent in week 16, they were able to find answers in the fourth quarter and overtime to create vital scoring opportunities.

Kubiak has found the right balance between run and pass, with enough aggression timed at the right moments. The Seahawks have done an excellent job assessing what is needed against their opponents. You could see their aggression ramped up against LA last time out, because they understood what kind of game it was. The play-calling on the final drive to seal it was ballsy when many coaches would’ve been conservative.

A lot of the focus will be on how Drake Maye and Josh McDaniels get on against Seattle’s defense but it could easily be Kubiak who is needed to produce another big performance, before his departure for the Raiders.

Fourth quarter pass rush is key

In so many of these Super Bowls, pressure late in the game is the deciding factor. Had the Seahawks not lost key personnel 11 years ago when protecting a 10-point lead, they would’ve had a great chance to win back-to-back Super Bowls and that play possibly would’ve never happens.

The likelihood is someone is going to have a big pass-rush moment in the final quarter — but who will it be?

Could it be an unlikely hero? Boye Mafe played very well against the Pats in week two of the 2024 season. He’s not had the contract year he would’ve hoped for. Can he produce a timely impactful moment to march into the open market with a major performance in the Super Bowl?

Speed off the edge has challenged this Pats O-line. Maybe Mafe can be the man to do the damage?

Odafe Oweh, another player with a similar skill-set to Mafe, had three sacks when the Pats beat the Chargers in the Wildcard round. Danielle Hunter and Will Anderson had five sacks between them when they faced the Texans. Jonathan Cooper and Que Robinson combined for 2.5 as New England overcame Denver.

It might be that Seattle’s quickest EDGE has a day — even if he’s been surprisingly quiet for most of the season.

Maxx Crosby watch continues

Jay Glazer started doing the media rounds at the Super Bowl today and he was asked about Maxx Crosby’s future in the video below. Basically — he made it clear he will be traded at some point in the off-season with many teams seen as a fit:

Maxx Crosby’s time with the Raiders is most likely DONE, per @JayGlazer 👀

What kind of haul would the five-time Pro Bowler get in the trade market? 🤔 pic.twitter.com/FK1EkdKXRd

— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) February 4, 2026

He also said the eventual deal could be worth more than the Micah Parsons trade. You might scoff at that kind of price but remember this — Parsons is a handful. Crosby is not. He is what Mike Macdonald refers to as a ‘force multiplier’. The kind of person who lifts everyone else and sets a tone on and off the field.

Having Crosby types in Seattle’s locker-room is a big reason why they’re in the Super Bowl.

As we’ve discussed many times — the lack of quality in the draft will likely drive an active trade market this year. Good teams looking to take the next step will be prepared to be aggressive. I still believe that will include the Seahawks, regardless of what happens on Sunday.

They have some older defensive linemen on the roster and we don’t know if they’ll continue beyond the weekend. If you want to stay at the top, you’ll need the players that can keep you there. It’s bad enough that the Seahawks will need to replace an offensive coordinator and other members of staff. They can ill afford to drop their talent and experience levels on defense too.

The other thing to note is the Seahawks are officially picking either last or second-to-last in each round of this draft. With the intention, surely, of being competitive again next year — the actual stock used to make a deal is not quite as significant.

I think they’ll be in the mix for Crosby — but many others will be too.

Coaches moving on with Kubiak

Adam Schefter said on his podcast this week that a minimum of 1-3 coaches will depart Seattle with Klint Kubiak, when he moves to Las Vegas.

How long are the offensive staff members contracted for? Anyone out of contract is free to move, as will be coaches who are getting clear promotions. Anyone who is under contract can’t just make a lateral move and you’d imagine the Seahawks, facing a challenge to find replacement staff, might not be inclined to allow an exodus to happen.

Rick Dennison will almost certainly depart as he is especially connected to the Kubiak’s. John Benton, you’d assume, will also go — depending on his contract status and/or Seattle’s willingness to let him move on too.

The question then becomes who Kubiak wants to be his offensive coordinator. He is close to Andrew Janocko so does he make sure he comes with him via a promotion? Does he offer the job to Justin Outten? Do the Seahawks counter those offers by offering their OC vacancy to either?

I found it interesting that Janocko called plays in the final pre-season game at Green Bay. We’re all assuming Outten or Jake Peetz are likely internal candidates. Janocko might’ve been given that opportunity with the idea he could be a future internal replacement. He might understand Kubiak’s system better than anyone, given their time together in Minnesota, New Orleans and now Seattle. He’s also been Sam Darnold’s positional coach for the last few months.

It’s something to keep in mind.

Another name to throw into the mix is Jay Harbaugh. He was an offensive quality control coach for the Ravens and coached running backs and tight ends at Michigan. I’m not sure he’s completely tied to special teams in the NFL and he’s done such a good job there, perhaps he can pivot to offense?

Puck Sports Super Bowl preview

Finally, check out my conversation with Puck ahead of the big game this weekend…

If you can like the video below on YouTube and leave a comment, it’d be much appreciated!