We’ll be doing a live stream at 2:45pm PT reacting to today’s news…
The Seahawks have handled a challenging off-season well. The reward for GM John Schneider is a new contract.
It makes sense for a number of reasons.
Now, both Schneider and Head Coach Mike Macdonald have contracts until at least 2030. There was little reason not to align both deals and have a long-term plan in place for the two most important football people in the franchise.
It was not a simple thing to move on from the Pete Carroll era, considering how ingrained Carroll was within the Seahawks. His influence was everywhere. When he departed there was a lot of emotion. It was truly the end of an era.
We’ve seen across different sports how this can impact teams in a negative way when such a towering figure leaves. It’s not easy to turn the page, transform things and create a new identity. The Seahawks under Schneider and Macdonald have managed that in 12 months, with the GM undoubtedly playing a leading role alongside his inexperienced Head Coach.
The fact so many players attended OTA’s and mini-camp speaks to the buy-in. There’s no drama at training camp either. Nobody creating any distractions. Everything appears to be functioning as required. It doesn’t guarantee success in 2025 and beyond but the Seahawks appear well placed to have a productive season within an open NFC.
The work during the off-season, as already noted, was also emphatic. There could’ve easily been histrionics, drama and long-running distractions. We’ve seen it in Seattle in recent years with high profile players — negotiations through the media, jockeying for position on new contracts, unrest.
Geno Smith was traded before there was ever really any hint of public drama. The deal was announced without any speculation or fanfare. The Seahawks simply made a decision and moved on. Then, unlike the Giants and Steelers who were also in the quarterback market, they swiftly found a replacement. They signed Sam Darnold to a cheaper contract with less of a long-term commitment, acquiring a third-round pick in the process which turned out to be Jalen Milroe.
Some people prefer Smith to Darnold as a player and that’s not a controversial view at all. Personally I think there’s not much between the two, even though they’re different types of quarterback. There’s also a character difference the Seahawks clearly thought mattered, as noted by ESPN’s Brady Henderson. To make the switch and get the value they did is worth celebrating.
Then there’s DK Metcalf. It would’ve been easy to play hardball, insist on a specific trade compensation and have a long drawn-out saga (see: Bengals and Trey Hendrickson). Instead the Seahawks put the feelers out, discovered what the market was and accepted the situation. They got the best deal they could and drew a line under it all.
Their two drafts post-Carroll have been understandable and for me impressive. They’ve used two first round picks on an interior defensive and offensive lineman. They’ve done a good job acquiring young talent with upside. ESPN this week published a piece saying the Seahawks have the second most talent to Houston when it comes to players under the age of 25.
He’s acquired talent on the veteran market well. Leonard Williams was virtually unstoppable at the end of last season while Ernest Jones had an inspirational impact in the middle of the defense. Julian Love has become a mainstay and Jarran Reed’s return has been productive.
Schneider’s choice of Head Coach appears inspired. We can already see the work Macdonald has done with the defense and I think there’s cause for optimism about the offensive staff hired this year.
No GM is perfect. Howie Roseman for example selected Jalen Reagor one pick before Justin Jefferson. Schneider doesn’t get everything right but nobody does.
Despite some suggestions to the contrary, I never got the sense Schneider was ‘under pressure’ post-Carroll. Seattle’s ownership group made their decision and the GM, having appointed Carroll’s replacement, needed time to work on the new direction.
There’s little reason for scepticism about the team in 2025 provided they avoid misfortune with injuries. The NFC West is an open division. The Seahawks won 10 games a year ago playing with an often malfunctioning offense. They could take a shot at possessing the #1 defense this year. With the right guidance, multiple players will be aiming for a breakout season.
The Seahawks made the right call extending Schneider’s deal. They have long-term security and they know who the key decision maker is. Let’s see if the GM and Head Coach can bring another Championship to Seattle in the coming years.
