Amid the very mixed projections for the Seahawks in 2026, I thought I’d take a bit of time to reflect on just how good things are right now.
This is a roster with a lot of young players who are barely scratching the surface of their upside and potential. I’d argue Byron Murphy, Zach Charbonnet, Tory Horton, Elijah Arroyo, Grey Zabel, Rylie Mills, Drake Thomas, Devon Witherspoon and Nick Emmanwori are only scratching the surface of their potential. You could name others too, including established veterans like Charles Cross.
Complementing this group are a selection of season veterans leading the way. DeMarcus Lawrence, Leonard Williams, Jarran Reed, Cooper Kupp, Julian Love, Ernest Jones and Uchenna Nwosu help set the tone, the standards and provide the kind of alpha energy any successful team requires.
You have players on the roster playing at an elite level — such as reigning offensive player of the year Jaxon Smith-Njigba.
There’s also a quarterback who is both a proven winner and very easy to root for. While sections of the media seem intent on focusing on things like turnovers, the fact is Sam Darnold has led two different teams to back-to-back 14-3 seasons and he’s now a Super Bowl Champion.
The Seahawks are in an enviable position financially. They have new owners who are likely to want to back the team on and off the field to create a positive first impression. They have a healthy cap outlook for the future — with a clear path to keeping the core players they need to retain while paying their proven up-and-comers seeking a big second contract.
Difficult decisions will need to be made in the future yet there’s sufficient depth across the board — enabling them to use the draft to replenish lost players in free agency — as we saw with their three top picks this year.
There’s talent throughout the roster being primed and readied to step up to the plate whether that’s in relief or as a future potential starter. Just look at the way Drake Thomas, Ty Okada and others have emerged.
They own 12 draft picks in what is widely perceived as possibly the deepest draft in some time for 2027.
Their talent extends beyond the roster. The Seahawks have an ideal blend of youth and experience on their staff. They have a Head Coach who is wise beyond his years and a Champion already at 39-years-old. Mike Macdonald is a star — with a clear philosophy, vision and approach for his team. He has a team of coaches around him that are mightily impressive too.
The Seahawks are professionally elite. There’s absolutely no drama for the second consecutive off-season. This is despite the emergence of contract negotiations and the obvious and understandable desire to gain financial reward for the massive success the team has achieved.
They also seem to be handling being ‘Champions’ better than most. The level of normality surrounding their title-winner status seems comparable to the Chiefs during their great run under Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid. It’s business as usual, even after reaching the summit.
The General Manager has reached a Hall of Fame level after building his second Championship roster. Do not underestimate how comforting it is to have a GM who knows what he’s doing. In that instance, you don’t know what you’ve got until it’s gone. John Schneider deserves a ton of credit for leading a front office that fans can trust implicitly.
The entire franchise feels connected — staff, players, fans. The ownership news has been smooth, not at all controversial or distracting and things are ticking along nicely.
I’m struggling to think of a better example of a competently run sports team in any sport in the world currently.
Nothing highlighted the calm waters more than the last few days. Vita Vea — former standout at the University of Washington — requested a trade. Typically there’d be a lot of shouting about bringing him in. Instead, most of the chatter from fans was simply hoping he didn’t end up in LA or San Francisco.
The Seahawks can afford to be opportunistic now. They have such a strongly bonded roster, rich in talent, that they can let opportunities come to them — at the price point they feel comfortable with.
They don’t need to chase anything. They are strong, physical, tactically excellent and capable of beating opponents in every possible way. They have everything they need already.
If the right trade emerges before the season, or in a few weeks before the deadline, they will attack it. But there’s no need for any more aggression than letting an opportunity come to them.
It is very rare that any team reaches this level of competency — let alone it be the team you actually follow.
We should bask in this. Enjoy this. Celebrate this.
Whatever happens in 2026 — this franchise is 100% on the right track.
