On the 27th December, after the Seahawks had just beaten the Chicago Bears to move to 9-7, I wrote the following:
The Seahawks didn’t fire Pete Carroll to win nine games. They made that change because they thought the roster was underachieving and the changes would bring about better results. Things about the team may be different — such as the defense — and that’s good news. But the end result is virtually the same — and the team is no closer to being taken seriously as a post-season contender.
Maybe more drastic moves are needed to elevate to the next tier? Perhaps those moves will carry risk of failure? Do you need the courage to risk failing, sometimes? Rather than just going year after year with the end result being very similar?
Maybe it’s time for some risk/reward? New approach to the O-line, new offensive staff, new quarterback?
Credit to the Seahawks. It’s very easy to relax into the comfort zone of the middle ground. A lot of the reaction from those outside the Seahawks’ sphere is to question why a team finishing 10-7 and just missing out on the playoffs is making such sweeping changes.
The reason is simple. They’re not settling for being better than the NFL’s bottom feeders. They are prepared to take some risks to try and be great in the future. There’s no guarantee it’ll work out but they’ve only won one playoff game in eight seasons. They’ve gone 35-34 (including playoffs) in the last four years. They lose too many games at home and they’re not close to serious contention.
Not being the Browns or the Titans isn’t what a serious franchise aspires to be. They should be looking to win a Championship. The Seahawks were not on a pathway to doing that in 2025, so why not make changes to try and begin a new journey?
There was nothing wrong with refusing to pay Geno Smith $40-45m a year, including making commitments beyond next season to Smith as the starter. There won’t be anything wrong if they replace him with a younger, cheaper version in Sam Darnold — essentially setting up a different bridge quarterback with a third round pick thrown into the mix from the Raiders.
There was nothing wrong with opting not to pay DK Metcalf $33m a year and turning him into a second round pick — creating extra cap-room in the process to improve other areas of the roster. They now have a chance to finally build the kind of team they say they want to be, with a focus on the trenches.
There won’t be anything wrong with using the millions they have to spend on the offensive line in the coming days, nor was there anything wrong with replacing Ryan Grubb with Klint Kubiak and his vastly experienced support staff.
The Seahawks have around $62-65m to spend in free agency and can tap into a league-leading amount of room in 2026 too. They now possess five picks in the top-100 of a draft rich in day-two talent.
I think this is exactly what they needed to do, as noted in that article back in December and reaffirmed on Thursday when I said they should trade Metcalf and Smith — 24 hours before all of the drama unfolded. Frankly, they should be applauded for having the gumption to execute the plan.
So what happens next?
Sign a quarterback
The reported talks with Aaron Rodgers are likely nothing more than due diligence. All of the well-sourced reporters are saying they expect Sam Darnold to join the Seahawks. With hours still to go until the legal tampering window opens, it makes sense to be prepared for every eventuality.
However, I would anticipate the Seahawks will land Darnold on a contract that gives him a chance to make the job his own — yet provides flexibility for the team in the future. Essentially, the offer they would’ve been comfortable giving Geno Smith.
I expect the Seahawks to draft a quarterback in this draft, unless the board actively works against them. I believe the plan always was to draft a quarterback since they dealt Russell Wilson and the last three drafts simply didn’t pan out to make it possible.
The aim would’ve been to draft one this year with Darnold or Smith on the roster. When you don’t have a leading franchise quarterback, you have to take multiple shots to find the answer.
Darnold could end up being the next Matt Flynn, he could be a useful bridge to the future or he could be the starter for the long term. He only turns 28 in June.
Improve the offensive line in free agency
Will Fries is the best player available for the Seahawks and the brilliant Brady Henderson reckons he’ll be a target. Signing Fries would deliver the impact addition they need to get the ball rolling for a big O-line upgrade. He should be the #1 target along with Darnold.
Many believe Drew Dalman is destined for the Chicago Bears. It’d be great to land him as well — and they have the money to do it. We’ll see if they can get in the mix, or whether Chicago already has this one tied up. He might be too expensive even if you can afford it. He isn’t worth $20m a year for example.
The key is not to miss out on both players and be forced to overspend on someone like Aaron Banks who isn’t as good.
If the Seahawks can make some key O-line signings in the next few days, it’ll set them up for the draft. By opting not to pay Metcalf, they can transfer that money to the trenches. It’s time to create the kind of transformational off-season they need by making impact signings for the O-line.
They also have enough money to look for opportunities and potentially sign an impact player to the defense — perhaps a safety, given the strong options available. I would take a chance on Elijah Moore at receiver as a reclamation project.
Two players who had to be re-signed — Jarran Reed and Ernest Jones Jr — both agreed terms with the Seahawks on Sunday on high-value contracts. It’s a great start to an important week in the veteran market.
They can add good players in this class
They’d have options to go ‘best player available’ at #18. If they get lucky like a year ago, perhaps someone like Jihaad Campbell falls to them. If not, there will be other good options like Boston College pass rusher Donovan Ezeiruaku — a player who feels like a total fit for the Seahawks based on his production, testing and character. They could add to their offensive line too, with Grey Zabel an ideal scheme fit.
Alternatively, they could take a quarterback at #18. I wouldn’t rule it out, with Jaxson Dart and Tyler Shough names to keep an eye on.
At #50 and #52 there will be other good defensive and offensive linemen available. This could be a range where they feel comfortable taking a shot on someone like Quinn Ewers. It’d also be a great spot to potentially replace DK Metcalf — with the likes of Jaylin Noel and Jack Bech feeling like good options.
With two third round picks, they could target a young center. Jake Majors was hailed at Texas for the way he handled protection calls, something he’d be tasked to do in Seattle. Jared Wilson has an ideal physical profile for a zone-blocker. The receivers last deep into rounds 3-4. Tai Felton and Tory Horton are a couple of names to monitor.
This is an off-season that will shape the future direction of the team. It’s an exciting period. And for me, they needed this level of change.
If you want to watch our live reaction to the breaking news on DK Metcalf, check it out here:
