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NFC North: Bears | Lions | Packers | Vikings
National League South: Falcons | Panthers | Saints | Buccaneers
NFC West: Cardinals | Rams | 49ers | Seahawks
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2025 season record: 14-3 (8.5 wins), first in NFC West, won Super Bowl LX, first in DVOA
Overview
Seattle’s 2025 season looks like it could be a transition season rather than a Super Bowl championship season. During the offseason, the Seahawks traded Geno Smith and DK Metcalf, two transactions that continued a trend of well-timed departures for general manager John Schneider. Sam Darnold was a younger, cheaper, and more efficient quarterback prospect, while Jaxon Smith-Njigba assumed the No. 1 receiver role and spent much of the season trying to break the single-season receiving record.
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[Get more Seahawks news: Seattle team feed]
The offensive success still pales in comparison to what head coach Mike McDonald has done on defense. Seattle is the best defense in the league and is perfectly planned and coached to stop some of the best offenses in the league. Seattle leads the season in DVOA with 14 wins and is the top seed in the NFC.
Seattle was one of the youngest teams in the league during the regular season and is expected to be one of the NFC’s top contenders as long as McDonald is at the helm.
cap/cut prospects
Seattle has nearly $72 million in effective salary cap space, which is the fourth-highest number in the league, according to Over The Cap. A large portion of that will likely be used to re-sign some free-agent defensive talent. WR Cooper Kupp emerged as a possible cap victim, freeing up approximately $9.5 million through the cap hit. Kupp was second on the team in regular-season goals (70), but Jaxson Smith-Ngiba (163) had less than half that. Seattle could also re-sign pass rusher Leonard Williams. Williams, who turns 32 in June, will enter the final year of his contract with a $15.8 million salary and a $29.6 million cap hit.
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Key Pending Free Agents
CB Riq woolen
DB Kobe Bryant
S. Tai Okada
Echiboyemav
RB Kenneth Walker III
Rashid Shaheed
Woolen has been hit by some inconsistencies and penalties in coverage, but he’s been solid over multiple seasons. In 2025, he ranked 14th among cornerbacks in adjusted yards allowed per catch. Bryant and Okada spent most of their time playing depth. Bryant had four interceptions on air throws of 20 yards or more, which ranked second in the league behind Jaycee Horn’s five. As a pass rusher, Mephi has a wild personality. His 40 pressures ranked sixth on the team and he recorded just four quarterback hits, but he ranked eighth among rushers in ESPN’s pass rush win rate.
Walker is the most explosive of Seattle’s two defenders, but he completed 34 percent of his carries during the regular season compared to Zach Charbonette’s 44 percent. Shahid’s acquisition at the trade deadline changed the game on special teams and added an adequate receiver out of the backfield.
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Job requirements
wide receiver
interior offensive line
cornerback safety
Seattle has never quite found a consistent second option to complement Jaxon Smith-Ngiba in the passing game. Smith-Ngiba leads the NFL with 35.8% target share and accounts for 44.1% of the team’s receiving yards, the fourth-highest total since 2000.
Gray Zabel is a future All-Pro guard, but the other two interior positions have been inconsistent all season. Jake Sundell started 13 games at center and ranked 23rd in block rate among players with at least 400 steals, according to Sports Info Solutions. Anthony Bradford ranks 28th among right guards in this metric.
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The cornerback and safety holes will be determined in free agency. At corner, the Seahawks have Devon Witherspoon and could use Nick Emmanwori at the position, which is a great start. Who fills the other outside role will be the question. Josh Jobe started the season well but ended the season ranked 44th among cornerbacks in adjusted yards allowed per pass. With Bryant and Okada hitting free agency, Julian Love becomes the only safety on the roster.
2026 NFL Draft Picks
First round, No. 32 pick
second round
third round
Round six
Good draft coordination
Kadyn Proctor, OT, Alabama
It’s tempting to play cornerback here, and the Seahawks might consider it. But the offensive line needs an infusion of talent, especially with a quarterback like Sam Darnold, who operates well in clean situations. Proctor is big (6-foot-7, 370), but he possesses athletic traits that could make him a standout in the draft one day, even late in the first round.
Betting on gold nuggets
The Seahawks won 14 games for the first time in regular season history and finished with one of the best point differentials in the NFL with a 12-5 record. — Ben Fox