Grey Zabel couldn't believe how loud Seattle Seahawks fans are in person

Sometimes in the NFL a reputation is entirely unfounded. For example, former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo somehow earned a label as being an athlete who would choke in clutch situations. In fact, the numbers show he was a brilliant performer in those situations - and better than any of his more highly-regarded peers.

When it comes to the Seattle Seahawks, they have developed a reputation over the years as having one of the loudest home stadiums in the league. In this case it's a well-earned title. Just ask rookie left guard Grey Zabel, who played his first game last night in front of that crowd and was in awe.

Grey Zabel on Seahawks fans

After this amid the stereo boomin’ in the #Seahawks locker room, asked rookie LG Grey Zabel said what surprised him most about his first NFL game.

He said it was how loud the 12s were. Couldn’t believe it was a preseason game. Says he knew about Seattle’s fans—but he didn’t KNOW pic.twitter.com/CkbVeKM6zB
— Gregg Bell (@gbellseattle) August 8, 2025

While they're loud more often than not, there have been times in recent seasons when the Lumen-Field crowd has fallen short. Last year's humiliating loss to the Green Bay Packers was the worst example of the sellout fans ruining home-field advantage for the Seahawks.

There have been other games like that - such as defeats to Buffalo and Pittsburgh, both of whom having had more fans in the stands than Seattle. However, the Green Bay debacle seems to have finally motivated the team to change their policy - and going forward they will penalize fans who sell more than half of their season tickets.

As for Zabel's debut, it was only a preseason game, but for what it's worth he looked stout in pass protection and sharp in run blocking, albeit against a lackluster Raiders front. Zabel will have to prove himself more than once to win us over, but this was a very promising start to his NFL career.

Grey Zabel on Seahawks fans

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