ESPN projects familiar story for Seahawks in 2025

Unfortunately, 2025 seems poised to yield more of the same.

Jan 5, 2025; Inglewood, California, USA; Los Angeles Rams head coach Mike Macdonald on the sidelines in the fourth quarter of the game against the Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

The Seattle Seahawks won 10 games and still missed the playoffs in 2024. So what did they do? They revamped pretty much their entire offense, swapping out coordinators, quarterbacks, and wide receivers. It is going to be a very different unit in 2025.

Their defense won't be. Helmed by Mike Macdonald, it will feature much of the same people and players. It is expected to be very good once again, and according to ESPN's Brady Henderson, it will once again have to carry the offense.

The Seahawks defense must carry once again

The Seahawks traded Geno Smith and signed Sam Darnold. They traded DK Metcalf and signed Cooper Kupp. They hired a new offensive coordinator. It may or may not work, but there will be growing pains for which the defense must step up and carry the load.

Per Brady Henderson, that's the biggest storyline heading into camp. "The Seahawks haven't advanced past the divisional round of the playoffs in a decade, and if they're going to play well into January, Mike Macdonald's defense probably will have to lead the way," he wrote.

The defense was top 10 in points allowed last season and is bringing back virtually every key player. Obviously, that is far from the case on offense, where players, personnel, and scheme are all going to change.

"It all began with Seattle firing coordinator Ryan Grubb and hiring Klint Kubiak, and it continued with the trades of quarterback Geno Smith (to the Raiders) and wide receiver DK Metcalf (to the Steelers)," Henderson noted.

Seattle is hoping that Sam Darnold can give them more dependable, less volatile play than Smith. They're also hoping Cooper Kupp can replace Metcalf's overall output. Finally, they're really hoping that Klint Kubiak can succeed in crafting a run-heavy offense that takes pressure off the quarterback.

"The defense, particularly with the addition of playmaking safety Nick Emmanwori in the second round, seems like much more of a sure thing," Henderson concluded. It will have to be if the Seahawks are going to be as good or better than they were in 2024.

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