How the Seahawks and the Patriots Rebuilds Are Incredibly Similar

When the Seattle Seahawks decided to move on from Super Bowl-winning head coach Pete Carroll, they believed there was some chance the Seahawks could rebuild and soon compete for a Divisional Title or a Super Bowl. The Seahawks decided to move on after the 2023 season when they finished with an overall record of 9-8. They hoped Mike Macdonald would help keep the Seahawks competitive.

This was the same thought pattern after the New England Patriots decided to move on from their six-time Super Bowl-winning head coach Bill Belichick. After a 4-13 season in 2023 under Belichick, the team turned to assistant coach Jared Mayo, who replicated a 4-13 season last season. That’s when they turned to former Patriot and former Tennessee Titans head coach Mike Vrabel.

The Seahawks moved from Carroll as the head coach on January 10, 2024, after missing out on the playoffs for the third time in four seasons. Patriots owner Robert Kraft made the decision to move on from Belichick on January 11, 2024, following a third losing season in four years.

Both the Seahawks and the Patriots are in year two of their rebuilding moves from their Super Bowl-winning coaches, and now they will meet in Super Bowl LX. Not many thought at the beginning of the season that it would be possible for the Seahawks or the Patriots to appear in Super Bowl LX. Seattle opened the season at +6000, according to BetMGM, to reach the Super Bowl while the Patriots were at +8000.

Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald celebrates with his team after the NFC Championship win over the Los Angeles Rams. — Jan 25, 2026; Seattle, WA, USA; Seattle Seahawks head coach Mike MacDonald speaks on the podium after defeating the Los Angeles Rams in the 2026 NFC Championship Game at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Ng-Imagn Images | Kevin Ng-Imagn Images

There were a lot of reasons to doubt the Patriots despite an impressive offseason of roster development. Many thought it was too soon for Vrabel to build a winning culture with a revamped roster, especially on defense, and a second-year quarterback in Drake Maye. When Vrabel and the front office saw players who wouldn’t step up and adapt to the culture change, they let them walk or traded them.

The same could be said under the Macdonald era. After one season, he knew that wide receiver D.K. Metcalf and quarterback Geno Smith weren’t in for the culture change and wanted to work the extra days needed; they were shipped out and exchanged for players who would step up.

Wide receiver Cooper Kupp and Rashid Shaheed are hungry and team-tasked players. Sam Darnold is a selfless and determined quarterback who wants to get better and win.

It also helped the Seahawks that they had many young players on both sides of the ball who looked to win. Meanwhile, their defensive veterans like defensive tackle Leonard Williams, edge rusher DeMarcus Lawrence, linebacker Ernest Jones IV, and safety Julian Love embraced the culture change of dominating every play.

The Seahawks went from consistently finishing second or third in the NFC West to first place in the Division and at the top of the NFC. The Patriots went from 4-13 from the last two years and last in the AFC East to at the top of the division and along the new elites in the AFC.

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