Juggernaut Seattle Seahawks set up to get even stronger in 2026

As good as the Seattle Seahawks have been this season, they're poised to get even better in 2026.

Seattle Seahawks DE Leonard Williams celebrates on the field following an NFC Divisional Round game against the 49ers. | Steven Bisig-Imagn Images

Offseason questions hovered over the Seattle Seahawks after they made two bold decisions. Despite winning 10 games in their first campaign with Mike Macdonald as head coach, the Seahawks moved on from quarterback Geno Smith and star receiver DK Metcalf. They replaced them with free agent additions Sam Darnold and Cooper Kupp.

The pivot to Darnold was called a downgrade by analysts, but Darnold proved to be exactly what the offense needed. He also had an immediate rapport with Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who proved to be one of the premier wideouts in the league. This resulted in a 14-3 record, the No. 1 seed in the NFC, and a trip to the NFC Championship game.

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Their journey isn't done this year, but the Seahawks are poised to remain one of the elite teams in the conference. In fact, they could be even better in 2026 as they're estimated to have north of $71 million in cap space, which is the fourth-most in the NFL.

The 15-3 Seahawks hosting the NFC Championship game have the 4th-most cap space for 2026

They will create more space too. pic.twitter.com/hUwnYxY4ag

— Seaside Joe: Daily Seahawks Newsletter (@seasidejoenews) January 18, 2026

The only playoff team with more cap space currently is the Los Angeles Chargers. However, the Seahawks are already the superior team with more wins in the regular season and the playoffs this year.

Seattle Seahawks will have key decisions on free agents

Seattle Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker III carries the ball against the San Francisco 49ers. | Kevin Ng-Imagn Images

Some of that cap space could be eaten up by pending free agents. The Seahawks have to decide on running back Kenneth Walker III, wide receiver Rashid Shaheed, safety Coby Bryant, and cornerback Riq Woolen.

Out of that group, Walker was the most instrumental to their success and had a huge game on Saturday. Seattle has options behind him, which might sway their decision when it comes to Walker, but finances won't be an issue.

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Even if they did decide to extend Walker, however, they would still have plenty of money to upgrade their few positions of need. Ideally, they could look for another wideout and add some depth to the interior of their offensive line.

The good news is that general manager John Schneider has positioned them well enough to accomplish this with room to spare under the cap.

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