Leonard Williams Explains 'Dark Side' Name For Seahawks' defense

In 2024, Mike Macdonald's Seattle Seahawks defense was clearly an up-and-coming unit. But no culture and roster get fitted to what a new head coach wants in just one season.

With a few additions like rookie Nick Emmanwori and the rest of the team's veterans entering their second year in the system, the Seahawks' defense took a massive leap in year two.

The Seahawks allowed by far the fewest yards per carry (3.7) of any team in the league, finished sixth in takeaways (25), and gave up a league-low 17.2 points per game. Seattle's defensive strength was particularly apparent in a 41-6 victory over the San Francisco 49ers in the Divisional Round.

As they've risen to power, the Seahawks named themselves the Dark Side. Seahawks defensive tackle Leonard Williams provided a window into how that name came about.

“We just kept hearing comparisons to the Legion of Boom, and we kinda just thought it was time for us to have our own name, pretty much,” Williams explained during the Opening Night media availability on Monday. “We had a few names thrown at the wall, and I think the Dark Side stuck because one of Coach Mike’s messages is a play style and a place that nobody wants to play. In Seattle, it gets dark during the wintertime, and we shut some teams out this year … so we have a very suffocating defense, I would say. And I think that’s why we came up with the Dark Side.”

The origins of the Dark Side straight from @leonardwilliams

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— xz* - Seattle Seahawks (@Seahawks) February 3, 2026

The name has certainly stuck. With the history of the LOB, the Dark Side is continuing the Seattle tradition of putting a name to the unit. And if the Seahawks can beat the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LX, they will be the second legendary Seattle defense to carry the franchise to a championship.

Once Sunday is over, however, the question will be whether this becomes a unit that can reload for years to come. The LOB dominated the league from 2012-17 until the unit's stars began to age and go on to play elsewhere.

One Super Bowl victory is nice, but a dynasty is what keeps people talking about them for years. The Seahawks have ample cap space to keep things rolling, but it's not easy to manage a roster competing for championships once players begin to desire more compensation.

The first step to making history would be bringing a Lombardi Trophy back to Seattle this Sunday.

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