PFWA gives proper honors to some Seahawks

Not many people outside of the Seattle Seahawks organization thought they would be legitimate contenders for a Super Bowl title. The Seahawks are one of the best teams thanks to their incredibly talented roster.

There have been some Seahawks players honored as Pro-Bowlers or named to the First or Second-Teams list in the league. There are also others who have found themselves omitted from the list of the league’s top players this year.

The Pro Football Writers’ Association released its list of this season’s All-NFL, All-AFC, and All-NFC. Five players for Seattle have been named to the All-NFC team, while two of them join the high honors of the All-NFL team.

Wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba and defensive tackle Leonard Williams are the two players named to the PFWA All-NFL team. They join cornerback Devon Witherspoon, punt returner Rashid Shaheed, and punter Michael Dickson as the five total players named to the All-NFC team.

It shouldn’t be a surprise to JSN on the list of highest honors after finishing the regular season as the league’s leading receiver at 1,793 yards while also catching 119 receptions for 10 touchdowns. He was also named a Pro-Bowler starter, the league’s first-team All-Pro list, and Next Gen’s All-Pro team.

Williams is the only other player named to the PFWA’s first-team list after another stellar season. Through 17 games this season, he accumulated 62 total tackles, 33 solo tackles, nine tackles for loss, seven sacks, and 22 quarterback hits.

Seahawks defensive tackle Leonard Williams celebrates after a play in the Divisional Round win over the San Francisco 49ers. — Jan 17, 2026; Seattle, WA, USA; Seattle Seahawks defensive end Leonard Williams (99) and linebacker Derick Hall (58) reacts after the sack of San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy (13) during the second half in an NFC Divisional Round game at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-Imagn Images | Steven Bisig-Imagn Images

PFWA gave Williams a lot more appreciation for being the consistent disruptor in the middle of the defensive line than the league and Next Gen Stats. Williams was named to his third Pro Bowl, but was also named a starter and a second-team All-Pro.

Dickson was named to the PWFA’s All-NFC team, named to Next Gen’s All-Pro team, and named a second-team All-Pro, but wasn’t one of five players named to the Pro Bowl. Witherspoon was named to his third Pro-Bowl in his three seasons in the league, and named to the league’s second-team All-Pro. He missed five games due to an injury.

This is the first time this year that Shaheed has been given honors of any kind. He was a midseason trade from the New Orleans Saints to the Seahawks. While he hasn’t been the explosive receiver for the Seahawks, his dynamic playmaking as a runner and a return specialist makes him a fan favorite.

Shaheed has returned 23 punts for 339 yards and a touchdown, with 210 punt return yards coming in his nine regular-season games with the Seahawks.

Among the most noticeable star Seahawks omitted from the PFWA’s lists are quarterback Sam Darnold, defensive tackle Byron Murphy II, edge rusher DeMarcus Lawrence, and linebacker Ernest Jones IV. The three defensive players arguably had better statistics and moments than other players in their position groups. It also doesn’t help the fact that Darnold and Lawrence were also named to the Pro Bowl.

Overall, in a tight list by the PFWA, it gives significant praise to JSN and Williams, who might be one of the underrated players in the league. It also gives serious consideration to Witherspoon, Dickson and Shaheed as some of the league’s top players this season.

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