Return to Super Bowl makes NFL history for Seahawks GM John Schneider

The compliments that constantly surround the Seattle Seahawks talk about the stellar coaching led by head coach Mike Macdonald or the talented roster. Not enough is said about the front office that helped build the roster.

While John Schneider is nominated for the NFL’s executive of the year, there are many more ways to see how his vision for the Seahawks has unfolded. It only took two years for Macdonald and his staff to coach the Seahawks into a Super Bowl, but it took much more to build and develop a championship-winning roster. If you do it twice, that is what Schneider has done.

Schneider is the first general manager in NFL history to have his team make an appearance in the Super Bowl with a new head coach and no players on the roster. Defensive tackle Jarran Reed is the most experienced veteran player on the roster and played in the tail end of the Legion of Boom, but was drafted in 2016. He was drafted 17 months after the Seahawks last appeared in a Super Bowl.

Schneider has taken a lot of heat for making the moves he made. One of the biggest was moving on from defenders in the Legion of Boom to give quarterback Russell Wilson and key players more money. He then traded Wilson to the Denver Broncos in exchange for three players, including quarterback Drew Lock, the first and second picks for the 2022 NFL, and the first and second round picks for the 2023 NFL Draft.

Those picks would turn into three-time Pro-Bowl cornerback DevonWitherspoon, star left tackle Charles Cross and two reliable edge rushers in Derick Hall and Boye Mafe.

Seahawks cornerback Devon Witherspoon prepares for the snap in the Divisional Round over the San Francisco 49ers. — Jan 17, 2026; Seattle, WA, USA; Seattle Seahawks cornerback Devon Witherspoon (21) in his pre-snap stance against the San Francisco 49ers during the first half in an NFC Divisional Round game at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-Imagn Images | Steven Bisig-Imagn Images

Fast forward a few years, Schenider gets heat for cutting wide receiver Tyler Lockett, trading controversial star wide receiver D.K. Metcalf to the Pittsburgh Steelers and trading quarterback Geno Smith to the Las Vegas Raiders. That same day, he signed quarterback Sam Darnold to a team-friendly deal.

The Seahawks were slammed for the addition of Darnold, who was coming off a 14-win season with the Minnesota Vikings last year. Some experts thought the Seahawks would finish last in the NFC West, but Schneider and the Seahawks stayed on the path to their division.

The results are well beyond what experts thought could happen for the Seahawks. The Seahawks have an elite defense made up of great young stars and hungry, selfless veterans. They also have an excellent draft resume over the last few years, especially with wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba.

Finally, Darnold went from multiple bad narratives to throwing for 4,000 yards and having the best game of his career in the NFC Championship Game.

Only one more team stands in the way of the Seahawks winning their second Super Bowl title in franchise history. Seattle will be favorites when it takes on the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LX on February 8th. Many factors have led the Seahawks to this moment, but the credit has been given to the main architect of the Seahawks.

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