Seahawks Face Tough Task Duplicating Super Bowl Winning Formula

There have been 16 occasions in which a Super Bowl champion has returned to the “Big Game” the following season and had an opportunity to win a second straight title. Nine times the team succeeded and on seven occasions the club fell short. When it comes to the latter number, four of the last five Super Bowl champions failed to repeat when playing on Super Sunday.

The Seattle Seahawks will attempt to get that opportunity this upcoming season. Their 2026 campaign begins on Wednesday, September 9, and hopefully for Mike Macdonald and company, they will be at SoFi Stadium facing the AFC champion on February 14, 2027.

What could prevent the Seahawks from repeating in 2026?

NFL.com’s Jeffri Chadiha tackled the assignment of the league’s 10 biggest questions following free agency and a few weeks ahead of the 2026 draft. Last but not least on his list was figuring out how much McDonald’s club will be affected by numerous key departures since hoisting the Lombardi Trophy at Levi’s Stadium in early February?

Feb 8, 2026; Santa Clara, CA, USA; Seattle Seahawks safety Coby Bryant (8) against the New England Patriots during Super Bowl LX at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

“The Seahawks knew they were going to face some attrition after winning last year's Super Bowl,” said Chadiha. “That's why it shouldn't be surprising to see some of the hits they've taken thus far. Running back Kenneth Walker III, who won Super Bowl MVP, is now a member of the Kansas City Chiefs. The secondary lost versatile safety Coby Bryant (Chicago) and cornerback Tariq Woolen (Philadelphia), while edge rusher Boye Mafe signed with Cincinnati.”

“GM John Schneider was able to retain some key performers—namely wide receiver Rashid Shaheed, cornerback Joshua Jobe and linebacker Drake Thomas—but there's some work to be done in the coming months,” added Chadiha.

It’s “Kansas City, here I come” for Super Bowl LX MVP Kenneth Walker III

The most notable departure is Walker, the eighth-leading rusher in Seahawks’ history. He comes off a 2025 season in which he started all 17 regular games, rushing for 1,027 yards and five scores. He ran for an additional 313 yards and four TDs during Seattle’s three-game postseason run.

“The loss of Walker is significant because his backfield partner, Zach Charbonnet, sustained a torn ACL in Seattle's Divisional Round win over San Francisco,” said Chadiha. “There's a real question about how much Charbonnet can contribute to this team next season.”

Seahawks’ GM John Schneider has his work cut out for him

“Schneider has made some masterful moves in constructing a Super Bowl champion,” added Chadiha, “but it won't be so easy to replace the starters that were lost from a defensive backfield that was so cohesive in 2025.” That’s a good point. It’s worth noting that Bryant picked off a combined seven passes the past two seasons, and Woolen amassed 17 takeaways in four years.

Chadiha also noted that Brian Fleury is the new offensive coordinator after Klint Kubiak took over as the head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders. Meanwhile, the veteran writer saved his most significant point for last.

“The Seahawks proved last season that their team chemistry was a major factor in their overall success,” stated Chadiha. “Maintaining that will be much harder now, especially when any little weakness can be problematic in the ultracompetitive NFC West.”

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