Leonard Williams reveals what he likes most about the 2025 Seattle Seahawks

The Seattle Seahawks are flying high right now amidst a 3-1 start, but it's more than just their record that has them on cloud nine.

Obviously, it's great to play winning football early in the season, especially for a team that was difficult to get a read on coming into the year. They're not only winning, but also, as cliche as it sounds, having fun and playing as a team.

In fact, star defensive end Leonard Williams believes the Seahawks' closeness is what's helping them succeed early on this year.

Seahawks playing together early in 2025

Sep 7, 2025; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Seahawks defensive end Leonard Williams (99) reacts with the crown during the game against San Francisco 49ers at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-Imagn Images | Steven Bisig-Imagn Images

"To me, a great start to the season," Williams said, per the team's website. "The record is great but also, for me what stands out the most is the connection, the type of mindset, the play style we have as a team. That stands out to me more than the record right now. So to me, the foundation is right. The growth of the team and the direction we're heading is right and the record is obviously great to have. But to me, that's the big picture.

"It's more than the record. That's been the biggest thing that I see in this team. You can ask a lot of the veterans who have been around and been on different teams; there is talent on every team. There are first founders, all-pros, and Pro Bowlers on every team that you're going to see. The teams that make it far are the teams that do well when they're going through hard times, close games like this; the connected teams are the ones that pull it through."

Asked why he believes the team has grown so close, Williams pointed to Mike Macdonald and how he's built up his culture in his second season, as well as the players buying into said culture.

The Seahawks eventually started playing complementary football last season, but it took a while to get to that point. They appeared quite discombobulated early on, particularly on defense where a ton of new pieces and everyone was learning Macdonald's demanding scheme. It showed in the record too, as the Seahawks were 4-5 entering their bye week but rallied to finish 10-7.

Chemistry is a crucial part of any team sport, but especially football where every position has entirely different responsibilities. So, the Seahawks playing together this early on bodes well for their chances in the crowded NFC West.

Seahawks playing together early in 2025

More Seahawks on SI stories