Seattle Seahawks' new offensive line coach has tall task ahead

The Seattle Seahawks have spent the last week or so making some significant changes on the offensive side of the football.
Jan 5, 2025; Inglewood, California, USA;  Los Angeles Rams defensive end Desjuan Johnson (94) sacks Seattle Seahawks Quarterback Geno Smith (7) at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: William Navarro-Imagn Images
Jan 5, 2025; Inglewood, California, USA; Los Angeles Rams defensive end Desjuan Johnson (94) sacks Seattle Seahawks Quarterback Geno Smith (7) at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: William Navarro-Imagn Images / William Navarro-Imagn Images
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When you consider the issues Mike Macdonald’s club had up front in 2024, it’s amazing that the Seattle Seahawks won 10 games and their offensive unit actually managed to reach the end zone 38 times this season.

Of course, that won’t do in 2025 as the team has already made changes to its coaching staff. Offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb was one and done in 2024, after replacing Shane Waldron. Enter Klint Kubiak, who served as the Saints’ OC in ’24.

More significantly, the Seahawks have brought aboard John Benton as their new offensive line coach. He spent 2024 with Kubiak in the Big Easy. Seattle will be Benton’s eighth NFL stop dating back to 2004. As for the Saints’ offensive front this year, Pro Football Focus ranked it No. 22 in the league. However, give credit to Benton considering what was expected in New Orleans.

“The Saints’ offensive line could not keep up the elite play it showed over the first two weeks of the season,” explained PFF’s Zoltán Buday, “largely due to center Erik McCoy’s injury. However, the unit still defied preseason expectations when many pegged them to be the worst offensive line in football in 2024.”

Translation: Benton got the most out of what he had to work with. This season, the challenge may be a lot bigger as only the New England Patriots’ offensive line rated lower than the Seahawks this season.

Charles Cross and Laken Tomlinson played all 1,094 snaps on the left side of the Seahawks' offensive line,” wrote Buday, “but there were a lot of moving parts on the rest of the unit. For example, center Connor Williams retired during the season and right tackle Abraham Lucas was not available until Week 11. The Seahawks' offensive line finished dead last with an 80.0 PFF pass-blocking efficiency rating…” Only two teams in the league allowed more sacks this year than the Seahawks (54).

Charles Cross
Dec 8, 2024; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Seattle Seahawks offensive tackle Charles Cross (67) against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

While Cross may be on the verge of earning Pro Bowl honors sooner than later, the well-traveled Tomlinson is slated to hit free agency in mid-March. Meanwhile, there are plenty of question marks elsewhere, and some of that has to do with a lack of experience. In any case, Benton has his work cut out for himself.

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Russell Baxter
RUSSELL BAXTER

Russell S. Baxter has been writing and researching the game of football for more than 40 years, and on numerous platforms. That includes television, as he spent more than two decades at ESPN, and was part of shows that garnered five Emmy Awards. He also spent the 2015 NFL season with Thursday Night Football on CBS/NFLN.