Super Bowl LXI Road Map: Seahawks Flying Under the Radar Again

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Welcome to Super Bowl LXI road maps, where we look at every team’s chances of winning it all in 2026. We’ll analyze the summer optimism before providing a reality check of what’s to come. Next path to assess: the Seahawks.

The Seahawks won the Super Bowl last season, but they’re not the most talked-about team in the NFC West.

The offseason attention has gone to the Rams, the team that made aggressive trades partly because it couldn’t beat the Seahawks when it mattered most. Last season, not many believed Seattle could win it all until it knocked off L.A. in a thrilling NFC championship game.

Once again, the Seahawks are being overlooked, but they could very well repeat as champions because of their depth throughout the roster. This strength will be more noticeable in 2026 after parting with a few players who were instrumental in the team hoisting the Lombardi Trophy at Levi’s Stadium in February.

In free agency, the Seahawks lost Super Bowl LX MVP and running back Kenneth Walker III, cornerback Riq Woolen, edge rusher Boye Mafe and safety Coby Bryant. However, the team quickly reloaded in the draft and filled a few vacancies with its first three picks, selecting running back Jadarian Price, safety Bud Clark and cornerback Julian Neal.

Also, those rookies won’t be rushed to produce immediately because of the star power on both sides of the ball. There’s Sam Darnold, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Leonard Williams, Ernest Jones IV, Devon Witherspoon and many other core players and ascending talent.

Most importantly, coach Mike Macdonald is still around to be the CEO of the team. In two seasons, Macdonald has established himself as one of the league’s top coaches and might be the most brilliant football mind when it comes to defense.

This team has never cared much about headlines, and flying under the radar seems to be when it’s at its best. Expect Macdonald & Co. to again be in the mix until the end.

Leadership

Macdonald has earned the benefit of the doubt that his offense will continue to excel despite losing Klint Kubiak, Seattle’s former offensive coordinator, who’s now coaching the Raiders.

Macdonald has gotten plenty right since being hired in Seattle in 2024. As for the few times he’s been wrong, Macdonald has been quick to react and correct mistakes, including after his first season, when he fired Ryan Grubb as offensive coordinator and replaced him with Kubiak.

Macdonald now welcomes his third offensive play-caller in as many seasons after hiring Brian Fleury, who coached on both sides of the ball the past seven seasons in San Francisco and most recently served as Kyle Shanahan’s run game coordinator and tight ends coach.

It’s a gamble for Macdonald to hand play-calling duties to a first-time offensive coordinator. Still, he’s already laid the foundation for how he wants to operate offensively and has the duo of Darnold and Smith-Njigba to run the show. It’s on Fleury to expand on what went well for Kubiak last season.

As for the defense, this will likely again be a dominant unit under Macdonald and defensive coordinator Aden Durde, a fast-rising head coach candidate. The Seahawks are loaded on the defensive front and have plenty of talent in the back end. (Although second-year safety Nick Emmanwori might miss some time after opening training camp on the PUP list due to an ankle injury.)

The Seahawks are also loaded on special teams, considering how much success special teams coordinator Jay Harbaugh had last year, especially with how he used wide receiver Rashid Shaheed in the return game.

Additionally, it shouldn’t go unnoticed how many hits GM John Schneider, who’s going into his 17th season, has had in the draft since 2022. After adding players like Smith-Njigba, Witherspoon, Charles Cross, Byron Murphy II and Grey Zabel, it wouldn’t be a surprise if a few more draft gems emerge from this year’s class to help this team defend its title.

Most influential roster move

Last summer, there was skepticism about the Seahawks trading DK Metcalf to Pittsburgh and making Smith-Njigba the team’s No. 1 wide receiver. That’s long been forgotten after Smith-Njigba’s monster season and helping Seattle win the Super Bowl. He also collected the Offensive Player of the Year award.

If that wasn’t enough confirmation that the Seahawks made the right decisions last offseason, the team didn’t hesitate to lock down Smith-Njigba with a market-setting four-year, $168.6 million contract extension in March.

Clearly, the Seahawks have no issues with designing their offense around the star receiver for many years to come. However, it’s a bit surprising that the team hasn’t worked out a deal with Witherspoon, who also had a breakout 2025 and is worthy of being the new highest-paid player at his position.

Seattle got it right when it selected Witherspoon and Smith-Njigba with its two first-round picks in 2023. That draft ignited the Seahawks’ rebuild after the Russell Wilson trade with the Broncos, gaining two pillars. Eventually, the Seahawks will agree to an extension with Witherspoon to continue building their defense around him, just like they do with Smith-Njigba on offense.

Why this offseason move will (or won’t) work

The Seahawks should be fine after losing Walker, who signed with the Chiefs on a three-year contract worth up to $45 million. However, there’s no denying how instrumental Walker was in Seattle’s run to the Super Bowl. He added a physical aspect to the offense and appeared to have fresh legs down the stretch.

The first-round selection of Price came as a surprise to many, but he’s a rugged runner with a similar skill set to Walker. When it comes to running between the tackles, Price might be the best among the running backs drafted in April. The Notre Dame product rushed for 674 yards and 11 touchdowns, averaging 6.0 yards per carry last year as Jeremiyah Love’s backup.

Price will likely also be in a committee with Seattle. There’s depth at the position with the signing of Emanuel Wilson, the former backup to Josh Jacobs in Green Bay. And Zach Charbonnet, who was recently placed on the PUP list, should be back at some point in the season after sustaining a torn ACL in the playoffs.

Seattle Seahawks defensive tackle Byron Murphy II — At 6'0", 306 pounds, Byron Murphy II lacks some size for the defensive tackle position, but his elite strength makes him difficult to block in both the run and pass games. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Breakout player candidate: Byron Murphy II, DT

Murphy made a name for himself last year as a disruptor in the middle of Seattle’s defensive line. But he might be on the cusp of superstardom, perhaps finding a level in 2026 that rivals what the game’s best defensive tackles do every week.

At 6'0", 306 pounds, Murphy lacks some size for the position, but his elite strength makes him difficult to block in both the run and pass games. It took him some time to adjust to the pro game, but it was noticeable last year why he was viewed as a high-ceiling prospect coming out of Texas in 2024.

Last year, Murphy played 70% of the defensive snaps and recorded 62 total tackles, seven sacks and 13 QB hits. A breakout 2026 could put him in line to receive a massive contract extension next offseason.

Missing piece

The Seahawks could use another edge rusher to help free the duo of Williams and Murphy in the middle of the defensive line.

At this point in their careers, it’s tough to tell how much veterans DeMarcus Lawrence, 34, and Dante Fowler Jr., who will turn 32 next month, have to offer. But Lawrence did have timely moments last year where he created takeaways and other game-changing plays.

Lawrence and Fowler could split time to stay fresh. Still, there are more questions with Uchenna Nwosu and Derick Hall, who are younger but maybe not as reliable as the aforementioned veterans and have seen their snaps decline in recent years.

If the strength in numbers approach doesn’t work, look for the Seahawks to make upgrades at edge rusher before the November trade deadline.

Realistic outlook

With stellar coaching and continuity in various forms, the Seahawks will likely be in the mix for another Super Bowl, even though the Rams have gotten the bulk of the attention this offseason.

The Seahawks have plenty of motivation to defend their Super Bowl crown. Maybe they don’t have the same star power as their NFC West rivals, but there’s still plenty of untapped potential on this roster. Seattle hasn’t stopped ascending since Schneider decided to team with Macdonald two seasons ago.

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