Contracts

NFL folks rank Spoon No. 4 among corners as he seeks top dollar

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A new ESPN survey of dozens of NFL coaches and execs puts Devon Witherspoon fourth among all current cornerbacks in the league.

Some oddly think this survey will make it tougher for the Seahawks to extend Witherspoon before the season, but let’s be clear: John Schneider and lead contract guy Joey Laine already are prepared to pay top dollar for Mike Macdonald’s favorite defender. They know he is a top-five corner, and there is no reason to think this survey changes anything in regard to contract talks.

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The roster, X's & O's

EPA splits reveal defense is no worse for departures

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Many NFL observers have made a big deal about the Seahawks losing two starters and two major backups this offseason. Some argue that those four losses – along with an offensive coordinator change — are enough to even make them questionable as contenders in 2026.

But Brian Nemhauser (HawkBlogger) recently performed a fun exercise that confirmed what we and other savvy observers already knew: The Seahawks certainly did not get any worse this offseason.

On the contrary, on defense anyway, the Hawks are likely to be even better off (as we have said).

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The roster

Talking tight ends: Barner’s value & Arroyo’s ‘opportunity’

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Tight ends are the talk of the town this week.

As many of the NFL’s “chess knights” – as Mike Macdonald calls them – attend the sixth annual Tight End University, a couple of the top guys also have received new contracts.

All of this activity — a month out from training camp – brings the focus in Seattle on the Seahawks’ two young tight ends, AJ Barner and Elijah Arroyo. Both are entering big seasons, for different reasons.

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On the air, OTAs

Where Hawks are in ‘running it forward’

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One of the great things about the Seahawks is that they are just discovering what they can do under Mike Macdonald, who is in just his third season running the team and is referring to the process toward winning another Super Bowl as “running it forward” – trying to get better (in all ways) than the 2025 team that won it all.

As the Seahawks prepare to finish their offseason work with a minicamp this week, we’ve learned quite a bit about their progress so far.

Among the major learnings over the past month:

  • Brian Fleury seems very similar to Klint Kubiak, which pleases Sam Darnold
  • Rashid Shaheed and Darnold are building a better connection
  • Macdonald loves the versatility of his defense
  • Cooper Kupp and DeMarcus Lawrence are both having too much fun to consider retirement.

Let’s take a look at what the Seahawks have said about their offseason work.

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Contracts

Hall’s extension was a pleasant surprise

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In a move that certainly surprised us, Derick Hall decided not to follow Boye Mafe’s path toward big free-agent money, choosing instead to stay in Seattle for maybe 70% of what he could have gotten on the market next year.

That Hall chose to stay rather than chase the big bucks is a testament to what Mike Macdonald and John Schneider have built and continue to build in Seattle.

It’s the first big move the Seahawks have made to settle their defensive front beyond 2026 – Byron Murphy II had been the only guy among the top seven assured of returning in 2027.

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Franchise history

How Russ went from lovable underdog to unlikeable loser

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It looks like Russell Wilson has decided it is time to move on from football – at least on the field.

The Seahawks legend, whose career flamed out with three teams over the past four years, is going to join Nate Burleson and the gang on “The NFL Today.”

This was hinted at last month, when Wilson was in the news a bunch — and the jokes flew fast and furious. He looked overweight in a cameo with the Savannah Bananas, like he had eaten one too many banana splits. He then had a visit with the Jets about possibly doing a role reversal and backing up Geno Smith, his former understudy in Seattle. And then he was reported to be in advanced talks to replace Matt Ryan on “The NFL Today” – which is where he apparently is now headed.

It sounds like he would love to play, if a team gets desperate. But otherwise this seems like a move to retirement, driven by the fact that he is no longer an effective player at age 37.

Continue reading How Russ went from lovable underdog to unlikeable loser →
Trades

Rams, Pats make monster deals as they chase the Hawks

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Seattle’s top rivals are doing their best to close the gap in 2026.

As we flipped the calendar to June, the Rams made a mega blockbuster deal for NFL sack king Myles Garrett and the Patriots made the long-awaited trade for Eagles receiver A.J. Brown.

Let’s take a look at the possible impact of these big trades.

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NFL draft, State of the team

Hawks add picks as Teasley answers call to run his own team

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Some people seem to think Nolan Teasley’s departure to the Vikings is bad news for the Seahawks, but it’s really quite the opposite.

Yes, John Schneider is losing one of his top lieutenants – his third since 2021 — but he still has plenty of officers in his personnel brigade. He surely is happy for Teasley to get his opportunity, just as Scott Fitterer and Dan Morgan did, and Schneider has to be even happier that the Seahawks are going to get two third-round picks out of it as well – thanks to the Rooney Rule.

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Contracts

Darnold should merit $55M — a fair price for Hawks to pay

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When it comes to mega extensions for Seahawks stars, the current focus is on Devon Witherspoon. But next year, it will be on Sam Darnold.

Darnold still is not getting respect from some corners of the NFL universe, but others know what he is worth.

Daniel Jeremiah recently told Seattle Sports 710 AM that he thinks Darnold will get around $50 million per year on his next deal.

“(If) he comes out and has a year that approaches what he did last year,” DJ said, “I would say he’s going to land in that ballpark.”

We think he will get around $55 million a year — and that will not be a problem for Seattle.

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Schedule

Rams on Christmas & six prime-time games

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The 2026 Seahawks will be a poster child for how wacky the NFL schedule has become. With the league scattering games across almost every day of the week, thanks to a record number of international games and trying to fill up every holiday on the calendar, the Hawks will play on every day but Tuesday (which has no games scheduled).

It starts with the opener Wednesday, Sept. 9, against the Patriots — just the second NFL opener featuring the Super Bowl combatants from the previous season (Carolina and Denver kicked off the 2016 season after the Broncos won Super Bowl 50).

The Hawks also will play a Friday night game on Christmas – one of six prime-time games for them. That Week 16 game will come against the Rams, as the NFL anticipates yet another thriller like the three played by the division rivals in 2025. The teams then play again in Week 18, a potential winner-take-the-bye game just ahead of the playoffs.

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