#SEAvsARI

Hawks have picked up where they left off in Super Bowl

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For those wondering, yes, the Seahawks already are better than they were in 2025. That was the expectation – and that is how it is working out.

As Mike Macdonald said after his team dominated Arizona 31-7, “There’s an excitement and urgency for us to take it to the next level in all three phases.”

With a 2-0 start, the Seahawks have extended their winning streak across seasons to a franchise-record 12 games (counting postseason).

The defense is locked in as the league’s top unit again, led by Julian Love, Leonard Williams and Devon Witherspoon. They are stuffing the run like no one else, and Love has been an interception machine over the first two weeks.

Jaxon Smith-Njigba has burst out of the gates in historic fashion — a bona fide superstar who can dominate no matter who is throwing the ball, even with fewer targets than other WR1s around the NFL. Drew Lock has thrown it well in place of injured Sam Darnold, stacking up as one of the best passers in the league across two weeks. Brian Fleury has made some savvy adjustments to the offense in his first two games as the new play caller. The offensive line got a game ball after the 31-7 win over Arizona despite rotating two players at right guard.

Continue reading Hawks have picked up where they left off in Super Bowl →
Free agency

Great debut by Walker, but Hawks made the right call

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Kenneth Walker III had a career day in his first game with the Chiefs, rushing for 173 yards. It was such a great performance that plenty of people are ripping – or at least second-guessing — the Seahawks for letting him go in free agency.

But that’s pretty nonsensical. It’s OK – in fact, it’s better — for Walker to win elsewhere while the Hawks continue to win without him.

Here’s why the Seahawks made the right choice and why the Chiefs need to be careful about how they use him to avoid wasting their investment.

Continue reading Great debut by Walker, but Hawks made the right call →
Injury report, Schedule

Seahawks look good for 4-0 even without Darnold, but then …

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We all know Sam Darnold is not going to play this week at Arizona. The bigger question is: How many games beyond this one will he miss?

NFL insiders Ian Rapoport and Jay Glazer reported that the injury is actually to Darnold’s glute tendon, and Glazer said the Seahawks are still getting medical opinions to figure out what the healing time will be. Mike Florio added that a source told him Darnold could be out 4-6 weeks.

If it is a mild strain of the tendon, medical standards indicate the injury could require 2-4 weeks of rehabilitation. If it is moderate, it could be as long as eight weeks. It sounds like the Seahawks still are trying to figure it out. And, of course, everyone heals at a different rate. So 2-6 weeks seems like a realistic window.

The Hawks should win the next three to start 4-0, but then it gets tougher — especially if Darnold remains out.

Continue reading Seahawks look good for 4-0 even without Darnold, but then … →
Contracts

Big tight end deals set the range for Barner extension in 2027

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AJ Barner’s price has jumped to $15 million. Will the Seahawks want to pay it?

Two big extensions by tight ends over the weekend created the range for Barner’s next contract, assuming he continues to play like he did in 2025.

The Packers extended Tucker Kraft for $18.75 million a year, and the Raiders gave Michael Mayer a deal worth $15 million a year. Barner is not yet at Kraft’s level, but he is more accomplished than Mayer.

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#NEvsSEA, Injury report

Hawks should be OK until Darnold returns

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When Sam Darnold was lost after one series vs. the Patriots in the NFL opener Thursday night, it was definitely a big bummer. But Drew Lock came in and played about like we expected: a couple of sparks and no big mistakes. With the No. 1 defense in the NFL backing him, that was enough to pull off a 13-10 win in a sloppy game by both teams.

With the news that Darnold might miss fewer than four games with his hip injury, the Seahawks look well prepared to weather the storm.

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#NEvsSEA

Are Emmanwori and Macdonald toying with the Patriots?

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Is Nick Emmanwori really iffy for the season opener? Or are he and Mike Macdonald playing mind games with the Patriots?

Emmanwori is coming back from ankle surgery that was performed in July. He has returned to the field in a limited capacity, based on injury reports.

The final episode of “Hard Knocks” featured another conversation between coach and player, in which Emmanwori said, “I feel like I’m grinding every day to a point where it’s like I’m making progress but can’t really do back-to-back hard days like that. Two days ago, I was pushing it, like I was running, and the next day it was kind of sore.

“I feel like other people’s (idea of) where they think I should be at, or where they want me to be, could be kind of interfering with where I’m trying to go or where I’m trying to get to.”

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The roster

Initial roster set, but secondary is still in progress

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The Seahawks’ roster – the 40 or so guys who matter most anyway – has been set all summer. The biggest struggle in camp involved sorting out the back end of the defense – and even as the cut to 53 (plus 17 on the practice squad) was made, the secondary is still the most unsettled position group on the team.

The top four – Devon Witherspoon, Josh Jobe, Julian Love and Ty Okada – are ready to roll. But Nick Emmanwori, rookie Julian Neal, new trade acquisition Avery Smith and recent vet signee Trevon Diggs (on the practice squad) all are behind in their prep for the season.

Emmanwori and Neal are just now practicing after recovering from injuries (surgery in E-Man’s case). Smith just arrived via trade from the Chargers (where he was in a similar defense), and Diggs signed a couple of weeks ago and saw just a few plays in the final preseason game. It will be a race to see which of those guys is ready for the opener Sept. 9.

Continue reading Initial roster set, but secondary is still in progress →
Contracts, The roster

Williams extension completes lineup for potential dynasty

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With Leonard Williams happily under contract for another three years, the Seahawks are now ready to make a run at becoming the next NFL dynasty.

Williams is the seventh mainstay extended or re-signed this year, joining Charles Cross, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Rashid Shaheed, Josh Jobe, Derick Hall and Devon Witherspoon. That doesn’t include lesser two-year deals given to Drake Thomas and Brady Russell.

This Super Bowl team is basically set for the next two years, with only three starting spots in question next offseason: edge rusher, center and right guard. If Jalen Sundell is tendered and Beau Stephens steps into Anthony Bradford’s spot, edge rusher will be the only hole.  

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The roster, Training camp

How does Macdonald replace his ‘gravy’ safety?

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When Bud Clark was down on the field in Tennessee, being tended to after he had broken his ankle, he assured a questioning Mike Macdonald, “Hell yeah, coach, we gravy.”

We’re not hip to all the lingo, but sounds like he meant it will be OK.

It was apropos that he used that word because Clark was supposed to be the gravy on the Seattle defense this season — the extra sauce to give Macdonald’s unit another element of flexibility and confuse offenses even more. So losing him for the season is a really unfortunate blow to that plan.

Now the question becomes: How does Macdonald replace Clark? Where does he find some more gravy?

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Contracts, The roster

Spoon’s deal beat anything on the field in preseason opener

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The Seahawks played their first football game of the season Saturday, but the most exciting action came earlier that morning when Devon Witherspoon finally signed the contract that made him (for now) the highest-paid cornerback in the league.

Mike Macdonald made us laugh when he lamented that his “team” did not play very well in the 17-7 loss to Dallas – because it was mostly third-stringers. We all know his A-team could start playing and winning right now.

This preseason is all about getting Brian Fleury integrated as the new OC, ramping up some young guys (e.g., Bud Clark) and settling the six or seven undetermined roster spots (some of which will rotate throughout the season anyway). Beyond that, the Seahawks are ready to “run it forward” in 2026 right now.

Meanwhile, John Schneider and Joey Laine have been running it forward beyond 2026. With the big extension for Witherspoon finally done, they now have locked up seven starters through at least 2028, along with drafting four other key guys in the last two years.

In our three-year projection, there are just seven openings for 2028: C, RG, WR3, ER2, both ILBs, SS. And four of those guys — Ernest Jones IV, Drake Thomas, Julian Love, Jalen Sundell — could easily be re-signed. That’s a pretty good-looking future.

Let’s take a look at Spoon’s deal, a little more on Terrion Arnold and the few tidbits we learned from the game Saturday.

Continue reading Spoon’s deal beat anything on the field in preseason opener →