Decisions Await Seahawks Entering Crucial Seasons for Jalen Sundell, Anthony Bradford
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Seattle Seahawks center Jalen Sundell (61) against the New England Patriots during Super Bowl LX at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images [/caption]
Taking a welcomed diversion from the past when the organization almost seemed hellbent on executing cost-cutting measures and regularly volunteered to play musical chairs at multiple positions along the offensive line, the Seattle Seahawks have pulled a near 180-degree turn when it comes to investing in the trenches.
Starting with the selection of North Dakota State’s Grey Zabel with the 18th overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, making him the highest-selected guard by the franchise since Hall of Famer Steve Hutchinson back in 2001, Seahawks general manager John Schneider solidified the offensive line for years to come on multiple fronts. Along with Zabel being under contract through at least 2028 with a fifth-year option for 2029, tackles Charles Cross and Abraham Lucas each signed lucrative multi-year extensions, locking up the young bookends who have been starting together since they arrived in tandem as rookies in 2022.
As things stand, those three players all remain under contract together through the 2028 season, keeping an impressive young nucleus in place while providing the type of rare offensive line continuity the Seahawks haven’t enjoyed since the days of Walter Jones, Hutchinson, Robbie Tobeck, and Chris Gray dominating opponents in the early-to-mid 2000s. And according to Spotrac, Schneider still has managed to do that without breaking the bank, as the team still ranks 23rd in offensive line spending for 2025 and currently sits 25th and 22nd in that metric for cap space allocated to the line in 2027 and 2028.
But coming off a Super Bowl LX win, which not so surprisingly coincided with the best line play the team had experienced in over a decade, Schneider’s past philosophy of going cheap up front will truly be put to the test. Though all five starters return from last year’s squad, quite the rarity for a defending champion, difficult decisions await on the futures of right guard Anthony Bradford and center Jalen Sundell, who will be unrestricted and restricted free agents respectively next March as they prepare for their second season starting alongside one another.
At this time a year ago, Bradford didn’t appear to even be in the same zip code as a potential contract extension after enduring a brutal sophomore season where he yielded seven sacks and committed 10 penalties. As a result of those struggles, with a new line coach in John Benton joining the staff, Seattle re-opened a competition between him and former third-round pick Christian Haynes entering training camp, hoping to see the latter seize his latest opportunity to finally crack the lineup.
However, things can change in a blink of an eye in the NFL and Bradford wasn’t about to let Haynes steal his job. Just as he did the previous summer, he latched onto the starting role early in camp and didn’t look back. By mid-August, the “competition” - if you wanted to even call the one-sided battle that - had already been decided, with the incumbent taking all of the first-team reps and easily fending off his challenger for the second straight year.
Bradford’s third season as a starter didn’t start off favorably, including a rough stretch from Week 3 to Week 5 where he surrendered nine pressures and a sack while posting a dismal 94.2% Pass Block Efficiency Rate, ranking 63rd out of 70 qualified guards during that three-week span. He then struggled mightily in a Monday night win against Houston, giving up a season-worst five pressures and a sack. Having already seen this movie play out twice in the previous two seasons, frustrated fans sought change and started to clamor for Haynes or rookie Bryce Cabeldue to replace him in the lineup.
But from there, taking to the teachings of Benton and beginning to see the work on the practice field bear fruit on game day, Bradford quickly turned his season around. After getting exploited by a talented Texans defensive front, he went on the most impressive extended run of his young career, allowing just one sack and eight pressures from Week 9 through the season finale in Santa Clara as he posted a 98.4% Pass Block Efficiency Rate, ranking seventh out of 60 qualified guards.
Seeing a lot less yellow than in the past, Bradford also cut down substantially on penalties, receiving only four flags for the entire regular season, including only one infraction in the final nine games. Aside from being the most improved blocker on Seattle’s roster, it can be argued no offensive lineman in the league took a bigger year-to-year jump in 2025.
Looking to take another step forward in his fourth season, Bradford teamed up with renowned line coach Duke Manyweather in Texas this spring and that additional prep already started paying dividends in OTAs and minicamp. From excelling in pulling guard drills to looking lighter on his feet dropping into his pass sets, he drew frequent praise from Benton, who has become the player’s greatest champion during their year-plus working together.
Still just 25 years of age with more than 40 NFL starts under his belt, Bradford has vaulted himself from an unlikely extension candidate due to underwhelming performance to potentially pricing his way out of Seattle’s plans seemingly overnight. With the market skyrocketing for guards in recent years, it’s possible - if not inevitable - that he could command upwards of $15 million per year or more as a free agent next spring.
As the Seahawks successfully did with edge rusher Derick Hall back in June, it would make sense for Schneider to approach Bradford and his camp with an extension offer before the season, if he hasn’t already made such an overture, hoping to retain him on a slight hometown discount with significant guaranteed money upfront to continue competing for championships in the Emerald City. But if there’s a reason why they may be hesitant to go that route, it may boil down to Sundell’s own looming free agency at the ever-so-important pivot position.
Taking a far different pathway to a starting role in Seattle than Bradford did, Sundell wasn’t even on an NFL roster during OTAs and minicamp after going undrafted out of North Dakota State in 2024. After quickly being bounced off the roster by the Browns for medical reasons days following the draft, he didn’t get another shot until the Seahawks brought him on board on the eve of training camp, putting him somewhat behind the eight-ball trying to learn a new offense and adapt to new teammates.
But while such circumstances weren’t ideal, Sundell impressed upon arrival, in part due to his positional flexibility. Having been an FCS All-American as a tackle for the Bison along with prior experience as a guard, he could play anywhere across the offensive line, and that versatility served him incredibly well in the preseason moving around to various spots, leading to a surprise spot on the 53-man roster.
After appearing in two games as a rookie, Sundell received a shot in the arm with the hiring of offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak and Benton, who brought the tried and true Shanahan-style West coast offense with them. Leaning heavily on wide-zone concepts in the run game, the scheme benefits athletic blockers who can get to their landmarks quickly and take efficient angles to the second level, two areas of strength for the Missouri native.
Thrust into a competition against Olu Oluwatimi after spending time at center and guard during the offseason program, Sundell wound up winning the job in training camp as the pivot man for Kubiak’s offense. Sandwiched around a knee injury that cost him four games in November and December, he started in 13 regular season games and thrived, allowing only 11 pressures and finishing as one of only eight qualified centers not to surrender a single sack.
Where Sundell made his greatest impact, however, may have been in the run game. Prior to his unfortunate injury suffered in Week 11, the Seahawks had struggled to get their ground attack going, ranking 17th in rushing yards and 29th in yards per carry (3.8) in their first 10 games. While their yards per carry jumped up to 4.2 during Oluwatimi’s four starts, they still ranked 17th in rushing yards during that span, demonstrating marginal improvement at best.
But once Sundell returned to action, he elevated his play substantially from the first half and served as a catalyst for a reawakened run game, playing with more physicality and aggressiveness at the point of attack to go with his elite athleticism. Over the final three games of the regular season, Seattle gashed Los Angeles, Carolina, and San Francisco to the tune of 514 rushing yards and 5.1 yards per carry, ranking second and fourth in the NFL in those categories as the team clinched an NFC West title and the top seed.
Continuing to excel in the postseason behind Sundell and a surging offensive line, the Seahawks amassed 391 rushing yards and four touchdowns in three games, including Ken Walker III eclipsing the 130-yard mark to win Super Bowl MVP honors. For his part, Sundell received a 65.5 run blocking grade from Pro Football Focus in the playoffs, anchoring a group that set the tone and created huge creases for Walker to run through on the way to a Lombardi Trophy.
Unlike Bradford, who will be free to sign with any team next March if he has not agreed to an extension or received the franchise tag, Sundell will have less flexibility as a restricted free agent. If another team signs him to an offer sheet, which absolutely could happen if he turns in another stellar season in 2026, Seattle will have the opportunity to match as it did with receiver Jake Bobo this past offseason. Of course, that runs the risk that a team could hand out top-10 center money at a price point Schneider isn’t keen on matching.
That’s where the restricted free agent tender likely will come into play, regardless of whether Bradford has been re-signed or not. The Seahawks only used a right of first refusal tender worth $3.52 million with Bobo, which allowed other teams to negotiate with the ability to match any offer sheet or allow him to leave without receiving a draft pick back in return. Since Sundell wasn’t drafted, a right of first refusal tender would carry the same rules without any compensation coming back to Seattle if the team let him walk.
Given his standing as a multi-year starter on the offensive line, the Seahawks would be wise to up the financial ante with either a first or second round tender on Sundell. While either qualifying offer would be significantly more expensive, including a first round tender being worth an estimated $8.7 million next season, that price tag would still pale in comparison to trying to match a multi-year offer from another team worth upwards of $10-plus million per year, keeping him outside the top-10 highest paid centers while opening up an extended negotiating window to discuss a multi-year deal.
And if such a contract was offered and Schneider decided not to match? The franchise would receive either a first or a second round pick as return compensation, which typically steers other suitors clear of making an offer to begin with. In other words, the Seahawks have mechanisms in place to maintain both Bradford and Sundell for at least one more season if they wish to.
But with cornerback Devon Witherspoon and defensive tackle Leonard Williams currently seeking lucrative extensions of their own, defensive tackle Byron Murphy II and tight end AJ Barner soon to be eligible for their own second contracts next spring, and a massive pay raise for quarterback Sam Darnold potentially coming next offseason as well, the money may not be there for the Seahawks to hand Bradford a new contract and issue a higher-priced qualifying offer for Sundell. Doing so likely will add at least $20 million in cap expenses between the two players and as of now, the team has only $37 million in projected space for 2027.
What does that mean for this upcoming season? Assuming Bradford does not receive an extension before or during training camp and begins the regular season playing out the final year of his rookie contract, it’s possible, if not guaranteed, that he and Sundell are openly competing for one long-term deal, facing the reality that extending both of them isn’t a viable option.
If both players demonstrate further growth under Benton’s tutelage, several signs point to Sundell being the more likely to keep beyond 2027. For one, he provides a bit more flexibility for Seattle due to his restricted free agent rights, offering the aforementioned tender options as protection from other teams trying to pry him away with offer sheets. Another fact that could be working in his favor is that Oluwatimi will also be a free agent, leaving a void in experience behind him on the roster, while Schneider drafted a potential in-house replacement for Bradford in April by trading a future pick to get back into the fifth round to select Iowa All-American guard Beau Stephens.
At the same time, Bradford just turned 25 and Sundell will be 27 in October. In terms of upside, that near-two year gap in age isn’t nothing to scoff at when it comes to deciding which player to invest big bucks in. Bradford also has Benton squarely in his corner, as the coach raved about his growth during the week before Super Bowl LX and has continued to express excitement about his development on the practice field. This isn’t to say that the long-time assistant wouldn’t want both players back, because he absolutely would. But Bradford brings a different energy and play style to the group as a feisty mauler that complements the likes of Cross, Zabel, and Lucas quite well.
Keeping that in mind, while extending Cross and Lucas last year were slam dunks for Schneider and the front office, with a new ownership group set to take over in September, there isn’t near the same clarity on what to do with Bradford or Sundell. It’s anyone’s guess - whether it’s one or the other, both, or neither - which player(s) will end up being bookmarked for the Seahawks as a foundational piece for future plans, leaving much riding on their performance this upcoming season.
