Bizarre Opening Week for Seahawks, NFC West Concludes With Rams as Only Team in Loss Column
Weird things tend to happen in bunches during the opening week of a new NFL season, and for the Seattle Seahawks and the rest of the NFC West, that certainly proved to be the case as three of the four teams within the division grabbed victories.
Moments after lowering their second-ever Super Bowl title banner at Lumen Field, the Seahawks watched star quarterback Sam Darnold hobble into the locker room after just six offensive plays, and they failed to score a single point in the first half as they fell behind 10-0 in the third quarter against the Patriots. Under such circumstances, most teams would have folded, but that wasn’t the case for coach Mike Macdonald’s championship-tested squad.
Led by Drew Lock under center and an opportunistic defense that picked up where it left off winning a Lombardi Trophy as the No. 1 scoring unit in the league last season, Seattle stormed back with 13 unanswered points. Playing with calm and poise running new coordinator Brian Fleury’s offense, Lock threw for 187 yards and completed 72% of his passes with a 45-yard touchdown pass to Jaxon Smith-Njigba and no turnovers, while rookie runnng back Jadarian Price rushed for 52 yards on just 10 carries to lead the rushing attack.
Defensively, the trio of Nehemiah Pritchett, Julian Love, and Josh Jobe picked off MVP runner up Drake Maye three times in the fourth quarter, with Jobe’s icing the game inside 30 seconds left to play in the end zone as the Seahawks celebrated their comeback victory in front of a boisterous sellout crowd.
Seahawks Need Supporting Cast of Pass Catchers to Pop
Everyone knows about No. 11 on the Seahawks. That being the reigning Offensive Player of the Year Jaxon Smith-Njigba, the one man the opponents can't let beat them, but still manages to do so most of the time anyway.
Smith-Njigba was once again the Seahawks’ biggest weapon in Week 1, and at this point, there’s nothing surprising about that. He finished the 13-10 win over New England with eight catches for 122 yards and a touchdown, including the spectacular 45-yard catch-and-run touchdown that tied the game in the fourth quarter. He was responsible for 69 of those yards in the final period alone.
The trouble was, Smith-Njigba was the only one that shined in the passing game. Offensive coordinator Brian Fleury and Lock didn't feature the supporting cast. Rashid Shaheed signed a three-year, $51 million contract to return to Seattle this offseason. The coaching staff envisioned him being a much bigger part of the passing game than he was last season after the trade from New Orleans. Instead, he amassed just 188 receiving yards in nine regular season games in Seattle.
Top Performers in Seahawks’ 13-10 Week 1 Win vs. Patriots
Despite losing starting quarterback Sam Darnold just six snaps into Wednesday’s opener and falling behind 10-0 in the third quarter, led by Drew Lock and an opportunistic defense, the resilient Seattle Seahawks stormed back in front of the boisterous 12s for a thrilling 13-10 victory over the New England Patriots.
Diving into the All-22 film and digging deeper into Seattle’s hard-fought comeback win to kick off the new season, who stood out in the much-anticipated Super Bowl LX rematch? Here are my top five performers from the Seahawks’ three-point victory over Drake Maye and the Patriots at Lumen Field:
Julian Love
Overall Grade: 91.0 (Run Defense 94, Coverage 92, Tackling 87)
Preaching to his teammates to have “violence in their hearts” during warmups, “The Mayor” took those words literally to heart from the opening kickoff to the final whistle. Reading New England’s blocking schemes like a book, he rocketed into the backfield for a pair of tackles for loss on running back Rhamondre Stevenson, including a crucial 3rd and 1 stop in the first quarter that forced the visitors to punt the ball away after he blew up the back on a B-gap blitz. Even when receivers made catches in his vicinity, he rattled the bones of Drake Maye’s targets, including demolishing Hunter Henry on a 13-yard reception to open the third quarter with a jarring hit that woke the 12s up from their post-Sam Darnold injury slumber.
‘Mr. Clutch’: Drew Lock Delivers Again in Prime Time, Outduels Drake Maye in Seahawks Season-Opening Win
Once the preseason comes to a close and the calendar flips to September, Drew Lock knows all too well the reality of being an NFL backup quarterback. After months of receiving ample snaps rotating behind Sam Darnold, with the start of regular season games, those opportunities dry up to next to nothing with the starter getting the lion’s share of snaps for the Seattle Seahawks.
Relegated to scout team duty or watching from the sideline, staying prepared for the possibility of having to actually play on game day can be incredibly tricky. There’s no such thing as being able to replace or replicate live reps on the field, but yet, that’s exactly what backups such as Lock have to try to accomplish with limited practice time being fully dedicated to the starters. There’s no proven, scientific formula to do so, with each backup having his own routine during a game week to remain ready if his number is called.
But now in his eighth season, after leading the Seahawks to a thrilling 13-10 comeback win over the Patriots replacing an injured Darnold in the first quarter on Wednesday night, Lock seems to have found the right recipe in Seattle. His secret? Well, it starts and ends in the bedroom - with a dry erase marker and a whiteboard - for the player defensive tackle Jarran Reed calls “Mr. Clutch.”
“I've got one next to my bed. I'll do it at night and I'll do it in the morning,” Lock explained to reporters after the game. “That's just been my thing, being able to visualize it so when I read it out it's just there in my head. Because of the lack of reps you don't get to physically do it. I got to be able to draw it from somewhere, no pun intended, and drawing it helps me draw it from somewhere.”
Rapid Reaction: Seahawks Rally Behind Drew Lock, Intercept Way Past Patriots for 13-10 Win
SEATTLE, Wash. - Overcoming an early injury that knocked Sam Darnold out of action, the Seattle Seahawks roared back from a 10-point second half deficit to open the 2026 season with a 13-10 win over the New England Patriots.
Filling in admirably for Darnold, Drew Lock outplayed Drake Maye, completing 16 out of 22 passes for 187 yards and a 45-yard touchdown to Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who finished with 122 receiving yards to kick off the new year. The trio of Julian Love, Nehemiah Pritchett, and Josh Jobe recorded fourth quarter interceptions, with the latter picking off Maye in the end zone to ice the game inside 30 seconds to play.
Diving into a wild, adversity-filled opener, here are five takeaways from a big-time win in a Super Bowl LX rematch at Lumen Field:
1. Despite Darnold scare and a slow start for the backup, Lock comes up clutch again in relief.
On the path to a Lombardi Trophy a year ago, Seattle had relatively positive fortunes on the injury front. But only a few minutes into Wednesday’s opener, that luck got twisted upside down in a heartbeat, sending a frenzied crowd into a silenced panic. Sacked by Dre’Mont Jones on third down to end the opening series, Darnold gingerly jogged off, trying to shake off the discomfort as he headed to the sideline. Only a few minutes later, he spent a brief spell in the blue injury tent before hobbling to the locker room, sending Lock in for sub duty.
Key Matchups to Watch as Seahawks Battle Patriots in Week 1 Super Bowl Rematch
Finally beginning their march to “run it forward” after winning Super Bowl LX in February, the Seattle Seahawks will open their title defense against the same New England Patriots that they defeated in Santa Clara in a statement Week 1 Wednesday night battle at Lumen Field.
While both teams return many of the same players who played in that matchup seven months ago, Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald understands that his team can’t put too much stock into what worked that night in an always unpredictable opener, especially with the changes that the Patriots have made to improve their roster over the course of the offseason.
“First game of the year is a little tricky,” Macdonald said on Saturday. “You don’t want to fall in the trap of applying last year’s things you see too much to what’s going to happen this year. Teams grow and evolve and change and there’s different personnel on both sides. Our focus is trying to do the things that we do that our guys can go play the best they can and also try to apply as much pressure as you can as well but understanding how the game goes, there’s going to be some things that we’re going to be required to make adjustments in game.”
With the Seahawks looking to start off with a win and the Patriots seeking redemption in prime time, which matchups will dictate which reigning conference champion grabs a marquee season opening victory?
Camp Takeaways: Devon Witherspoon Focused on Football, Seahawks’ Defense Steals Show in Practice 15
Still without a new contract three weeks into training camp, Seattle Seahawks cornerback Devon Witherspoon isn’t sweating his long-term status with the franchise as he continues to take care of business between the lines.
Since camp opened, Witherspoon has been a full participant for Seattle, active in every practice while only having a couple of veteran rest days where he didn’t see much action during team drills. Unlike some players who would have chosen to hold out or “hold in” while still being in attendance, the All-Pro corner told reporters after Tuesday’s 15th practice that even without a new contract in tow just yet, he doesn’t believe in skipping out on practice time.
“I’m not worried about that right now,” Witherspoon said of his contract situation. “I’m focused on making plays and trying to get better day by day. We’ve got other stuff to focus on, with the goal of trying to win games, so that’s my focus right now.”
Entering his fourth NFL season, Witherspoon currently has two years left on his rookie deal after Seattle exercised his fifth-year option back in March. Under the terms of the remaining years on the contract, he carries a $10.3 million cap hit for the upcoming 2026 season and that hit balloons to $21 million next season with the option.
Camp Takeaways: Seahawks Keeping Options Open at Cornerback, Including Interest in Terrion Arnold
Now entering the third week of training camp, as competitions continue to heat up in the secondary, Seattle Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald isn’t interested in naming a third cornerback just yet.
And with the preseason opener against the Dallas Cowboys approaching just five days away, there may or may not be a newcomer jumping into that mix in the near future.
Speaking with reporters after Monday’s 14th padded camp practice, Macdonald didn’t shoot down Seattle’s reported interest in ex-Lions cornerback Terrion Arnold, confirming the Seahawks had him in the facility for a tryout on Sunday. The former first round pick faces eight felony charges in Florida stemming from a kidnapping and robbery incident in February, but that hasn’t stopped the organization from doing their due diligence checking up on a talented player.
“We had him in for a great visit, a great tryout,” Macdonald said. “It’s a situation where there’s some other things surrounding it as well, but we’re working through the situation right now. It was a really great visit and I really enjoyed meeting him and I think he enjoyed being here, so we’ll see where it goes.”
Camp Takeaways: Cooper Kupp, Seahawks ‘Sharpen Iron’ in Competitive Back-and-Forth 12th Practice
Throughout the constant ebbs and flows of an NFL training camp, most practices offer a clear winner between the offense and defense.
But on Friday morning, for those in attendance at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center taking in the Seattle Seahawks’ 12th practice and penultimate session open to fans, trying to determine a “winner” proved to be far more challenging with a balanced, back-and-forth effort featuring a blend of big plays on offense and turnovers generated on defense.
“Competition, that’s what these practices mean, especially at this time of camp,” receiver Rashid Shaheed told reporters moments after practice concluded. “With all the installs coming in, now it’s just about execution, going out and playing football. When we have a great offense and a great defense, we are going to see some back and forth and push. It’s just going to get us better at the end.”
What stood out from Seattle’s hyper-competitive 12th practice of the summer?
Camp Takeaways: Jaxon Smith-Njigba Continues to Amaze Fellow Seahawks in High Leverage Situations
Stop if you’ve heard this before: Jaxon Smith-Njigba is pretty damn good.
Stars don’t flash every single day in training camp, especially an established one coming off of winning Offensive Player of the Year honors like Smith-Njigba is for the Seattle Seahawks, with more reps dedicated to younger players and coaches prioritizing installing the offense over game planning to feature the best player as they would in the regular season. But there will always be practices this serve as a reminder of that star’s greatness and for the “Emerald City Route Artist,” Wednesday’s 10th camp practice proved to be just that.
Targeted far more than he has been in most of the practices in camp to this point, Smith-Njigba got rolling early in Wednesday’s hot, smoky session, starting with a 25-yard reception along the sideline with tight coverage from cornerback Nehemiah Pritchett that quarterback Sam Darnold dropped right into his hands. Moments later, he beat Pritchett again, this time on a fade down the left sideline with safety Ty Okada coming over a hair too late in supporting coverage, allowing the receiver to scamper 38 yards for a touchdown.
“It was great to see him come alive, some of those [in] high-leverage situations too, when there's defensive attention at where he's at at all times. ” Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald remarked after practice. “So for him to be able to make those plays is great for the Seahawks, great for him. And I think we're feeling like he can get open from wherever, doing whatever, doing all the things from all the places. But how do we optimize it? How do we move him around? Where is he in the progression? He's going to be number 1 in the progression on a lot of plays.”
Camp Takeaways: Big Plays Galore as Sam Darnold, Seahawks Torch Skies in Eighth Practice
Smoke descending upon the Virginia Mason Athletic Center on Monday afternoon came from the unfortunate Spokane fires raging on the other side of the state, with expectations air quality will continue to worsen over the next few days.
But putting the true serious nature of the flames in Eastern Washington aside, with Sam Darnold and company lighting up the skies all afternoon, an observer wouldn’t have been off basis for blaming a scorching hot passing game as the culprit for the increasingly hazy conditions in the Seattle Seahawks’ eighth training camp practice.
Coming out firing on all cylinders early in Monday’s session, Darnold zipped a 20-yard bullet to Cooper Kupp on his first throw against Seattle’s No. 1 defense, soon connecting with Jaxon Smith-Njigba on a 50-yard touchdown after he came loose working against Nehemiah Pritchett with a subtle push off at the top of the route. On the next series, he ripped a 20-yard completion to Tory Horton on a post route between two tightly converging defenders and then hit Kupp on a 25-yard in-breaking route in a three-play span.
Continuing to find success over the top against the normally stingy Seahawks defense in the next situational team drill, Darnold executed a play fake from under center and promptly set his back foot before launching a bomb down the middle of the field. Flying past rookie cornerback Michael Dansby and rookie safety Bud Clark on a skinny post, speedy receiver Rashid Shaheed had the pass land in his hands in strides for six points on a 55-yard touchdown reception.
Analysis: Debating Seahawks’ Rankings on ESPN Top 10 Lists
During the agonizing buffer period between the conclusion of offseason programs and the start of training camp during June and July, the annual arrival of NFL ranking season comes full force to help fill the gap for football fans.
Among the most notable rankings to be revealed each year, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler unleashes a top-10 list for 11 positional groups on offense and defense, using polls of select executives, coaches, and scouts to compile the rankings. The changes from year-to-year can be a fascinating case study in itself, seeing how opinions of certain players change over time with the rankings being predicated on the best players at each position in the present.
Interestingly, after winning Super Bowl LX, the Seattle Seahawks only had four players who landed top-10 spots at their respective positions. In contrast, nine other teams had five or more players who received such distinction, including the Lions with a league-high nine players who made the annual lists and the NFC West rival 49ers and Rams each having five apiece.
Looking at this year’s top-10 rankings provided courtesy of Fowler and ESPN, did those who placed votes get it right with the defending champions? Or did they miss the mark with several deserving players?
‘Lot of Work to Be Done': Seahawks WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba Eyes History After Life-Changing Breakout Season
There’s no such thing as perfect in the NFL, but if there’s ever been a player truly could flirt with such impeccability, Jaxon Smith-Njigba nearly pulled off the impossible in 2025.
Stepping out of the shadows of long-time stars Tyler Lockett and DK Metcalf, Smith-Njigba exploded onto the scene as one of the league’s premier talents at any position in his third season with the Seahawks, shattering the club’s record with 1,793 receiving yards, joining Steve Largent as the second receiver in team history to garner First-Team All-Pro distinction, and becoming only the second player in franchise history to win Offensive Player of the Year honors. Away from his abundance of individual accolades, his dominance helped lead Seattle to its second Super Bowl title, culminating with him hoisting the Lombardi Trophy at Levis Stadium in February and parading with coaches and teammates in downtown days later.
To put a cherry on top, the Seahawks wasted little time locking up Smith-Njigba with the largest non-quarterback contract in NFL history one month later, signing him to a four-year, $168.6 million contract extension worth north of $42 million per season. In the aftermath, he even landed on Time’s Top 100 most influential people in sports for 2026.
While Smith-Njigba downplayed how much the stardom, winning a Super Bowl, and obtaining generational wealth has changed his life - he didn’t go out and make any “splurge” purchases after signing his contract, for example - there’s no question that he’s become one of the most identifiable players in professional sports seemingly overnight.
Can Seahawks Offense Replicate Last Season’s Fireworks?
As America celebrates its 250th birthday, the Seattle Seahawks are spending the summer scheming ways to defend their Super Bowl title. While the nation indulges on hot dogs, potato salad, and rocket pops, the reigning champions will dive into preparing for a new season with a new offensive coordinator in Brian Fleury.
The magic that previous offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak and quarterback Sam Darnold created together will be tough to match. It seemed like the offense was a weekly firework show of sorts. Seattle ranked third in scoring and fourth in yards per play in 2025. Of that firework show, the biggest mortars set off were downfield shots to Offensive Player of the Year Jaxon Smith-Njigba.
Can Darnold and his top receiver recreate that magic with a new scheme and new voice in the headset for 2026?
WATCH: Defense Dominates Red Zone-Heavy Day 3 of Seahawks Minicamp
Bringing the offseason program to an end and ushering in summer break before training camp, Emerald City Spectrum reporter Corbin Smith breaks down what he saw and heard at the Seahawks' third and final mandatory minicamp practice, including an opportunistic defense racking up interceptions and pick sixes in a high energy session at the VMAC.
Seahawks Minicamp Takeaways: Nick Emmanwori Adding New Wrinkle, Zach Charbonnet Progresses
Launching the final phase of their offseason program, the Seattle Seahawks kicked off mandatory minicamp on Tuesday with the vast majority of players on the field, including the return of veterans Demarcus Lawrence and Leonard Williams.
What stood out of from Day 1 of Seattle’s annual three-day minicamp? Here are five takeaways from Tuesday’s session at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center:
1. Sam Darnold and Jaxon Smith-Njigba steering towards midseason form in the final week of the offseason program.
Crazily enough, Darnold and Smith-Njigba turned in a historic 2025 season combining to link up for over 1,700 yards and 10 touchdowns with limited practice time, as the two had never played together prior to hitting the field for the first time last April. But they developed outstanding chemistry seemingly overnight with the quarterback and receiver lighting it up throughout the offseason program and training camp before leading the charge for a top-five scoring offense on the way to a Super Bowl victory.
On the heels of that immense success, Smith-Njigba had some bad news for opponents on Tuesday, sending a message on the field and at the podium that the two stars expect to be even more in sync in their second season in tandem. After a somewhat quiet trio of OTA practices, the reigning Offensive Player of the Year jumped back into dominant form, starting with a nifty 20-yard catch on a quick out route where he managed to beat the quarter-quarter side of a Cover 6 look outside to make the catch before the outside cornerback could even blink, setting up a Jason Myers field goal in a two-minute drill situation.
Rashid Shaheed More Than Just a Return Specialist for Seahawks
When John Schneider pulled the trigger on a trade with the New Orleans Saints at the trade deadline last season, it changed the trajectory of Seattle’s season. It’s not too far-fetched to say that the move to bring in Rashid Shaheed helped the Seahawks get over the hump and win the Super Bowl.
While Shaheed is a receiver, he truly turned the tide for Seattle as a return man. He ran back a kick return to open the second half against the Falcons when the game was tied and the offense was sputtering. That sparked Seattle to a blowout win in Atlanta. Later, he returned a punt for a touchdown when Seattle was down two scores to the Rams at home, with the division and No. 1 seed in the NFC possibly at stake. That helped the Seahawks rally to one of the most dramatic wins in franchise history.
He didn’t stop there. On the opening kickoff of Seattle’s postseason, against the 49ers, Shaheed ran it 95 yards and pranced into the endzone for the game-opening score amid the smoke from the pregame fireworks. Before the dust and smoke had cleared, Seattle was already winning and they never looked back.
It’s impossible to tell the story of the 2025 Seahawks without Shaheed. He is a vital part of it, interwoven with so many critical moments leading up to Seattle hoisting the Lombardi Trophy.
Analysis: Ranking Seahawks’ Positional Groups by Long-Term Stability
The Seattle Seahawks are fresh off the ultimate high, hoisting a Super Bowl trophy. But, even championship rosters come with expiration dates. As Seattle turns the page toward the 2026 season and beyond, the question isn’t just how good this team is right now, but how sustainable that success will be.
From looming free agents to aging veterans and thin positional depth, some areas of the roster are far more secure than others. With that in mind, here’s a full ranking of every position group on the Seahawks, ordered by how stable their future truly is.
Three-Year Outlook: Seahawks in Great Shape for Present, Future Offensively
As the calendar flips to April and the 2026 NFL Draft rapidly approaches, the Seattle Seahawks find themselves in the heat of the offseason, continuing to look into ways to improve their roster scanning the free agent market along with wrapping up draft evaluations while also exploring extensions to retain several of their top players.
While building the best roster for the upcoming season remains the top goal with eyes on defending their Super Bowl title, Seahawks general manager John Schneider also has to be cognizant of the future, making every decision in regard to free agency, extensions, and the draft with a multi-year window in mind.
Now less than a month away from the draft, how does Seattle’s offense look for both the present and the future?
Ready to Defend Title, Seahawks ‘Cognizant’ of Lessons Learned From Previous Super Bowl Runs
Every season in the NFL is unique by nature thanks to free agency and the draft ensuring substantial roster turnover across the league, and while the Seattle Seahawks only lost five players in free agency off of their Super Bowl LX winning squad, they won’t be an exception to the rule with several newcomers coming on board as they begin their title defense.
With that said, though the vibes will undoubtedly be a bit different in 2026 regardless of the continuity on the roster, that doesn’t mean that the effects of playing into February and hoisting the Lombardi Trophy won’t have an impact on the upcoming season either. Fortunately for general manager John Schneider, this isn’t his first rodeo coming off of a Super Bowl run, and he’s eager to take advantage of the multitude of lessons learned from the last time the Seahawks made the big game in back to back seasons in 2014 and 2015.
Speaking with reporters at the NFL Annual Meeting in Phoenix, leaning on his first-hand experience from those prior Super Bowl runs, Schneider indicated that there’s a lot of factors Seattle must be “cognizant” of after playing deep into February that go well beyond building the roster and coaching staff.
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