Three-Year Outlook: Seahawks Face a Few Pressing Questions on Defense Beyond 2026
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 defense 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.
Seahawks Banking on Noah Igbinoghene, Free Agent Signings to Help ‘Refill’ Post-Super Bowl Holes
Winning the Super Bowl comes with a heavy price, as other NFL teams covet signing players from the defending champions once free agency opens a few short weeks after hoisting the Lombardi Trophy, and the Seattle Seahawks were no exception to the rule this offseason.
In the early stages of free agency, also known as the legal tampering period, Super Bowl LX MVP Ken Walker III bolted for Kansas City to pair up with Patrick Mahomes in the Chiefs’ backfield on a record-setting contract for a running back. Hours later, safety Coby Bryant netted a mega deal from the Bears and outside linebacker Boye Mafe landed a $60 million deal from the Bengals. The following day, former Pro Bowl cornerback Riq Woolen took his talents to Philadelphia on a one-year deal with the Eagles.
Unfortunately, as coach Mike Macdonald acknowledged, losing talented players comes with the territory after winning the NFL’s ultimate prize. But with Schneider at the controls, he believes the Seahawks have done a fine job of keeping most of the band together and even with former starters such as Walker and Bryant departing, the team has “refilled” most of those losses in free agency.
Analysis: Ranking Seahawks Biggest Remaining Needs After First Wave of Free Agency
The free agency period isn’t over in the NFL with plenty of players still seeking new homes, but only one week into the new league year, activity has slowed down substantially with most teams either bargain shopping or fully shifting attention to the looming 2026 NFL Draft.
Beginning the quest to defend their Super Bowl title, the Seattle Seahawks expectedly suffered a handful of big losses in the early stages of free agency, including three starters from that championship squad signing elsewhere. But general manager John Schneider fared quite well keeping the backbone of the team together, re-signing or tendering 13 of their 18 free agents, while adding four external free agents on one-year contracts to help fill the new voids to an extent.
Now entering the next stage of free agency as final preparations for the draft get underway, which positions stand out as the Seahawks’ biggest areas of need midway through the offseason?
Seahawks Wisely Slow Played Free Agency With 2026 NFL Draft Class in Mind
Moments after the NFL’s legal tampering period opened on March 9, Seattle Seahawks fans quickly experienced the downside of bringing home the Lombardi Trophy, as Super Bowl MVP Ken Walker III started the festivities by securing a record-setting three-year, $43 million free agent contract from the Kansas City Chiefs.
Less than an hour later, the Seahawks suffered another significant loss from the Super Bowl tax as safety Coby Bryant bolted for another NFC contender, signing a three-year, $40 million deal with the Chicago Bears. Not long after, outside linebacker Boye Mafe cashed in as well, inking a three-year deal with the Cincinnati Bengals worth $20 million per season. One day later, cornerback Riq Woolen joined the exodus, taking his talents to Philadelphia on a one-year deal worth up to $15 million. Before free agency even had officially began, four former starters had flew the nest for lucrative big money contracts elsewhere.
For many fans who hoped to see the team run it back, it may have felt like the rest of the NFL had quickly descended on the defending champions like vultures zeroing in on deceased prey and gradually started picking away from the carcass.
Seahawks Take Flier on Former First Round Pick Noah Igbinoghene
Looking to replenish depth in the secondary after losing Riq Woolen and Coby Bryant in free agency, the Seattle Seahawks made their second cornerback signing in as many days on Saturday, bringing a former first round pick into the fold.
According to Mike Dugar of The Athletic, the Seahawks have agreed to terms with veteran cornerback Noah Igbinoghene on a one-year contract. Other terms of the deal have yet to be disclosed.
Once a highly touted prospect coming out of Auburn, Igbinoghene landed with the Dolphins as the 30th overall selection in the 2020 NFL Draft, breaking into the league at just 20 years old. He appeared in 16 games as a rookie with a pair of starts for Miami, struggling in his first action against NFL talent, allowing 18 yards per reception and three touchdowns with quarterbacks posting a 133.9 passer rating when targeting him in coverage.
ALL SEATTLE SPORTS, ALL THE TIME
Explore our latest Seattle sports content by clicking on your favorite team(s) below!
