Ranking Top 10 Moves Made by John Schneider to Fuel Seahawks Return to Title Contention
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For the first time in his career, after hiring Mike Macdonald, trading for Ernest Jones, drafting Nick Emmanwori, and signing Sam Darnold, John Schneider has finally been recognized as Executive of the Year. [/caption]
RENTON, Wash. - As a first-time NFL head coach, and a first-time head coach at any level, for that matter, Mike Macdonald arrived in February 2024 with no shortage of questions and few answers as he prepared to take on the greatest challenge of his professional career succeeding Pete Carroll with the Seattle Seahawks.
But while Macdonald acknowledged on Wednesday that he “didn’t know anything coming in,” the man who hired him - general manager John Schneider - helped position him for early success in a myriad of ways. Beyond assembling a roster built to compete for division titles and Super Bowls with the master stroke of Rembrandt, he provided guidance for his hand-picked coach when he needed to, allowing Macdonald to experience both triumphs and failures without being overbearing or micromanaging.
One day before the Pro Football Writers Association announced Schneider as Executive of the Year for the first time in his illustrious career, Macdonald lauded his colleague and friend as the primary architect of Seattle’s rise back to contender, indicating nobody in the league deserved the prestigious honor more.
“It really is conviction of what we're trying to build, what we want the Seahawks to be all about. He's led the charge. It's really that simple,” Macdonald said. “Then I think his leadership example on a day-to-day basis shows up in so many ways. The spirit of the building, his interaction with everyone. He talks to more people in the building than I do. He's doing his thing all the time. He's been incredibly helpful to me. I was talking to somebody today actually about, I didn't know anything coming in. You're just trying to do the best job you possibly can every day, and he knew when to give you some air to breathe and grow and expand and learn and maybe fall a little bit, and also was there to support you when you needed it. So he's just got a great feel for how to handle those situations, whether it's me or anybody else in the building.”
Looking back at Schneider’s near-flawless blueprint restoring the Seahawks as one of the NFL’s elite teams, which moves stand out as his best that ultimately led to him being crowned as Executive of the Year?
10. Unearthing Jalen Sundell as a potential franchise center from undrafted ranks
To Schneider’s credit, the general manager never takes glory when it comes to finding quality players in the undrafted ranks, always making sure to highlight key members of the personnel department, including the hard working regional scouts. But in the case of Sundell, he deserves no shortage of praise, as he brought the former North Dakota State starter in late in the process as an undrafted rookie, signing him to the 90-man roster mere days before the start of Macdonald’s first training camp in July 2024. Such moves typically involve “camp bodies” who won’t be competing for anything beyond a potential practice squad role.
However, that wasn’t the case with Sundell, whose versatility as a lineman who could play center, guard, and even tackle in a pinch immediately worked in his favor. Making Seattle’s initial 53, he stayed on the active roster for the entirety of his rookie season, and a brief audition in place of injured starter Olu Oluwatimi ultimately paved the way for him to win the starting job outright last summer. After having a different starter at the pivot position in each of the past five seasons, Sundell emerged as a long-term option in his sophomore season, allowing no sacks in 13 starts while proving to be an anchor for a rejuvenated run game down the stretch. His presence has helped transform the Seahawks’ offensive line into an unexpected strength and with him having two more years of affordable club control, the musical chairs at the center spot appears to finally be over.
9. Claiming Josh Jobe, Drake Thomas off waiver wire
Undrafted success stories have been a key element of Schneider’s success throughout his tenure in Seattle, but that hasn’t been limited simply to players the Seahawks signed as priority free agents coming out of the draft. He has also excelled at scavenging the waiver wire to find quality players that other teams decided to cut loose, including plucking future starters in Jobe and Thomas off waivers after league-wide roster cuts in 2024 and 2023 respectively.
In the final season of the Carroll era, Schneider and the Seahawks were awarded Thomas off the wire after putting in a claim following his release by the Raiders, bringing the undersized, yet incredibly productive North Carolina State alum into the fold. A torn ACL suffered midway through his rookie season set him back temporarily, but after impressing Macdonald in his rehab and as a special teams standout, he jumped over Tyrice Knight to become a starter next to Ernest Jones in Week 4 this season. Maximizing on the opportunity, he shined as a do-it-all playmaker with 96 tackles, 3.5 sacks, and seven pass breakups, surfacing as the most improved player on the league’s top defense.
Jobe took a somewhat similar path to Seattle, though he arrived with meaningful NFL regular season experience. The former Alabama standout suited up for 28 games with Philadelphia after signing as an undrafted free agent, only for the additions of Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper Dejean to make him expendable before the 2024 season. The Seahawks signed him to the practice squad and an injury to Tre Brown opened the door for him to eventually steal a starting job with an interception and six pass breakups in 10 games, leading to a new one-year contract. This year, he started 15 games and amassed an interception and 11 pass breakups, playing a key role in the success of Macdonald’s shutdown secondary.
8. Trading for Rashid Shaheed at 2025 trade deadline
Schneider’s most recent midseason acquisition may be his smoothest brush stroke yet, as the Seahawks brought Shaheed into the mix from the Saints for a fourth and fifth-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. At the time, many wondered if the team gave up too much for what could amount to a half-season rental, but it didn’t take long for the electric playmaker to make that trade package look like an absolute steal. Starting with a kick return for a touchdown to open the second half of a road win against the Falcons, he returned three kicks/punts in a six-game span, including opening the Divisional Round with a 95-yard touchdown to put the ‘Hawks up 7-0 just 13 seconds into the game.
Away from his instant offense coming on special teams, though Shaheed hasn’t been a frequent target for Sam Darnold in the passing game, he has averaged 12.5 yards per reception and turned 15 catches into seven first downs for Seattle. His greatest contributions have arguably come as a runner, as he racked up 64 yards on seven carries in the regular season before rushing twice for 27 yards against San Francisco in the Divisional Round. An explosive play waiting to happen any time he touches the ball, his special teams impact alone has made him one of Schneider’s best trade acquisitions at any point on the calendar, and an extension in the offseason would make the deal even sweeter.
7. Trading up for Nick Emmanwori during 2025 NFL Draft
Holding the 18th overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft last April, the Seahawks considered both guard Grey Zabel and Emmanwori, ultimately going with the offensive lineman to address what was viewed as the team’s biggest weakness. At that point, Schneider and Macdonald likely didn’t expect Emmanwori to remain on the board going into the second round, but they both got itchy trigger fingers late in the opening round, nearly trading back into Day 1 to land their coveted safety prospect before opting to wait it out with hopes he wasn’t selected before the end of the round.
Fortunately for Seattle, that ended up being the case, as teams skipped over the uber-athletic Emmanwori and Schneider went into overdrive trying to find a way to move up to acquire him. Tennessee ended up being the perfect trade partner and the team ended up shipping a second and third-round pick to slide up to No. 35 overall, giving Macdonald a prized prospect to unleash in his defensive scheme. Even after missing most of the first four games with a high ankle sprain, the second round pick took the Seahawks to another level defensively while seeing snaps as a slot cornerback, safety, linebacker, and even a defensive end, racking up 81 tackles, 2.5 sacks, eight pass breakups, and nine tackles for loss to earn PFWA All-Rookie team honors.
6. Signing Sam Darnold, Demarcus Lawrence in March 2025
Landing a franchise quarterback in free agency doesn’t happen very often, but Schneider did just that when he replaced Geno Smith with Darnold in March. Despite coming off a career year where he threw 35 touchdown passes for the Vikings, plenty of skeptics remained, with many questioning if he could replicate that production with the Seahawks away from coach Kevin O’Connell’s offense and others pointing to his poor finish in the postseason as a reason for doubt.
Making Schneider look like a genius once again, Darnold made his second Pro Bowl team while putting together another strong statistical season, throwing 25 touchdown passes, averaging a gaudy 8.5 yards per attempt, and setting a new career-high with a 67.7% completion rate. Orchestrating four game-winning drives along the way, he also became the first quarterback in NFL history to win 13 or more games in back-to-back seasons while playing for different teams, quickly stepping into a crucial leadership role as a player teammates respected and rallied behind.
In addition to Darnold, Schneider took a chance on Lawrence, an aging defender who missed all but four games with the Cowboys in 2024. That gamble wound up being one of the shrewdest signings in free agency, as the 33-year-old put together one of his finest seasons reuniting with defensive coordinator Aden Durde and helped mentor several youngsters with his impeccable work ethic on the practice field, finishing with 53 tackles, six sacks, and two fumbles returned for touchdowns. He garnered Pro Bowl honors for the fifth time and received a handful of All-Pro votes, proving he has plenty of juice left in the tank.
5. Trading for Ernest Williams, Leonard Williams at 2024/2023 trade deadlines
In some ways, Schneider already had started putting the right puzzle pieces together for the Seahawks to vault back up the NFC standings before Carroll’s departure, starting with the addition of Williams in a trade deadline deal. Coming over from the Giants for a second and fifth-round pick, similar to Shaheed’s deal, there were critics who questioned how much the team gave up for a player set to hit free agency the following spring.
But the trade rejuvenated “Big Cat,” who recorded four sacks and 11 quarterback hits in 10 starts after the deal, leading to Schneider handing him a lucrative three-year contract extension. Rewarding Seattle for being paid big bucks, he enjoyed an utterly dominant 2024 season thriving in Macdonald’s defense, posting 11 sacks and 16 tackles for loss to go with a 92-yard interception return. Earning All-Pro distinction for the first time in 2025, he turned in another outstanding season helping the Seahawks get to 14 wins, finishing with seven sacks, 22 quarterback hits, and nine tackles for loss.
One year after trading for Williams, in the aftermath of letting future Hall of Famer Bobby Wagner walk in free agency, Schneider struck gold again sending a fourth-round pick to the Titans for Jones, giving Macdonald the game-changing inside linebacker he needed for his defense to function at maximum efficiency. Returning to the NFC West after spending his first three years with the Rams, the beloved defender instantly bolstered a struggling run defense and improved coverage in the middle of the field as the Seahawks finished in the top-five in scoring defense in the final eight games. Named an All-Pro for the first time in 2025, he became the first linebacker with 125 tackles and five interceptions in a season since Lavonte David in 2013.
4. Hitting the jackpot in the first round three straight drafts from 2023 to 2025
On an absolute heater in the draft department, Schneider’s first down success over the past three years armed the Seahawks with game-changing talent on both sides of the football. Holding two first rounders in 2023, he turned those selections into future All-Pro selections in Devon Witherspoon and Jaxon Smith-Njigba. The following year, Byron Murphy II fell into his lap with the 16th overall pick, and then he finally hit a bullseye landing an elite offensive line prospect by snagging Zabel last April.
From that group, Smith-Njigba has taken the biggest star turn after spending his first two seasons in the shadows of DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett. Thrust into the No. 1 receiver spot with a new quarterback throwing to him in Darnold, he eclipsed any reasonable expectations in a historic third season, shattering Seattle’s record books with 119 receptions, 1,793 receiving yards, and 10 touchdowns while garnering First-Team All-Pro recognition. He’s a finalist for Offensive Player of the Year honors and if he wins, he’d join Shaun Alexander as only the second player in franchise history to earn the award.
Even with a few injuries sprinkled in, Witherspoon belongs in a select group among the best cornerbacks in football with an elite all-around skill set. In three seasons, he has registered 249 tackles, 4.5 sacks, and 30 pass breakups, receiving one All-Pro selection and three Pro Bowl nods. Murphy broke out as a sophomore, tying Williams with seven sacks and holding serve as one of the best run stuffing nose tackles in the league, while Zabel started all 17 games as a rookie at left guard and was named to the PFWA All-Rookie team starring for one of the most improved offensive lines in the NFL.
3. Trading Geno Smith, DK Metcalf prior to start of 2025 league year
Sometimes, difficult moves have to be made with good and even great players for a franchise to truly get over the hump. And sometimes, those moves initially aren’t viewed as ideal or even part of the plan. For different reasons, it can argued that type of fortune struck twice in less than a week shortly after the NFL combine in Indianapolis with Smith and Metcalf, two players Schneider originally intended to bring back in 2025.
During the combine festivities, Schneider and the Seahawks made an offer to Smith, only for the quarterback’s agent not to respond with a counter offer. Not willing to wait things out with the other side not engaging, the team quickly shifted priorities by dealing the veteran signal caller to the Raiders, reuniting him with Carroll and turning attention to courting Darnold in free agency. Receiving the 92nd pick in the third round in exchange, the team used that selection to pick Jalen Milroe, adding developmental depth behind Darnold and Drew Lock, who had been re-signed in free agency as a seasoned backup.
While Darnold blossomed in Klint Kubiak’s offense, Smith went the opposite direction playing behind an atrocious offensive line in Las Vegas, barely throwing for 3,000 yards with 19 touchdowns and 17 interceptions. The decision not to re-sign him, in part brought on by the player’s own desire to play elsewhere, ended up being a blessing in disguise with the younger Darnold playing substantially better football and being under contract at a more affordable rate.
Meanwhile, Metcalf’s desires to go to greener pastures ended up working out quite nicely for the Seahawks as well. The former All-Pro landed a massive five-year extension with the Steelers and his team did make the playoffs, but they were bounced in the Wild Card round and he didn’t come close to posting the same numbers Smith-Njigba did catching passes from Darnold. In addition, the second round pick acquired from Pittsburgh was flipped as part of the deal to select Emmanwori, making the trade all the more profitable for Schneider.
2. Making the bold move to jettison Pete Carroll, hire Mike Macdonald as successor
As far as rolling the dice and taking a gamble is concerned, the decision to give Schneider full control over personnel decisions while ousting Carroll from his stead carried great risk for the organization. No coach had more wins than Carroll during his time on the sidelines and he was a beloved character in the locker room and the community, making the choice to go a different direction one that drew extensive eye brows and ire from analysts aplenty.
But while picking his own head coach for the first time put all of the pressure on Schneider, he embraced that opportunity and did what few teams do during the coaching carousel in the NFL. Rather than rushing to hire another candidate such as Dan Quinn, he waited for the Ravens to be eliminated from the playoffs in the AFC Championship Game, making sure he landed his desired candidate in Macdonald, who he had been keeping close tabs on ever since Baltimore whipped Seattle in the regular season.
Even with the Seahawks missing the playoffs in Macdonald’s first season, the team managed to win 10 games and posted a sterling 7-1 record away from Lumen Field, setting the stage for bigger things in 2025. Getting players to buy in upon arrival, further demonstrated by 95% or better participation rates at OTAs in April and May this past spring, proved to be one of Macdonald’s great accomplishments, as he took an already strong culture and strengthened it with his own personality and philosophies. His 24 wins over his first two seasons rank as the most in the NFL during that span, and now, he has a chance to join Carroll hoisting a Lombardi.
1. Trading Russell Wilson to the Broncos for a king’s ransom of draft picks
While it can be argued Macdonald’s hire should top this list considering his immense success replacing a living legend, it would have been far more difficult for the Seahawks to turn the page towards getting back to Super Bowl contention without Schneider’s gutsy call to trade Wilson in March 2022. At the time, the Broncos thought they were getting a top-five caliber quarterback in Wilson to vault them back into the ranks of the AFC’s elite, and they paid a premium as such by sending two first-round picks, two second-round picks, a fifth-round pick, and three veteran players back in return for the 10-time Pro Bowl selection.
But it didn’t take long for Schneider’s viewpoint that Wilson had reached the downside of his career to be proven correct. The quarterback only lasted two seasons in Denver before being released to create a record-breaking dead cap charge, while Seattle drafted a franchise left tackle in Charles Cross, a superstar cornerback in Witherspoon, and two talented second round pass rushers in Boye Mafe and Derick Hall with the boatload of picks acquired in the blockbuster trade, quickly building an exciting foundation for Macdonald and his staff to work with once they arrived in 2024. Meanwhile, Smith ended up being a great bridge quarterback in Wilson’s place, leading Seattle to a playoff spot in his first year as a starter.
For all of the marvelous moves Schneider has made pushing the right buttons constantly over the past three years, many of those moves that followed likely wouldn’t have happened if Wilson remained on the team in 2023 and the Seahawks didn’t take advantage of the generous offer from the Broncos. At the very least, that trade sent shockwaves throughout the NFL and the dominos that fell in the Pacific Northwest set the table for Seattle to achieve incredible success in the near future with an abundance of young talent.
