Seahawks Get Six Pro Bowlers, Tied for Most in NFL
On Tuesday morning, the NFL announced the rosters for the 2026 Pro Bowl Games, topped off with a flag football game between the AFC and NFC. While the events of the game itself are often overlooked, being added to the Pro Bowl roster is a high achievement for anyone in the NFL. For the first time, the 2026 Pro Bowl Games will be held on the week of the Super Bowl, scheduled to take place in San Francisco’s Moscone Center on Tuesday, Feb. 3, 2026.
Six Seahawks players have been named to the NFC roster, tied for the most in the NFL, along with the Denver Broncos, Baltimore Ravens, and San Francisco 49ers. While many of these nods weren’t exactly unexpected, it’s another reminder of Seattle’s definite strengths.
Sam Darnold, QB
Ranking fifth in the NFL in passing yards (3,703), tied for first in yards per attempt (8.7), and eighth in passer rating (100.6), Darnold was named one of the top three quarterbacks of the NFC, along with Matthew Stafford and Dak Prescott. Pro Football Focus classifies “Big Time Throws” as “a pass with excellent ball location and timing, generally thrown further down the field and/or into a tighter window.” Darnold is fourth in the NFL in Big Time Throws with 28 and third in the NFC. He’s consistently been a top 10 quarterback in the NFL all season in most categories, and a Pro Bowl nod was clearly in the cards.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR
File this under the “duh” category. If the only recognition Seattle’s star receiver gets this season is a Pro Bowl nod, that will be a disappointment. Even with a few slow weeks recently, Smith-Njigba still leads the NFL with 1,637 receiving yards, on pace for over 1,800. Only Puka Nacua is within 200 yards of him in the entire NFL. He certainly deserves to be named First Team All-Pro and is the odds-on favorite to win Offensive Player of the Year. He just needs a strong final two weeks, but he’ll certainly be in the OPOY running.
DeMarcus Lawrence, EDGE
Lawrence continues to be one of the shrewdest moves of the entire offseason around the league and some of John Schneider’s best work recently. The Cowboys didn’t want to pay the four-time Pro Bowler, now north of 33 years old, and now he’s a five-time Pro Bowler with the Seahawks who paid him. Lawrence has rewarded Mike Macdonald handsomely, becoming one of the main pistons in the engine that drives one of the best defenses in the NFL. His 5.0 sacks are his most in three years, while his 18 QB hits and 37 pressures are his most since 2018. Lawrence is a high-effort, high-character player that every team should covet, and Seattle scored big time with him.
Leonard Williams, DT
Speaking of good investments, Seattle’s defense changed the day they traded for Leonard Williams in 2023. He was a Pro Bowler last season with 11.0 sacks and he’s a Pro Bowler again in his second full season in Seattle, with 7.0 sacks, 22 QB hits, and 28 pressures earning him the Pro Bowl nod for the third time in his career. Williams is the centerpiece of Seattle’s defensive line and one of the more dominant interior linemen in football.
Devon Witherspoon, CB
Seattle’s former No. 5 overall pick has started his career with three straight Pro Bowl nominations, not even something Richard Sherman can say. Witherspoon is the top-graded defensive back - not just corner - in the NFL, per PFF. He ranks sixth in run defense, third in pass rushing, and fourth in coverage among all defensive backs, being safeties and corners, clearly ranking as one of the best cornerbacks in the entire sport.
Rashid Shaheed, Returner
For the first time since Tyler Lockett’s rookie season of 2015, Seattle has a Pro Bowler as a returner. Of course, the Seahawks acquired Shaheed from the Saints ahead of this season’s trade deadline for a move that has dramatically swung in Seattle’s favor, with Shaheed has already making a massive impact in Seattle. With the game tied 6-6 at halftime against the lackluster Falcons, Shaheed ran back the second half-opening kickoff 100 yards for a dramatic touchdown, giving Seattle a lead that they would never relinquish. Last Thursday, he sparked another offensive outburst. With the Seahawks trailing to the Rams 30-14, he ran back a punt 58 yards for the score, making it a one-score game after the Seahawks notched the two-point conversion and rallying the troops for a dramatic comeback. Those two plays alone were big enough for Shaheed to earn the honor for the second time in his career.
