4 bold predictions for the Seattle Seahawks 2024 season
The Seahawks are primed for big things this season. I'm predicting some very big things for this team in 2024. Let me clarify; I'm predicting big good things, like more wins, and... well, read on and see for yourself.
The Hawks spent the offseason revamping the entire team. They moved on from the greatest coach in team history, Pete Carroll. Seattle GM John Schneider pulled off another shocker as the team replaced the oldest coach in the league with the youngest in Mike Macdonald. That's a pretty solid definition of a high-risk, high-reward move.
That was only the beginning of the turnover in Seattle. The starting safety duo of Jamal Adams and Quandre Diggs, is gone. Two starters on the offensive line, center Evan Brown and guard Damien Lewis, are gone. Multiple key backups left the team, including tight ends Will Dissly and Colby Parkinson, guard Phil Haynes, and quarterback Drew Lock.
That doesn't even include the biggest move of all. The Seahawks let both of their starting inside linebackers walk this offseason. Jordyn Brooks racked up over 500 tackles in his four seasons in Seattle. As for Bobby Wagner, he's only a legitimate first-ballot Hall of Famer. Despite all these changes, I see great things for the Seahawks in 2024
The Seattle Seahawks will rebound in 2024 in these bold predictions
Let me restate that last bit, 12s. I don't see great things for the Hawks this season despite all of the changes. I see the team improving because of those changes. Yes, even moving on from Mr. Wagner was the right move. I'll get to that in a bit. But first, let's look at the start of all this madness: the coaching change.
Pete Carroll, as previously stated, was without a doubt the best coach in the history of the Seahawks. And as Issy Ronald wrote for CNN, Carroll's impact extended far beyond mere wins and losses. He built a culture and instilled a philosophy in the Seahawks organization that led to 137 wins, 10 playoff appearances, and the team's only Super Bowl victory.
But most of us know, it's easier to reach the top than to stay there. After the enormous success of those LOB standout seasons, Carroll started to get some pushback from key veteran players. Even K.J. Wright, an unabashed Carroll fan, had this to say about the culture, as quoted by Kent Babb in The Washington Post: “Everything he says, I definitely listen. At the same time, I’d be like, ‘Okay, I’ve heard this before." I wouldn't say that Carroll ever lost the locker room, but there certainly wasn't as much buy-in in the past few years.
The biggest issue was his apparent refusal - or maybe inability - to adapt to changes in the way the game is played in today's NFL. Not too long ago, I mused that the root cause of his departure was what we'd normally see as a strength in everyday life. Carroll was extraordinarily loyal to his coaches and players, far more so than you typically see in the NFL. Loyalty is absolutely a good thing, but it can impose a penalty in the world of professional sports. Carroll found that out, too late.
With the hire of Mike Macdonald, the Seahawks were able to turn the page and begin a new chapter in their history. Oof, "turn the page", that's a hackneyed phrase if there ever was one. I better add something goofy so you know this isn't some AI-generated garbage. I'm not sure how mathy we'll get, 12s, but it is time to get to those lofty predictions I promised.