You could see it, you could hear it, and you could smell it. Coming off a four-game losing streak, with some rotten apples and dissension in the locker room, it felt like the Pete Carroll-led Seattle Seahawks era would rapidly be approaching its end. I'll be honest, I was very much in the camp of thinking this franchise needs a new voice, and I still believe that should strongly be considered.
But NBA Hall of Famer Rudy Tomjanovich said it best, “Don’t ever underestimate the heart of a champion.”
But one thing I did forget, was that Pete Carroll has the heart of a champion, and with his back against the wall for the playoffs and potentially his job, his beaten and battered 6-7 Seahawks, with a backup quarterback and missing their best defensive weapon, rose up (in the 4th quarter of course) to upset the suddenly reeling Philadelphia Eagles 20-17.
It was a special night for so many. Drew Lock had his “Charlie Whitehurst” moment for the Seahawks. Julian Love, replacing the noticeably absent Jamal Adams, was unbelievable with two 4th quarter interceptions. DK Metcalf and Jaxon Smith-Njigba, the present and future of the Seahawks' passing attack, helped Lock complete an improbable 92-yard drive in the final minute to steal victory from the jaws of defeat. Even Pete Carroll, for his many mistakes made during the game, has to get credit for figuring out a way to keep Seattle’s season alive.
Seattle Seahawks get their quarterback of the future early in latest mock draft
In what will likely go down as the win of the year, it has given the Seahawks hope. Gone is a gauntlet that nearly derailed the franchise, and now the Seahawks are presented with as easy of a schedule to finish out the season as you could possibly ask for. If the Seahawks manage to go 3-0 the rest of the way (at Tennessee, versus Pittsburgh, and at Arizona) they will be 10-7. This would be a one-game improvement from 2022 and would most likely punch a playoff ticket for the Seattle Seahawks.
While I wouldn't bet on Seattle, this would put them in position to have a rematch with either Philadelphia or Detroit in the Wild Card round. Seahawks fans should not feel scared about those matchups. There's real hope that anything can happen.
In the present, this really looks like an exciting finish for what feels like a disappointing season. In the future, this upset win last night has some long-term effects on the Seahawks and the 2024 NFL Draft. With the win, Seattle is now currently projected to pick at slot #15. If Seattle were to win out and make the playoffs, they'd be looking at a pick very similar to last year, when they took JSN at pick #21.
While this season could finish in a fantastic way, the reality is that this roster is still two drafts and some FA hits away from being a true Super Bowl contender. With one eye on today and one eye on tomorrow, this week’s mock draft has the Seahawks collecting assets, while taking a shot with a local legend as our future quarterback. With that said, here's my second Seahawks mock draft for the 2024 NFL draft.