The Seattle Seahawks team that takes the field in September 2025 will look very different from the one that knocked off the Los Angeles Rams 30-25 to close out the 2024 season. It’s a question of quality over quantity. Compared to some other teams, there haven’t been all that many changes. But some will be felt very deeply.
General manager John Schneider is confronting a tricky situation. He has a franchise that in recent years has seemed stuck in a perpetual middle. They are not quite good enough to be just a player or two away from contending for a title. Nor are they bad enough to hold a fire sale and begin a total rebuild.
In the NFL, two types of franchises tend to win. There’s the Pittsburgh model. Stable franchises that year and year out make smart moves and build complete rosters. Then there are the lucky franchises. They don’t make good decisions but they stumble onto a generational quarterback.
These offseason losses might be the most missed by the Seattle Seahawks in 2025
This model – we’ll call it the Cincinnati plan for now – usually doesn’t last very long. The Washington Commanders are the latest example of this and we shall see in the next few years whether they can sustain it by morphing into a Steeler-style organization.
For much of the 21st century, the Seahawks were close to that Pittsburgh model. In the 20 years from 2003 to 2022, Seattle made 15 playoff appearances, made three trips to the Super Bowl and claimed one Lombardi Trophy.
But heading into last season, warning lights were blinking like mad. The Hawks had not made it past the Wild Card round since 2016. Russell Wilson was a fading memory and the Pete Carroll era was over. Seattle was still a good team, but were they a genuine contender?
It turns out the answer was no. At least not in 2024. As for 2025, there are more changes afoot. We have already looked at the most significant new additions Schneider has made thus far. Today, before we shift out focus to the draft and looking forward, let’s do a quick rundown on the departures from last year’s club. Here are the people who will be missed in 2025, from least to most noticeable.
8. Nick Perry, defensive assistant
Head coach Mike Macdonald radically overhauled the coaching staff when he came on board in 2024. He has already made several key changes on the offensive side of the ball. Given the Seahawks’ uninspired offensive production last season, it’s unlikely that any of the departed coaches will be missed.
But the Hawks’ defense played better as the year went on and Nick Perry was part of that unit. Though just titled an “assistant,” Perry’s work with the secondary resulted in a solid group that weathered a couple of free-agent busts at safety. He is an up-and-comer who is now a position coach at the University of Arkansas.
7. Dre’Mont Jones, edge
Jones’ time in Seattle was uninspired and few fans were sad to see him go. The only thing I will caution is that the grass isn’t always greener on the other side. Though he never came close to the expected number of sacks, Jones wasn’t quite as bad as his numbers might have suggested. Seattle should be able to replace his production, but that is not a guarantee.
6. Artie Burns, cornerback
Unlike Dre’Mont Jones, Burns was a productive player for Seattle. When he played. The fact is he simply was never healthy enough to make a difference in his three seasons in town. Hard to miss what you never really had.
The only caveat is that Burns, now with Miami, fills a key role on defense as a corner who can play the slot and can make tackles in the zone. If Josh Jobe plays well in 2025, Burns’ absence won’t even be noticed. But should Jobe falter… let’s not go there right now.
5. Johnathan Hankins, defensive tackle
I know not many fans gave Hankins credit last year. If you go by his Pro Football Focus (subscription required) grade, he was just dead weight. The thing is, I’ve never seen a genuine nose tackle get a good PFF grade. It is the most thankless job on a football team.
But someone has to do it, and unless Mike Macdonald makes some major changes to his defensive philosophy, someone will have to replace the almost 400 snaps Hankins provided in the middle of last year.
4. Tyler Lockett, wide receiver
Lockett’s production took a nosedive in 2024. He was 31 and few receivers thrive that far into a career. So his departure was expected. That doesn’t mean it won’t hurt. You don’t lose one of the franchise’s greatest receivers without noticing his absence.
3. Laken Tomlinson, guard
Tomlinson is the flip side of Lockett. He has no history with the club. He was here for one season and then he moved on. But he was the only legitimate offensive guard on the roster and even if he just provided mid-level play, that was a damn sight better than what the Hawks got from their other guards.
He will be missed because he was a starter, and as of now, Seattle has done virtually nothing to replace him.
2. DK Metcalf, wide receiver
This was not how Metcalf’s time in Seattle was supposed to end. Six seasons, with the final one being a major letdown? Not at all how it was supposed to end. Not when Doug Baldwin played all eight of his years in Seattle. Not when Tyler Lockett was here for ten. Not when Steve Largent played every game in his 14-year career in a Seahawks jersey.
No – Seattle is the home of great, long-tenured receivers. Metcalf has been one of the best deep threats in the league and has developed into a standout all-around pass catcher. He should have had at least one more contract with the Hawks in his future.
1. Geno Smith, quarterback
Fans were split on Geno as Seattle’s QB, but it’s important to note that this has been a poorly run offense with significant holes for several years now. Geno brought a tough, savvy veteran presence and the talent to make plays off-script. In other words, it could have been a lot worse. It could have been Drew Lock.
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