The Seattle Seahawks are seemingly an easy team for NFL analysts to disrespect entering Week 1. Of course, real games are the only evidence one has for how good a team is. Chances are, after a few weeks, Seattle is going to be better than many expected.
A lot of the shade thrown the Seahawks' way is based on the offensive changes that have been made. Quarterback Geno Smith was traded, as was wide receiver DK Metcalf. Fellow receiver Tyler Lockett was released. That last bit wasn't unexpected.
Oddly, many pundits didn't seem to care for Smith as a quarterback before his being traded by the Seahawks. This seems to have raised his level in a lot of analysts' eyes. This is called perception, and this is where a lot of power rankings (which are meaningless overall) go wrong.
Seattle Seahawks are likely to exceed expectations in 2025
In a power ranking by NFL Spin Zone's Sayre Bedinger ahead of Week 1, the writer has Seattle ranked only 21st. If Bedinger is correct, and he is normally a very good observer of the NFL, then Seattle will finish last in the NFC West. The problem is that people seem to forget the Seahawks won 10 games last season, and might have won more except for offensive errors.
If Seattle's offense is more efficient and slightly more productive, which it should be as quarterback Sam Darnold is seemingly a great fit in the new offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak's system, the team could find its way to more than 10 wins this year.
The defense is going to be great, and special teams is among the better units in the league. The offense is going to run the ball more, eat more clock, keep the defense fresher, and turn the ball over less. Seattle isn't going to be worse this season and is likely to be better.
Bedinger writes, "I get moving on from an aging quarterback, but the Seahawks paying a bunch of money to Sam Darnold after his lone year with the Vikings seems like it could end up burning them. And I certainly don’t like that move paired up with the decision to trade DK Metcalf to the Steelers."
First, Seattle didn't truly give a lot of money to Darnold. While his deal is for a maximum of three years and $105.5 million, if he doesn't work out, the team could let him walk after a season for only $37.5 million. That last number is around the going rate for a starting quarterback in the NFL.
Secondly, one reason that the Seattle Seahawks discarded Geno Smith is that they didn't find him to be the right kind of leader in the locker room. He was volatile at times. General manager John Schneider and head coach Mike Macdonald weren't big fans of that, clearly.
Sam Darnold is much calmer and observant. Is he a more talented quarterback than Smith? Maybe not, but he is likely a much better leader on a young roster.
Bedinger is certainly correct about one thing: If the Seahawks are going to win at a high level, it will be because Macdonald's defense is great. That is how the team is built, though. Plus, both sides need to be good, and probably will be for Seattle this season.