The Seattle Seahawks are sitting in a very good spot. The team can thank general manager John Schneider for much of that, of course. He has constructed the roster over the last couple of years, but has done so in an exceedingly affordable manner. The team is set up for long-term success.
In the 2026 offseason, Seattle is projected to have $66,879,961 in cap room, according to Over the Cap (which is also used to calculate the savings below), fourth-most in the NFL. The team will have to bring back some key players who are set to be free agents, though. That potentially includes running back Kenneth Walker and cornerback Riq Woolen, among others.
One positive aspect is that Seattle can create lots more cap room without having to let go of a player currently set to be under contract next season. As much as $35 million, which could be enough to sign one of the team's free agents and maybe sign one from elsewhere too.
Three easy ways the Seattle Seahawks can create $35 million in cap room without letting a player go
Extending edge rusher Uchenna Nwosu saves $7.7 million
Nowsu seems as if he should be 35 years old after playing for the Seahawks for the last four seasons, and spending eight total seasons in the NFL. This is partly because in the previous two seasons to this one, he missed a lot of time due to injuries. He appeared closer to the end of his career than the middle.
The edge rusher is only 29 years old, however, so he should have a few good years left to be a good fit in Mike Macdonald's system. Eventually, Nwosu would take the place of DeMarcus Lawrence as the true veteran leader of a young defense. Nwosu is already extremely respected for his charitable work off the field, too.
He is signed through 2026, but giving him a couple of years beyond that makes sense. He can set a hard edge against the run and consistently gets good pressure on quarterbacks. He would continue to be a fantastic leader for his position group.
Restructuring wide receiver Cooper Kupp saves $5.8 million
Kupp is a great example of how John Schneider does contracts. He will give a good amount of money in the first year without having any guaranteed money beyond that. The player still gets paid, of course, if they stick with the team, but Seattle could move on after a season if the player doesn't work out.
Kupp is unlikely to be an extremely productive receiver in terms of raw statistics with the Seahawks, as he is a bit older, and Jaxon Smith-Njigba is the alpha of the receiver group and will be for most of the next decade. But Kupp's willingness to do the little things, such as an elite level of blocking, should get him at least another year in Seattle.
It could simply be a matter of moving more money to a signing bonus. Kupp gets paid, and Seattle saves money.
Restructuring quarterback Sam Darnold saves $21.9 million
The same could be the case for Darnold as it is with Kupp, as neither has any guaranteed money on their deals after 2025, but Darnold is almost certainly going to be a part of the Seattle organization for a lot longer. The quarterback is just 28 years old, and if he plays as if he did this year, he will be the Seahawks' QB1 for many more seasons.
The easy part of Darnold's deal would be to move money into a guaranteed bonus. That frees up a lot of money that the quarterback is likely to earn anyway. He hit nearly all of his incentives this season, and why would next year suddenly be far worse?
Of course, Darnold's efficiency means bad things for rookie Jalen Milroe, who might never have a chance to play in Seattle. The Seahawks are quite likely to extend Darnold next offseason, keeping him as QB1 for many more seasons.