The Seattle Seahawks had an insane offseason, to put it mildly. In a few days last month, their starting quarterback and two starting receivers were shipped off.
After another week, they had grabbed their next quarterback and star wide receiver in uncharacteristically prominent free agent signings. If you were in a coma for that week and woke up, you wouldn't believe your eyes.
Aside from the absurdity of that infamous week in early March, Seattle has primarily stayed under the radar regarding free agent acquisitions. While they weren't league-shattering, the Seahawks quietly made some free-agent moves that could be sneakily very good for Seattle but very bad for others on the roster.
These Seahawks could be on the hot seat because of the 2025 offseason
General manager John Schneider
While not an active player, general manager John Schneider is one prominent name who could be on the hot seat after these free-agent signings. Schneider, infamous for sleeping at the wheel during free agency, once again opted against signing some of the top free-agent offensive linemen.
Instead, Schneider opted to trade two cornerstone players and rely on the NFL Draft and the linemen the Seahawks already have.
It was a bold offseason for Schneider, who let top offensive linemen like Drew Dalman, Will Fries, and Tevin Jenkins sign with other teams and opted to pay the likes of Sam Darnold, Cooper Kupp, and Demarcus Lawrence. If those players don't pan out and the offensive line continues to struggle, it could be bad news for Schneider, who has never built a competent offensive line.
This upcoming season seems to be a make-or-break for Schneider.
OLB Uchenna Nwosu
Just a month ago, the Seahawks signed four-time Pro Bowl edge rusher Demarcus Lawrence. The signing is for multiple years, although the Seahawks, in true Seahawks fashion, can opt out of the deal after the first year. Even so, this signing may be a bad omen for Uchenna Nwosu.
Unfortunately, Nwosu has dealt with a plethora of injuries and has missed a significant number of games over the past two seasons. In what felt like a last-ditch effort to keep Nwosu on the team, Nwosu agreed to adjust his contract to save Seattle money this offseason.
However, with the emergence of young pass rushers Boye Mafe and Derick Hall, coupled with veterans Leonard Williams and Demarcus Lawrence, Nwosu may find himself lost in the shuffle and ultimately on the free agent market or trading block in 2025.
WR Jake Bobo
When Seattle released WR Tyler Lockett and traded away DK Metcalf last month, it looked like WR Jake Bobo would undoubtedly have an increased role with the Seahawks in 2025. However, Seattle later signed WR Marquez Valdez-Scantling and WR Cooper Kupp, making Bobo's role on the team a bit more murky this season.
You can even add that Seattle is reportedly interested in taking a wide receiver in the early rounds of this month's draft.
Bobo, a 6'4 third-year target after being undrafted out of UCLA, has become a fan favorite. He's produced in the opportunities he's been given, but questions remain on how exactly Bobo fits into new offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak's offense. With Seattle almost immediately grabbing two veteran receivers following Lockett and Metcalf's departure, it spells bad news for the 26-year-old who had hoped to take a more increased role in the offense in 2205.
QB Sam Howell
When QB Geno Smith was suddenly dealt to Pete Carroll and the Las Vegas Raiders last month, it appeared, for a brief second, that Sam Howell would be the starter for the Seahawks in 2025. However, rumors ran rampant regarding Seattle's interest in free agent QB Sam Darnold.
After Seattle eventually signed Darnold to a multi-year deal last month, it was all but confirmed that Howell would continue to serve as the backup in 2025.
To make matters worse for Howell, who was acquired via trade from the Washington Commanders only a year ago, Seattle has also been linked to a few quarterbacks in this month's draft. Seattle has met with Ole Miss QB Jaxon Dart, who is trending upwards in the draft, and has been rumored to be interested in even more quarterbacks, including Louisville's Tyler Shough, whom they met with at the Senior Bowl.
If events go as expected, with Darnold taking the reins in 2025 and leaving the seat warm for a rookie drafted in this year's draft, Sam Howell could be on his way out sooner than expected. There is still a sliver of a chance for Howell to possibly beat out Darnold for the starting job in the offseason, but withstanding a serious injury, Seattle likely has no reason to keep Howell on the roster this season.