The Seattle Seahawks are bound for he playoffs for the first time since 2022, and while NFC positioning will not be made more clear until the end of the season, the Seahawks will be in play, which is great news for players like Sam Darnold, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, and several defensive stars who are hoping to make good on a deep run.
For Darnold, another crack at the playoffs would offer him an opportunity to right what went wrong last year when he quarterbacked the Minnesota Vikings. For Smith-Njigba, he'll experience his first-ever playoff atmosphere as Seattle's No. 1 wide receiver.
Then, on the defensive side, someone like Leonard Williams is especially excited to make some noise in the playoffs. Williams has had an exceptional season for the Seahawks and could be on his way to another Pro Bowl selection. However, this year's playoff appearance will offer something extra special for the 12-year veteran.
Leonard Williams has chance to do something with Seahawks he has only done once before
Watching Williams this year, you may find it surprising that he's been around for 11 seasons. He has looked fairly spry and efficient throughout the year for a decade-plus veteran. It's no surprise he could end up with his third Pro Bowl nod. But this season, Williams is looking for something else: his second-ever playoff appearance.
Now, if one previous playoff appearance in 11 years sounds far-fetched, Williams' past fates have been because of who he's played for. Before arriving in Seattle in the middle of the 2023 season, Leonard began his NFL career with the New York Jets, spending 4.5 seasons there from 2015 to 2019.
In the middle of the 2019 season, the Jets traded Williams to the Giants, and he played there for another 4.5 years before the Seahawks made a midseason trade to acquire him. Williams' only trip to the playoffs came in 2022 with the Giants, and he has not made it back since, nor did he ever reach them before.
With his Seahawks on the verge of this year's postseason, Williams couldn't be more motivated, and he expressed as much during a media session this week.
"I've only been to the playoffs once, I've had seasons where we've had 10 wins, and didn't make the playoffs," Williams said. "One was here [In Seattle] last year, and one was in my rookie season with the Jets. So, I've been putting a lot of emphasis and letting the young guys know how hard it is to get to the playoffs, and I think everyone knows that and is honed in and we're ready to just take it one game at a time."
Unless a catastrophic event occurs over the course of Seattle's remaining four games, the Seahawks will be in the playoffs, and Williams will get his second chance to make a run. This Seahawks squad is without question the best football team he's ever played on, and there's no doubt he's ready to go.