The Seattle Seahawks organization has a lot of faith in general manager John Schneider. He earned that during the decade-plus he spent with Pete Carroll. The two built the team into a Super Bowl winner and a perennial playoff team for years. Things have changed lately, though.
The team's drafts deteriorated, the on-field product declined, and the team became stuck in mediocrity by the early 2020s. Partly because of this, Carroll was asked to step down after the 2023 season, and Schneider, for the first time in his Seattle tenure, took full control of the roster.
While 2024's offseason fell relatively flat for the Seahawks, the team believes John Schneider is still the guy to be the GM and President of Football Operations. Seattle and Schneider agreed to a four-year contract extension on Wednesday, according to FOX Sports' Jay Glazer, and Schneider will remain with the Seahawks through at least the 2031 draft.
Seattle Seahawks sign general manager John Schneider to an extension
As astonishing as it sounds, that draft will mark Schneider's 20th with the team.
In essence, John Schneider is entering only his second season in full control of the team. Prior to Carroll being let go, the head coach (who was also the vice president of football operations) had final say over all roster moves. Therefore, the roster was built how Carroll wanted it to be built, not Schneider.
In Schneider's first offseason after Carroll, he signed a bunch of other teams' free agents who didn't work out. Linebackers Jerome Baker and Tyrel Dodson were added but gone by midseason. Center Connor Williams was acquired and made the starter at center, and he retired during the bye week.
The 2024 draft is still a wait-and-see, too. Linebacker Tyrice Knight turned out to be a solid starter. Tight end AJ Barner was a better receiver than expected. First-round pick Byron Murphy II still needs to prove he will be great.
The 2025 draft could be great, but we won't know for a couple of seasons at least. The high-level free agent additions were mostly made to replace the moves that Schneider could have been risking his career on. The GM traded starting quarterback Geno Smith and explosive wide receiver DK Metcalf. He released fan favorite Tyler Lockett.
Hopefully, all these moves work out. The worst-case scenario is within reach, too, however. Newly added Sam Darnold could revert back to his pre-2024 level, and the Seahawks will finish nowhere near the playoffs.
John Schneider is a good person, and he has been part of a mostly successful Seattle Seahawks organization, but an extension for him would have made more sense after the season. The team needs to make sure Schneider's 2024 offseason doesn't roll into 2025 awfulness, which turns into long-term problems.