The Seattle Seahawks are entering the 2025 season with more questions than answers. After years of steady, if unspectacular, results, the franchise opted for sweeping changes this offseason. We’ll see new faces at quarterback, in the coaching staff, and across the offensive depth chart. Sure, some see a team in transition. Others, though, view Seattle as a potential sleeper in the NFC if things break right. With head coach Mike Macdonald’s defense expected to be among the league’s best, the spotlight falls squarely on the offense. That’s where Sam Darnold must prove last season’s breakout wasn’t a mirage.
The Seahawks wrapped up their 2025 preseason with a 1-1-1 record. Head coach Mike Macdonald has built a reputation as one of the NFL’s top defensive minds. His unit is expected to be the team’s strength again this year. However, the same confidence can’t be applied to the offense. Darnold, coming off a Pro Bowl-level year in Minnesota, won’t enjoy the same protection in Seattle. Their offensive line remains unsettled and injury-prone. With two or three new starters expected inside and tackle Abraham Lucas missing 21 games over the last two seasons, protecting the quarterback is a major concern. The offseason trade of DK Metcalf only adds to the uncertainty about whether this offense can generate consistent production.
Still, Seattle isn’t without hope. The defense should keep the Seahawks in games most weeks. Also, Darnold has shown he’s capable of elevating his play under the right conditions. The challenge will be whether he can replicate last year’s success without the same level of support. If the offensive line stabilizes and younger playmakers step up, Seattle could prove skeptics wrong. Still, after an offseason full of roster upheaval, this team remains one of the NFL’s biggest question marks heading into 2025.
Here we’ll try to look at and discuss the three bold predictions for the Seattle Seahawks in the 2025 NFL season.
Sam Darnold was one of the league’s most surprising stories in 2024. He guided Minnesota to a playoff berth with career-best production. Yet, his late-season meltdown against Detroit and a rough postseason performance in Los Angeles left many wondering if his resurgence was fleeting. The Seahawks are betting big that it wasn’t. By trading Geno Smith and installing Darnold as the unquestioned starter, they signaled complete belief in what’s been dubbed the ‘Darnaissance.’
Seattle paired Darnold with offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak. His outside-zone/play-action system should play to the quarterback’s strengths. Even without Metcalf, Seattle isn’t devoid of weapons, too. Jaxon Smith-Njigba broke out last year as the league’s most productive slot receiver. Cooper Kupp adds depth. If the offensive line can hold up even moderately, there’s reason to believe Darnold can surpass 4,000 passing yards for a second straight year.
If there’s one thing Seattle can count on in 2025, it’s a defense capable of dominating games. In Macdonald’s first season, the...