Burn It Down, Build It Right: The Seahawks’ Bold Offseason Reset
By Joe Hyde
The Seahawks Are Finally Making The Moves To Step Out of Limbo
As a sports fan, the worst place your team can be is limbo. Successful enough to miss out on high draft picks that can change your franchise, but never threatening to make a serious run.
Seahawks fans have experienced this for far too long as Pete Carroll couldn’t accept that the Legion of Boom days were over. The Seahawks’ flaws, specifically shoddy play along the offensive and defensive lines, couldn’t be overcome by big trades (Jamal Adams, Jimmy Graham) or short-lived free agent signings (Ezekiel Ansah, Greg Olsen).
Mediocrity has a different definition amongst fan bases. Raiders and Browns fans may celebrate a 9-8 season with the occasional playoff appearance. For franchises like Seattle, the standard is set once you win a Super Bowl. Nothing else is satisfactory.
So while we can appreciate the fun of winning football games and looking competitive on paper, the following isn’t acceptable:
2017: 9-7 (No Playoffs)
2018: 10-6 (Lost in Wild Card Round)
2019: 11-5 (Lost in Divisional Round)
2020: 12-4 (Lost in Wild Card Round)
2021: 7-10
2022: 9-8 (Lost in Wild Card Round)
2023: 9-8
In 2021, after going 7-10, Carroll was quoted saying:
“Not for one reason at all do I think we have to restart this thing.”
He proceeded by going 9-8 for two seasons with a quarterback who ranked 2nd (2020) and 12th (2021) in the NFL Top 100 player rankings.
Even with back-to-back winning seasons, team owner Jody Allen could see what every Seahawks fan did.
A fresh start was needed. The youth movement wasn’t working. Players weren’t developing properly. The defense was in shambles, and the offense was inconsistent. Carroll’s overly optimistic tone and detachment from reality got old.
As cliché as it may sound, oftentimes you have to take a step back in order to move forward. That’s where new head coach Mike Macdonald enters the picture.
Culture Shift
Right away, the culture changed.
No more basketball hoops in the meeting room. No more blaring music at practice. Pictures of players from the Super Bowl days were removed. Even though former players were outraged, it was the right move.
That was then. This is now.
It was easy to tell that Macdonald is a polar opposite of Pete. No nonsense. Stoic.
Year One With Mike Macdonald
So what did Mike Macdonald do in his first season as head coach?
He went 10-7 and had his team in the divisional race up to the last week of the season. His defensive scheme made strides as they became a top-five unit in the second half of the year.
When it became clear that Tyrell Dodson and Jerome Baker weren’t the answers at linebacker, Macdonald quickly cut ties and replaced them with rookie Tyrice Knight and trade acquisition Ernest Jones.
Leonard Williams, Coby Bryant, Julian Love, and others had their best seasons in Seattle. The defensive unit was cohesive, gave up fewer chunk plays, and looked like a force that will only improve with more time in this complex system.
On top of returning players growing in this scheme, general manager John Schneider added some pieces for Macdonald to play with in 2025.
Nick Emmanwori, a second-round safety, was traded up for and looks like a defensive weapon who should fit seamlessly alongside Julian Love and Devon Witherspoon.
Demarcus Lawrence was signed as a run-stopping defensive end who can coach up the young guys and add juice to the pass rush.
Macdonald’s defenses have a history of production. Both of his Ravens units were top-three in the NFL:
2022: 18.5 points per game (3rd)
2023: 16.5 points per game (1st)
Improving from third-best to top scoring defense in back-to-back seasons can give fans hope that Seattle’s 2024 performance wasn’t a fluke. If this becomes the standard, the timeline to true Super Bowl contention gets much shorter.
One Major Defensive Hole Remains
Although the progress is encouraging, there is a noticeable hole that must be addressed, whether that’s externally or internally.
The Seahawks need a premier edge rusher.
If you don’t agree, maybe the Seahawks’ efforts to trade for Maxx Crosby will change your mind. This isn’t easy, but there are options on the trade market.
Trey Hendrickson is unhappy and seeking a top-of-market extension.
Would Seattle give up significant draft capital for the right to pay him $40+ million per year? It’s possible.
If not, the hope is that Boye Mafe or Derick Hall takes the leap. Regardless, expect Schneider to keep investing draft capital into the position.
Super Bowl teams win with elite quarterback play or an elite pass rush. Right now, the Seahawks have neither.
I don’t believe they should trade for a pass rusher just yet, because the offense still has issues — and that’s where Schneider and Macdonald have also made bold moves.
Revamping the Offense
Seattle made controversial decisions that I believe will ultimately push the offense toward what it should be: explosive, consistent, and built around a clear identity.
Geno Smith was traded to the Raiders.
D.K. Metcalf was shipped to the Steelers.
The two faces of Seattle’s inconsistent offense are gone.
Their replacements? Sam Darnold and Cooper Kupp.
There’s plenty of debate about whether Darnold is better than Geno, but he brings three things Geno doesn’t.
1. Upside
Sam Darnold is younger than the following starting quarterbacks:
Patrick Mahomes
Josh Allen
Lamar Jackson
Jared Goff
Baker Mayfield
Geno Smith
Dak Prescott
Darnold has been in bad situations throughout his career. In his first season as a starter in a competent system, he went 14-3 and led the Vikings to the playoffs.
He may not be the long-term answer, but he gives Seattle a better shot at a Super Bowl than Geno. Many veterans, including Tom Brady, have said the NFL doesn’t give young QBs enough time to develop.
Remember, Darnold was the No. 3 overall pick. If what we saw last year was real, Seattle might be in business.
2. Contract Flexibility
Darnold signed a 3-year, $100.5 million deal with $55 million guaranteed.
Geno signed a 2-year, $75 million deal (up to $88 million with incentives) and $66.5 million guaranteed.
If you told me Seattle could replace a player with someone who is younger, cheaper, similarly skilled and has more upside, I’d say sign me up.
And if it doesn’t work? The Seahawks can walk away after one season. The dead cap hit for 2026 is $25 million — a manageable number for a quarterback.
This isn’t a reckless gamble. It’s a calculated move.
If Darnold plays like he did last year, it’s a steal — similar to what Baker Mayfield did in Tampa Bay. If not, move on and reset.
Also, Darnold struggling in Seattle doesn’t mean they made a mistake by letting Geno walk. We already saw how far Geno can take Seattle.
3. Leadership
Mike Macdonald came to Seattle to win football games. That starts with culture.
The quarterback is the leader of the team.
As you can see here and here, Geno was not a leader. Darnold is a clear upgrade in that department.
Kupp for Metcalf, with a Deep Threat Added
The other major change was Cooper Kupp replacing D.K. Metcalf.
It’s not a one-for-one swap. The Seahawks also signed Marquez Valdes-Scantling to stretch the field and provide a vertical threat. Instead of paying 33 million dollars per year over four seasons to one of the most frustrating players in franchise history, Seattle now has two capable receivers on short-term deals.
Wide receiver is a luxury position. If you're going to pay top dollar, you need top-dollar production in return. Paying D.K. that kind of money is betting on potential. Specifically, the potential to become a top-five receiver who puts up 1,500 or more yards in a season.
Instead, Seattle had a "number one" receiver with below-average hands who regularly drew flags in critical moments for losing his composure.
What the Data Says
Look at the Super Bowl winners from the past decade. Here’s where each team’s top receiver ranked in average annual value (AAV) among NFL wideouts:
2024 Eagles: A.J. Brown (3rd in WR AAV)
2023 Chiefs: Rashee Rice (96th)
2022 Chiefs: JuJu Smith-Schuster (60th)
2021 Rams: Cooper Kupp (14th)
2020 Buccaneers: Mike Evans (9th)
2019 Chiefs: Tyreek Hill (4th)
2018 Patriots: Julian Edelman (43rd)
2017 Eagles: Alshon Jeffery (9th)
2016 Patriots: Julian Edelman (37th)
2015 Broncos: Demaryius Thomas (5th)
These numbers show a clear pattern. Super Bowl winners either have a top-10 paid receiver who performs like it, or they rely on an elite quarterback.
Ironically, A.J. Brown is exactly the kind of player Seahawks fans always hoped D.K. would become.
It’s subjective, but I’d argue that every receiver in the top 15 for AAV except for Alshon Jeffery was truly elite. I can’t say the same for D.K., even though he now ranks 4th in AAV for 2025.
And that’s not just my opinion. NFL executives and coaches recently ranked the league’s top receivers, and D.K. didn’t crack the top 10.
Benefits of Kupp
Cooper Kupp gives the Seahawks four benefits that D.K Metcalf can’t.
Mentorship
Jaxon Smith-Njigba is the future of the Seahawks offense. If I wanted to help him grow into a top 5–10 receiver, I’d probably sign one of the best slot receivers of the past quarter century to play alongside him and give him tips.
We won’t know until later, but I’d bet Smith-Njigba will say Kupp was instrumental in his development. Puka Nacua has already made similar comments since the Seahawks signed Kupp.
Contract Flexibility
Kupp signed a 3-year, $45 million deal with $26.5 million guaranteed.
D.K signed a 4-year, $132 million deal with $60 million guaranteed.
Obviously D.K is a better player, but Kupp’s deal is shorter, has a lower AAV with less guarantees, and has an out after one year. If Seattle doesn’t want him, his dead cap is only 8 million next year. When he was healthy, he had three games over 100 yards and showed he can still contribute.
Redzone Efficency
Kupp:
Inside 20 yard line: 60% catch percentage on 10 targets, 4 touchdowns
Inside 10 yard line: 50% catch percentage on 8 targets, 3 touchdowns
Metcalf:
Inside 20 yard line: 29% catch percentage on 7 targets, 0 touchdowns
Inside 10 yard line: 0% catch percentage on 5 targets, 0 touchdowns
The stats tell the story. D.K was a terrible red zone receiver, which is remarkable given his size and athleticism whereas Kupp is one of the better red zone receivers in the NFL. Last year Seattle ranked 22nd in points per red zone drive. Kupp will help boost this number.
4. Leadership
Back to leadership once again. I may sound like a broken record, but Super Bowl winners are filled with leaders.
Kupp is consistently praised for his leadership, which is exactly what this receiver group needs now that Tyler Lockett is gone. Replacing D.K. with Kupp will make a big impact on this offense as it works through the growing pains that come with new personnel and a new offensive coordinator.
A Change at OC: Klint Kubiak Replaces Ryan Grubb
Ryan Grubb’s attempt to carry over his elite, pass-heavy offense from the University of Washington to the NFL was nothing short of painful. It didn’t align with Mike Macdonald’s offensive vision and led to Grubb being fired immediately after the season ended.
What went wrong?
Frankly, that’s more typing than I’d like to do, but to keep it short: run the damn ball.
Seattle had the highest pass rate in the NFL last season at 66.27%, despite having one of the worst pass-blocking offensive lines in the league.
When Macdonald explained his decision to move on from Grubb, he said:
“It just didn’t manifest itself the way that we expected,” Macdonald said. “The direction that it was going, it just wasn’t the way that I wanted to go.”
So what is the direction Macdonald wants to go?
That’s where Klint Kubiak comes in. When discussing his offensive approach, Kubiak said some things that should fire up the Seahawks fan base.
"Coach Macdonald has stressed from the beginning the things that he's looking for, and the type of offense that he seeks," Kubiak told Sports Radio 93.3 KJR-FM. "I'm excited that our brand of football does match that. We talked through that in the interview process, and we also have the same agreement that it's not always going to be one way. There's more than one way to win a game.
"Obviously we want to be a physical team that can run the football and play action and all those things, but then we've got to be at our best in those drop-back passing situations. So there's a lot that goes into it. I definitely believe that our priorities align."
What stood out:
Priorities align
Physical Football
Run the ball and marry it to play‑action
Last season those elements were missing. In short‑yardage, the Seahawks rarely generated push, and a league‑high 66 percent pass rate exposed one of the NFL’s worst pass‑blocking lines. A balanced approach should tilt the numbers back in the line’s favor, and new position coaches can bring much‑needed technical improvement.
Klint Kubiak arrives from the Shanahan tree, so expect more West Coast concepts with wide‑zone runs and complementary play‑action. That scheme compliments Kenneth Walker’s one‑cut explosiveness and keeps fronts honest. Because every run, boot, and shot play starts from identical looks, defenders must pause; that fraction of hesitation should lighten the load on Darnold, even if the line remains a work in progress.
I’m not predicting a Super Bowl run, but the direction finally feels coherent. With a young team, 2025 should be equal parts growing pains and genuine progress, but I’m very excited about the future of the Seattle Seahawks.
By: Joe Hyde
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Great article, JOCO!