We are less than two months away from another season of Seattle Seahawks football, and this year is going to carry some additional meaning for the team.
2026 will be the Seahawks’ 25th season at Lumen Field, which has become a haven for football fans across the Pacific Northwest since its opening in 2002. Over that time, Seattle has accumulated a record of 140-68 at the stadium, including a 12-2 mark in the postseason. From Matt Hasselbeck and Mike Holmgren to Sam Darnold and Mike Macdonald, the Seahawks have had
a lot of noteworthy names be a part of their organization since the early aughts, all of whom have helped to make Lumen Field a special place to watch a football game.
For starters, it’s important to note the sense of stability that the stadium has provided for the ‘Hawks over the last few decades. The franchise’s latter years at the Kingdome were not great, especially after Chuck Knox departed for a second stint with the Los Angeles Rams in 1992. That same year, the Seahawks finished with a franchise-worst 2-14 record under former Raiders head coach Tom Flores, and the team would not climb above .500 again until 1999.
Amidst this stretch of mediocrity, the Seahawks’ future in the Emerald City was anything but certain. In 1995, then-owner Ken Behring tried to move the team elsewhere before the NFL threatened to heavily fine him after he failed to properly apply for relocation. Even still, the Seahawks’ long-term future at the Kingdome was not certain.
With the help of new owner Paul Allen, construction on the then-named Seahawks Stadium began in 1998. As the new stadium was being built, the team played its last two seasons at the Kingdome before temporarily moving to the University of Washington’s Husky Stadium for the next two years, beginning in 2000. In 2002, Seahawks Stadium finally opened, ending a years-long battle to keep the Seahawks in Seattle and build them a new stadium.
The team’s move to the new stadium coincided with a move from the AFC West back to the NFC West following 25 years in the AFC. In the NFC’s revamped Western division, Seattle would host the 49ers, Cardinals, and Rams for one regular season game at Seahawks Stadium every year for the foreseeable future.
After going 3-5 at home in 2002, the Seahawks would rocket to the top of the NFC West between 2003 and 2007, reaching the playoffs every year and winning four consecutive division titles along the way. Seattle went undefeated at home in 2003 and ‘05, going 10-0 at the then-named Qwest Field in the latter season between the regular season and playoffs. This included the first-ever conference title victory in Seahawks history, a 34-14 rout of the Carolina Panthers in the 2005 NFC Championship Game.
All in all, Seattle went 42-14 at home during the stadium’s seven years with Holmgren as head coach, including a 38-13 mark in the regular season and a 4-1 record in postseason play. If you’re curious, here’s a year-by-year look at the Seahawks’ home records between 2002 and 2008:
Seahawks’ home records at Seahawks Stadium/Qwest Field under Mike Holmgren (2002-2008)
- 2002: 3-5
- 2003: 8-0
- 2004: 5-4 (5-3 regular season, 0-1 playoffs)
- 2005: 10-0 (8-0 regular season, 2-0 playoffs)
- 2006: 6-3 (5-3 regular season, 1-0 playoffs)
- 2007: 8-1 (7-1 regular season, 1-0 playoffs)
- 2008: 2-6
- Total: 42-14 (38-13 regular season, 4-1 playoffs)
Jim L. Mora’s one-year stint as HC in 2009 ended with a mediocre 4-4 finish at home, but Seattle got back to defending its home turf under former USC head coach Pete Carroll in 2010. That year, the Seahawks won the NFC West at 7-9 and knocked off the defending champion New Orleans Saints in the electric wild-card win that was the Beast Quake game.
As the Legion of Boom rose to prominence in the early 2010s, the then-named CenturyLink Field became one of the toughest places to play in the NFL. The Seahawks went 26-2 at home from 2012 to 2014, clinching back-to-back NFC titles there in 2013 and ‘14 before heading to the Meadowlands to win Super Bowl 48 at the close of 2013.
Around this time, CenturyLink Field battled with Kansas City’s Arrowhead Stadium for the loudest stadium in the world. In September of 2013, the 12s set the Guinness World Record for crowd noise at 131.9 decibels during a game against the 49ers. Throughout the season, CenturyLink Field went toe-to-toe with Arrowhead’s noise levels, with the 12s setting a new record of 137.6 decibels while facing the Saints that December. Although Arrowhead later reclaimed this record in 2014, the 12s remain among the loudest sports fans around.
Beginning with the 2015 season, the Seahawks’ home advantage began to fade a bit, going 4-4 at CenturyLink Field in both 2017 and 2019. Despite Seattle winning at least seven of its home games in both 2016 and 2020, these would be the last high points of the Pete Carroll era. The 2021 season was the worst of the worst, as the Seahawks went 3-5 at Lumen Field en route to a 7-10 finish overall. After 2020, Seattle never won more than five home games in a season again under Carroll, going 5-4 in 2022 and 5-3 in ‘23.
Seahawks’ home records at Qwest/CenturyLink/Lumen Field under Pete Carroll (2010-2023)
- 2010: 6-3 (5-3 regular season, 1-0 playoffs)
- 2011: 4-4
- 2012: 8-0
- 2013: 9-1 (7-1 regular season, 2-0 playoffs)
- 2014: 9-1 (7-1 regular season, 2-0 playoffs)
- 2015: 5-3
- 2016: 8-1 (7-1 regular season, 1-0 playoffs)
- 2017: 4-4
- 2018: 6-2
- 2019: 4-4
- 2020: 7-2 (7-1 regular season, 0-1 playoffs)
- 2021: 3-5
- 2022: 5-4
- 2023: 5-3
- Total: 83-37 (77-36 regular season, 6-1 playoffs)
The Seahawks’ struggles at home continued under Mike Macdonald in 2024, going 3-6 at Lumen Field in the first year of the post-Pete Carroll era. However, Seattle flipped the script in 2025, winning six of its last seven home games in the regular season to climb to a 14-3 finish and the NFC’s first-round bye. The renewed dominance at Lumen Field continued into the postseason, with the Seahawks taking care of business against the 49ers and Rams at home on the way to their third conference title and winning their second Super Bowl championship in the Niners’ building.
With another Super Bowl title in tow, Seattle is poised to keep up the home momentum from last year. Much like the glory days of years past, Lumen Field is once again among the most difficult places for opposing teams to play.
What is your favorite Seahawks memory at Lumen Field? Tell us in the comments!
Join the conversation!
Sign up for a user account and get:
- Fewer ads
- Create community posts
- Comment on articles, community posts
- Rec comments, community posts
- New, improved notifications system!
