This has been a challenging year for the Seattle Seahawks. Maybe we should’ve known it would be that way when Sam Darnold was injured just mere snaps into the season
. Drew Lock stepped in admirably leading Seattle to victories in the first two weeks. When Darnold came back earlier than most expected, it looked like things were going to get back on track. Then, the maelstrom of turnovers and injuries hit, leaving Seattle looking rudderless at 4-4.Darnold is injured once again, and his long-term future
with the Seahawks is (rightly) being questioned. John Schneider has done this before, pivoting from both Russell Wilson and Geno Smith. Regardless of who is taking snaps under center, Mike Macdonald wants to play “Seahawks Football.” He’s referenced that multiple times this year, and used it when discussing his hire of offensive coordinator Brian Fleury. The idea is to have a system that is replicable and not reliant on specific personnel.
More specifically, “Seahawks Football” needs a strong run game as the backbone. Even just the threat of the run alleviates the pressure from the passing offense. Seattle hasn’t had the luxury of that in 2026 due to a litany of issues including poor blocking, fumbles, injuries, etc. The low hanging fruit is to bring up the defection of Ken Walker III. Yes, his departure is part of the reason for the struggling rushing attack, but I think even he would have a tough time running behind this offensive line.
After a giant step forward with line play last season, expectations were extremely high for this year with all five starters returning. Anthony Bradford was injured early on, and the rest of the line seemed to regress and struggle. Quenton Nelson was brought in as part of the solution, but his addition created new problems that reared their ugly heads in the crapstorm against the Chicago Bears. Backup left tackle, new left guard Grey Zabel moving to the right side for the first time in the NFL, two running backs returning from injury.
That kinda seems like a recipe for disaster, doesn’t it?
And disaster ensued as the offense was ineffective in everything except the “throw it to JSN” play. When Nelson was acquired from the Indianapolis Colts, many were wondering why they traded him weeks before the trade deadline when they could’ve possibly gotten a bigger return down the line. I’m not going to say Seattle sacrificed the game against Chicago, but the three weeks following that are matchups against the Arizona Cardinals, Las Vegas Raiders, and the bye week with a huge rematch against the San Francisco 49ers looming. Having Quenton Nelson and Grey Zabel broken into their new teams/positions at that point for the stretch run is pivotal. Jadarian Price and Zach Charbonnet should also be rounding into form by then. The injury to Nelson throws a monkey wrench into things, but the theory would still be that the Seahawks run game should be improved coming out of the bye week.
Mike Macdonald’s vision of “Seahawks Football” is not to throw the football 40 times a game. Control the game by moving the sticks on the ground, supplement with explosive passes, and play tough defense. That’s how the Seahawks were successful when they were on their Super Bowl run last season. Hell, that was the blueprint for Pete Carroll’s Seahawks as well. It’s a proven formula that works. The key to getting back on track starts with the OL and RB room, not who will be taking snaps be it Sam Darnold, Drew Lock, or Jalen Milroe. I still believe that Macdonald wants a QB who can be an asset in the run game. His time in Baltimore with Lamar Jackson showed him just how dangerous a dual threat QB can be.
After Milroe was drafted, Macdonald spoke on that topic.
“Quarterbacks who can extend the play are incredibly difficult to defend,” Macdonald said. “The worst thing in the world is you play the first (part) of the play perfectly on defense, and you’re like, ‘All right, sweet, we did it.’ And the guy still has the ball, and you’ve got to defend the next play, and then sometimes a third play.
“He can kill you in the first play, he can kill you in the second play, he can kill you in the third play. It’s not a fun existence to live in consistently. He has that ability.”
I swear that I read somewhere after that draft that Milroe was a Mike Macdonald pick, but I haven’t been able to find it. That would make a ton of sense, however, given Macdonald’s time playing against Baltimore and his history/respect for the armed forces, of which Milroe’s father was a part of just like Macdonald’s. Maybe Milroe isn’t the answer as the QB for Seattle, but I have a gut feeling that Macdonald wants a QB that can break the game open with his legs as well. Yeah, so does everyone else, I get it. A QB that can accentuate the run game makes the offense so much harder to defend. If it gives the defensive wunderkind Macdonald problems, you can bet it’s an issue for everyone else.
That brings us back to the crux of the issue. Seattle’s run game just isn’t good enough right now to carry the team, and it needs to be. Forget worrying about a repeat. Don’t fret about playoffs. If the Seahawks can fix the run game everything will take care of itself. That’s the formula for replicable success that will bring Seattle back into championship contention no matter who the QB is.
That’s “Seahawks Football”.
