The Seattle Seahawks were given 60-to-1 odds to win the Super Bowl last season, laughed at those longshot odds, and surged their way to the NFL’s mountaintop. As reigning champions, they’re obviously among the favorites but not the favorite to win it all in the 2026 season. What does the Field Gulls staff think? After all, last year none of us predicted even reaching the Super Bowl at the start of the season, although almost everyone predicted a playoff team with double-digit wins. Bryce Coutts was
the brave man who predicted a 13-4 record and that proved to be an undersell.
Let’s get to the predictions!
Mookie Alexander: I think the Seahawks’ only shot to win a Super Bowl, much like last year, is to have at least the NFC West title. Can’t be a Wild Card and play three straight road games when you end your regular season playing two straight road games. The NFC West top dogs might give each other multiple losses in their divisional matchups, so I actually believe none of Seattle, Los Angeles, or San Francisco will have some gaudy 14-3 record. Seattle’s passing offense with Sam Darnold will be better to make up for potentially being less explosive (but maybe more efficient?) on the ground. Seattle’s run defense will remain excellent but I think there will be a decent dropoff in the passing game due to the changes in the secondary. Mike Macdonald is a great mind but not a miracle worker, and I don’t think Seattle is as talented or as deep at corner or safety as last season.
A whole lot of variables at play regarding injuries, positive turnover regression, and Jason Myers positive regression after that horrible preseason. I think the Seahawks finish 12-5, win the NFC West, do NOT get the 1-seed, but find a way to host the NFC Championship Game thanks to some results elsewhere. Seattle reaches the Super Bowl but runs into the one defense better than theirs, and the Houston Texans finally get over the hump to win the Lombardi Trophy and deny Seattle a repeat. Sorry, I’m a homer up to a point but I am not so blinded that I think Seattle is unbeatable or unsolvable. It’s football and shit happens.
Josh Hite: The Seahawks season is going to be an exciting one! The Seahawks ended last season the number one team in total DVOA, the number one defense and the tenth best offense, and I predict similar results. Darnold will cut down on turnovers and add some more touchdowns to his stats, while the defense will turn more of those pressures into sacks while the secondary will become more of an interception machine keeping the defense a top three unit. Brian Fleury will become another member of the illustrious club of tight end coaches becoming great west coast offense playcallers and will scheme up this offense to be a top eight offense. Seahawks will end the season 14-3, the number one team in the NFC, and will go all the way to the Super Bowl to win the game in another rival’s house.
John Fraley: I foresaw 8-9 and no playoffs for 2025, a.k.a. “Yikestown.” Evidently my predictions are for entertainment purposes only, such as to point fingers and laugh, or potentially to use as something to wager the opposite of happening. With that disclaimer out of the way – 2026 is unlikely to be the Seahawks’ year again. There are multiple question marks in the secondary, the defensive line stars are all a year older, injury luck has a way of evening out, JSN won’t be OPOY again, and the next coach who lets the Seahawks pick up a live ball in the fourth quarter for two free points will get his ass fired on the tarmac. (I nominate Kyle Shanahan.)
No, Seattle won’t go 8-9, but 14-3 is also Right Out, said in the voice of your favorite Holy Grail comedy troupe. I like 11-5-1, win the division by a half game, reach the divisional and whoop whichever overhyped NFC North team they meet, show up seriously undermanned for the conference title game in Philly, drop it, and reload for another run at the Lombardi in 27. There will be many such runs. All told, an unmitigated success of a year.
Ted Zahn: My first draft of this had the Seahawks going 20-0, and I was only half joking. Seattle accomplished more last season than anyone would have rightly expected, winning the Super Bowl at least a year ahead of schedule. Conventional wisdom says that this season surely won’t be as successful. I’m going with a similar season to 2014, where there are bumps early on before the team galvanizes itself and goes on a run. Seattle gets one less regular season win, finishing 13-4, with the final loss coming in a meaningless (for the Seahawks) Week 18 game against the Los Angeles Rams. The Seahawks are the #1 seed again, propelling themselves to a second straight Lombardi trophy with a win over the Los Angeles Chargers in Super Bowl 61. Oh, and McVay, Stafford, and Aaron Donald all retire after the Seahawks win it all on their home field.
Bryce Coutts: I have the Seahawks going 13-4 and returning to the Super Bowl because this team still has one of the strongest overall rosters in the NFC. Mike Macdonald’s defense should remain a major strength with its versatility and depth. On The Hawks Eye Podcast, I’ve talked a lot about how Brian Fleury can build on what already worked offensively rather than completely changing the system. Sam Darnold’s comfort in Year 2 should also help the offense become more consistent. Seattle has enough talent on both sides of the ball to win in different ways. The NFC West will create some tough games, which is why I still have four losses. Overall, I believe the Seahawks have the coaching, roster and continuity to make another Super Bowl run and end up back in the big game.
John Tapia: The Seattle Seahawks have the best roster in the league (perhaps other than the Los Angeles Rams). This should put them in position to compete for another Lombardi Trophy. However, one thing that cannot leave my mind is how lucky the Seahawks got with injuries last season. So many times, the best teams at the end of the season are simply the healthiest. Already, the Seahawks have lost multiple players for the season (Robbie Ouzts, Mason Richman, Bud Clark, Jake Bobo). Let’s hope that list does not grow. All of this being said, if my main concern for this team is health, that in itself is a positive sign for the talent and coaching on this team. If Seattle can stay healthy, there is not much that would stop them from repeating. (Well maybe an Aaron Donald – Myles Garrett defensive line room). I have the Seahawks going 12-5, losing the NFC West, but beating the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC Championship game before taking down the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl LXI.
John Gilbert: Barring injury, the 2026 Seahawks should be a very good, very competitive football team. There will certainly be bumps in the road and they are unlikely to be quite as dominant as they were for much of the 2025 season, as they work to fit in a couple of new pieces on the back end of the defense with Riq Woolen and Coby Bryant no longer on the roster. On the offensive side of the ball the big questions will continue to surround whether Sam Darnold is the real deal as he gets set to play quarterback for a different offensive coordinator for the seventh consecutive season. Add in that every opponent will be locked in as they look to knock off the defending Super Bowl champions, and it’s a season that earns a postseason berth, but comes up short of winning a second straight championship.
Jack Freeman: As a Seahawks doubter who was proved laughably wrong for much of last season, I enter 2026 with a lot more hope than a year ago. There’s no doubt in my mind that this Mike Macdonald defense, despite some losses, will be excellent yet again thanks to a stacked returning class up front. Especially if Bryon Murphy II can take that next leap, I’d start praying for opposing backfields now. It’s on the offensive side where my concerns from a year ago remain. Another new playcaller, who’s never done it before in the NFL, and the lack of additions to the team from last year have alarms blaring in my head. While the Seahawks should be a very fun and high quality football team that competes for an NFC West title and the No. 1 seed, I have them going 12-5 and falling short in the NFC Championship to the Philadelphia Eagles.
Alexandre Castro: It’s one thing to reach the top and build a dominant defense; it’s another thing entirely to stay there, and that will be one of the biggest challenges facing Mike Macdonald in 2026. Seattle lost some important pieces on that side of the ball, so Macdonald will have to prove once again that his scheme and coaching can keep the defense among the league’s best, but he has already shown he can get the most out of the talent available to him. The biggest question, and ultimately the anchor that will determine how far this team goes, is on offense with Brian Fleury taking over as play-caller and Sam Darnold entering his second season in Seattle. Darnold showed enough last year to inspire confidence, but his turnover issues remain a concern, and how much he can clean those up could determine whether this offense takes a step forward or holds the team back. I have the Seahawks finishing 12-5, reaching the playoffs as a Wild Card team, and making it all the way to the NFC Championship Game, where they finally run into the Los Angeles Rams.
Frank T. Raines: I have two bold predictions for the 2026 season: (1) Sam Darnold will become the first quarterback in NFL history to post three consecutive seasons with 14 or more wins, and (2) Seattle will clinch the NFC West title against the Rams … on Christmas Day. My other prediction isn’t as bold: The Seahawks will cap off the 2026 season by winning the Super Bowl in decisive fashion, 38-3. Their opponent for SB61 is TBD, but it clearly won’t matter 😉 Oh, and here’s a bonus prediction: When he’s handed the Lombardi trophy at SoFi Stadium, the Seahawks’ new owner will lean toward the microphone and say, “F–K THE RAMS!”
Terrance Robinson: Last season, our Seattle Seahawks slowly crept up on the entire league, dominated late, and won their second championship. The only part of that story that I missed from last year’s Field Gulls Predicts was the hoisting of the Lombardi. That was a spicy take, as they say, as most pundits, and several of our very own staff, thought the Seahawks wouldn’t do so well. I won’t credit my partial premonition to much, other than the fact that I really, really believe in Coach Macdonald, his vision for the team, and the components therewithin. In addition to that inflammatory and opaque analysis, I will state that when your defense is really good, you can spend the length of the schedule slowly figuring out the offense and finding what works. Defense allows for pace, and we have quite the defense. With all that in mind, as I wrote in February, I believe that this team, this iteration of the ‘Hawks, is destined to not only repeat, but win several championships over the next several years. My predicts for this year? The Seattle Seahawks will go 14-3, win the NFC West by two games, beat the Chicago Bears in the NFC Championship game at home; then, dominate a team of consequence in the Super Bowl. The Los Angeles Rams’ lack of roster depth will be exposed, the San Francisco 49ers will yield and finally open their introductory packet from AARP, and the Arizona Cardinals will be more competitive than they’ve been in years. Enjoy.
Jer’rel Coleman: We’ve heard the mantras and Macdonald-isms, new and old. Coach Mike felt like the biggest emergent star of the Seahawks’ offseason, and this team’s mindset to “run it back” seems to reflect his steely, analytical resolve. I see the defending champs as a dangerous contender who will avoid getting fat and happy with their accomplishments this year. Mike Macdonald’s defense may see a slight dip from their historical pace, but the offense will be even more crisp than last year’s point-scoring unit. I think the 2026 Seattle Seahawks will go 13-4, make the playoffs and heat up at the right time. I’m predicting that they win against the “dream team” Rams again in the NFC Championship game, then complete the rare back-to-back title run (that was within reach for the L.O.B. generation) against the Denver Broncos in another rival stadium. We’ll call it the Russell Bowl, and it will put a magnificent bow on multiple Seattle storylines simultaneously.
Michael Hapanovich: Every season it seems as if ‘NFL experts’ sleep on the Seattle Seahawks, and despite taking home their second Super Bowl in February (at Levi’s Stadium), that theme hasn’t changed. While they may have lost RB Kenneth Walker III, LB Boye Mafe, S Coby Bryant and CB Riq Woolen in free agency, they still have arguably the two biggest factors that led to last season’s success; head coach Mike Macdonald and the ‘MOB’ mindset. What continues to be overlooked is WHO the Seahawks brought in to replace the departed veterans. To think Jadarian Price, Dante Fowler Jr. and Julian Neal are that much of a step down that Seattle is no longer a legit contender would be a highly uneducated take. Under Brian Fleury and another year of Mike Macdonald, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Sam Darnold’s turnover rate improve and the defense rank at the top of the league once again in DVOA. The reality is, despite their departures and three season ending injuries (WR Jake Bobo, S Bud Clark and OL Mason Richman), the Seahawks are just as much of a contender as they were in 2025. Although they remain one of the league’s best, I have them dropping a tight division-clinching game to the Los Angeles Rams in Week 18, finishing with a 14-3 record and the #5 seed in the NFC. Despite lifting the Lombardi Trophy on the turf of one division rival last season, they won’t get the chance this year and fall to the eventual Super Bowl winning Rams in the NFC Championship.
That’s a whole lot of winning predicted for the Seahawks. The vibes are positive, so let’s see some more positive results over the next several months! And by the way, it’s not too late for you to make your own season predictions in our Google Form! You have until tonight’s kickoff to submit your Seahawks takes!
