Over the cusp of training camp, it is perhaps the perfect time to turn the final page on the Seattle Seahawks’ 2025 Super Bowl-winning team.
The final three episodes of Making a Champion (which started with John Schneider) centered around Rashid Shaheed (ep. 7), Sam Darnold (ep. 8) and Mike Macdonald (ep. 9). Those tied the series—and really the whole vibe of that title squad together in a neat bow before the slate is wiped clean for another campaign.
The Focus
One of the things themes that stood out when hearing
from all three men, was how focused, disciplined and committed to the mission, this team felt.
Shaheed was asked when he realized that the NFC West has a different level of intensity in their level of competition. He said, “It didn’t take me long at all. It took me two drives to realize how serious this team was and how on track we were to our goals.” Shaheed referenced “the intensity and the urgency that everybody had in the building, from the coaches to the players: everyone just believed in one another.”
Shaheed went on to discuss organizational mindset, even while up big (like against the San Francisco 49ers): “I feel like, with this team, it’s definitely foot on the gas. I feel like that’s what our coaches instilled in us: win, loss, up on the board, tie game, you kind of just stay even keeled throughout it all. And you know, just keep your head down, keep grinding it out, ‘cus in this game, you never know. This game could flip like that, as we’ve seen. so, just keep the foot on the gas and you know, never let up. That’s the mindset we’ve had, and that’s how we’re able to finish games so strong.”
Sam Darnold added to the chorus of individuals in this outfit that are constantly able to block out the noise: “You can’t give into, like, anything that they’re saying; whether it’s good or bad, ‘cus like, you’re investing in it. If you invest in something that someone on TV says that’s good about you, subconsciously, you’re going to hold their opinion to a different weight. If they say something bad about you, you can be like, ‘oh, I don’t care’, but you really do, because you validated it by saying, ‘they told me I was good, that’s awesome for me.’”
He goes on to say, “For me, it was just like, not paying attention to what anyone said. That really changed things for me, and I started doing that a few years ago. I really do think football is like, the ultimate team sport. when you start caring what people say about you, that kind of goes against everything that I grew up loving about football. It is the ultimate team sport, and I know that it takes a team to have success. It’s just up to me to be smart with the football and put the ball in the end zone.”
The Bond
Another common thread across these interviews was something we’ve heard before. The special level of bonding that took place on this team, in particular. All three guys have come from different team backgrounds and expressed that this was different.
Shaheed spoke on the media criticism and doubt of QB, Sam Darnold throughout the season and up until the Super Bowl game: “I feel like the noise and all that other stuff, it didn’t really phase him, or us. We know what type of player Sam was, we knew what type of leader he was. He’s proven that he can win games. You know, the media is going to say what they want to say, but as long as Sam goes out there and continues to lead and win games here; and to see what he did in his first year in the organization, not a lot of guys can do that and handle it the way he did and ultimately win a championship.”
It’s clear that the members of the Seattle Seahawks care about each other’s success. That was reinforced by the man in charge on gameday.
Macdonald on seeing the vets win a championship who had been waiting for a long time in their careers to get to this point: “I’m not thinking that they were thinking, ‘wow, finally, it’s my time.’ It’s like, their mentality was just like… they were excited for our team. I think that’s how we were able to become the team we became, because we didn’t have all these guys that were kind of just, ‘hey, I’ve been in a league for X-amount of years. I’ve never been to the Super Bowl.’ I’m sure they were thinking that, but their actions didn’t really back that up, you know.’
The Hunger
What we all want to know, is if the 2026 Seattle Seahawks have what it takes to go back to the top of the mountain?
Mike Macdonald on the Super Bowl experience: “One thing I didn’t anticipate was how many media members are out there, like across the world, had really no idea about who we were and what we did, and like, our guys. It just felt like we were this team that showed up that they had no idea, you know, how we did things. And so, for that to come through for the world to show, or kind of learned who the Seahawks were was a really great byproduct of the whole week.”
Coach Mike has now experienced the high-level East-Coast bias that all Seattle athletes from time immemorial have had to embrace. The underdog mentality. I like to hear that edge in Macdonald’s bullish belief in this team.
Of course, the thesis of these sit-downs was to ask each participant to define what made the 2025 team a championship outfit.
Shaheed on what made the 2025 Seahawks a championship team: “I feel like everybody, um… we grind. We work here. Coming from New Orleans to here, I saw the difference in what a championship football team really—no disrespect to New Orleans—but you know, obviously you just kind of feel what needs to be done. Now that we’ve done that, I feel like we can kind of, carry it on to the team that is the 2026 Seahawks. Super excited about that.”
That’s great focus.
Darnold on what made the 2025 Seahawks a championship team: “I would say how close we were. I would say, just the chemistry that we all—the bond, the love that he had for each other.”
That’s great unity.
Macdonald on what made the 2025 Seahawks a championship team: “I think them adopting the M.O.B. ties mentality, of just how we’re going to do it every day. So, what’s included in that? It’s the daily mentality about who we want to be. It’s a focusing. It’s about us. It’s the connection with the team. That’s what made it special. So, X’s and O’s are important, but not that important.
That is all of it. The mindset, the team building and the constant chasing of edges that Coach Macdonald often speaks of. From all indications, the 2026 Seattle Seahawks seem to understand that last year is last year. They also seem to embrace that there is more room for growth on a team that has laid the foundation for continued success.
It all starts in training camp.
