When asked about Darnold, Macdonald said “He’s on his way back. Is it next week? Is it the week after, the week after that? I’m not sure. I’m optimistic, put it that way.” Hence, no return date has been established yet, but all things point to a great evolution by Darnold.

In the meantime, the Seahawks will have to face divisional rivals Cardinals without their Super Bowl-winning signal-caller. They already beat the Patriots without Darnold, but that doesn’t make it easy.

How did Drew Lock play vs Patriots?

With Drew Lock basically a sure starter in Week 2, the fact is that he wasn’t stellar in Week 1, but he was effective enough. At the end of the game, the Seahawks won and the Patriots fell to 0-1.

Lock completed 16/22 passes for 187 yards and a touchdown. However, his main mission was not to turn the ball over, and he accomplished that. As long as Lock doesn’t give away the ball, the Seahawks defense can manage to win football games.

The Cardinals are off an emotional win

No one saw the Cardinals winning away at the Chargers in Week 1, but they looked composed and ready to go. They pulled off the upset of the week and now are in a crash-down spot.

Usually, teams off an emotional, unlikely win tend to crash down during the next game. Hence, the Cardinals need to battle that moment as they face the Seahawks, who had a long week to prepare for this game.

For the Foxborough team, Larison’s elevation is understandable given that TreVeyon Henderson will miss the game due to injury, while Wishnowsky will join the special teams unit. Notable absences are already beginning to make their presence felt at the very start of the season for Mike Vrabel and his staff.

The reigning Super Bowl champions, meanwhile, are still waiting for more clarity on safety Nick Emmanwori’s status. As a result, also according to Schefter, they signed AJ Finley off the practice squad and elevated Rodney Thomas II also from the PS.

Everything is set in Seattle

The wait is finally over, and fittingly, the 2026 season begins with the same teams that closed out the 2025 campaign. The Seahawks and Patriots were the protagonists of the most recent Super Bowl, with Seattle claiming the title after a resounding 29–13 victory.

Adrian Hill will be leading the officiating crew in what is expected to be a packed Lumen Field, with a capacity of nearly 68,000 spectators. The 12s will look to make their presence felt once the football gets underway.

Notable absences in Seattle

Mike Macdonald has had to adjust his game plan in an unconventional way for the season opener, as several of his players will be sidelined due to injury. Jake Bobo will not play after suffering a serious injury to his right knee.

A similar situation is unfolding in the Seahawks’ backfield. Zach Charbonnet will also be unavailable due to a serious knee injury, meaning RB1 for this game will be Jadarian Price.

While Ty Okada is the team’s first option at free safety, Clark was expected to play a significant role this season. The third option on the depth chart, Maxen Hook, will now likely see more playing time.

Seattle’s strong safety position also features three highly agile and versatile players. Julian Love is the top option, followed by AJ Finley, with Rodney Thomas II further down the depth chart.

The worst-case outcome for Clark

In a real gut-punch moment during Sunday night’s preseason game against the Titans, Bud Clark went down with a broken ankle on Seattle’s very first defensive snap. He got caught in a pileup mid-play while defending a run, and trainers had to put an air cast on his right leg before carting him off as teammates gathered around.

Clark was selected with the 64th overall pick in the second round of the latest draft out of the TCU Horned Frogs. Expected to be an important addition to the secondary, his long-awaited professional debut will unfortunately be delayed longer than anticipated.

Another test for the reigning champions

So far, the results for Mike Macdonald’s team have not been what was expected, not only statistically but also in terms of overall performance. They opened the preseason with a 17–7 loss to the Dallas Cowboys, while their visit to Nissan Stadium ended in a 19–16 loss to the Titans.

Their third and final preseason game will be anything but easy. It will take place next Friday, August 28, when they travel to Arrowhead to face the always-tough Kansas City Chiefs.

“It feels like a revamp, a new energy in the building, honestly,” he said via the team’s official website. “It feels good to put the past behind us and really focus on the future. On right now in front of us, that’s attacking training camp, and I can just tell by the vibe of the guys, talking to them in the locker room, we’re ready for that. We’re ready for the next thing. It’s awesome to be here now.”

Despite Kenneth Walker III’s departure to the Kansas City Chiefs, Mike Macdonald was able to retain key players such as JSN, as well as Sam Darnold and Cooper Kupp. It will be time to see, once the ball hits the gridiron, whether this team has everything required to achieve back-to-back titles.

Thinking ahead: The Seahawks’ message

Mike Macdonald is determined to keep his team competitive and focused on the upcoming season. Dwelling too much on past accomplishments does little to help a team achieve its goal of winning again. Cooper Kupp, one of the most experienced players on the roster, understands the importance of continuing to look ahead.

“The league moves on, just like life,” Kupp said. “Things happen, and shoot, the clock keeps ticking, life keeps moving forward. You’ve got to be able to adapt and move, and it’s the same way with football. Football keeps going, keeps growing, keeps changing, and you can’t be complacent.

“If you get stuck celebrating for too long, you’re going to be in trouble. Guys have done a great job of really just moving on. At the end of the day, it’s, what can you learn from last year? How does it apply to this year? Let’s take it and make it come to life.”

Sam Darnold’s offensive weapons

Sam Darnold managed to keep his two primary receiving weapons, Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Cooper Kupp, while Rashid Shaheed rounds out the receiving corps as another key target.

In the backfield, despite his injury, Zach Charbonnet remains the top option although he is expected to miss at least a portion of the season. Seattle also added two more offensive players in the latest NFL Draft: Emmanuel Henderson Jr. and Jadarian Price.

The first steps toward defending the title

The Seattle Seahawks will be looking to win back-to-back Super Bowl titles, something that is extremely difficult to accomplish in the NFL. To do so, getting off to a strong start in the 2026 season will be crucial.

• Week 1, vs New England Patriots
• Week 2, at Arizona Cardinals
• Week 3, at Washington Commanders
• Week 4, vs Los Angeles Chargers
• Week 5, vs San Francisco 49ers

“Bro I really don’t care,” Mike Macdonald firmly stated when asked about Garrett’s arrival to the Rams. Should Sam Darnold be on alert for those matchups? Probably.

The NFC West has now brought in the latest Defensive Player of the Year, who also broke the single-season sack record last year with a total of 23. All eyes should be wide open not only for the Seahawks, but also for the Arizona Cardinals and the San Francisco 49ers.

Still, Seattle has ways to counter Garrett’s talent, as they boast an intriguing offensive line—one of the key reasons they undoubtedly secured their last Super Bowl title.

Seahawks look to put a stop to Garrett

As Sam Darnold and the Seattle Seahawks prepare to face the Los Angeles Rams in 2026, all eyes will be on how Seattle’s offensive line handles the newly acquired monster on the edge, Myles Garrett.

Ensuring elite pocket protection will be the absolute priority to keep the quarterback upright, a mission that relies heavily on anchor tackles Charles Cross and Abraham Lucas, alongside rising guard Grey Zabel. Keeping Darnold clean and stable in the pocket is paramount, especially considering he was sacked 27 times during the 2025 season.

Upcoming matchups between the Rams and Seahawks

The Seattle Seahawks and the Los Angeles Rams will square off twice during the 2026 regular season in crucial NFC West divisional matchups. Their first meeting will take place in Week 16 on Christmas Day at Lumen Field in Seattle, followed by the regular-season finale in Week 18 at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles.

According to insider Mike Garafolo via his X account, the opponent for Sam Darnold‘s Seahawks will come from these four candidates: the Arizona Cardinals, the New England Patriots, the Los Angeles Chargers, and the Chicago Bears.

For the second time in NFL history, the season will begin on a Wednesday, in this case on September 9. An international game led to this change in the schedule.

The Los Angeles Rams and the San Francisco 49ers will play a game in Australia for the first time, a country with a 14-hour time difference compared to the U.S. West Coast. The matchup will take place on Thursday, September 10, at 8:35 p.m. ET for viewers in the United States.

Seahawks will look to achieve a back-to-back title

Retaining the title and winning another Super Bowl is the main goal for the Seattle Seahawks. The task will not be easy due to the tough schedule ahead. They will host difficult opponents such as the Kansas City Chiefs, the New England Patriots, as well as the Dallas Cowboys and New York Giants.

Traveling will also be far from easy for Mike Macdonald’s team. In addition to its divisional matchups, it will have to visit Mile High Stadium to face the Denver Broncos, battle the Philadelphia Eagles on the road, and also take on a revamped Las Vegas Raiders.

Seattle Seahawks head into their second season opener as reigning champions

The 2014 NFL season kicked off on September 4 with a high-stakes matchup between the Seattle Seahawks and the Green Bay Packers. For the first time as the reigning Super Bowl champions, the Seahawks hosted the game and delivered a commanding performance, winning 36–16.

Led by Marshawn Lynch’s two rushing touchdowns and a relentless “Legion of Boom” defense, Seattle successfully began its title defense by shutting down one of the league’s most potent offenses in front of a record-breaking home crowd.

“One of the great things that paints a great picture about what Jax means to us being a foundational piece of our football team and our organization is we’ve got a full house here,” the head coach said, via the team’s website.

“Just being able to see his growth over the two years that we’ve been here. I mean, the sky’s the limit. This is the beginning. This is another iteration of our football team, and Jax is obviously going to be a huge part of it.”

JSN sets sights on second Super Bowl title

Jaxon Smith-Njigba is determined to keep the momentum rolling with the Seattle Seahawks, with one clear goal in mind: capturing another title. In fact, he admitted the only thing better than winning a Super Bowl is doing it twice.

Improving on those numbers won’t be an easy task, but the motivation that comes with becoming the highest-paid wide receiver in league history could give him an extra edge. In 2025, he posted 119 receptions for 1,793 yards and 10 touchdowns.

New ground weapon for Macdonald?

Following Kenneth Walker III’s departure to the Kansas City Chiefs, Mike Macdonald’s team has been left somewhat depleted in the ground game. It’s worth noting the running back was named Super Bowl LV MVP.

For that reason, the Seahawks have set their sights on Najee Harris, though they’re not alone in the race. The Raiders have also entered the conversation for the former Chargers and Steelers running back, setting up a battle for his services ahead of the upcoming season.

“The only thing better than one Super Bowl is two,” the wide receiver revealed to the press. It won’t be an easy task, as they now have a target on their backs, and the other 31 teams will be looking to take that privileged spot away.

In recent days, Smith-Njigba became the highest-paid wide receiver in NFL history. Starting in Week 1, he’ll have to justify the immense trust his franchise placed in him with this new contract on the field.

A dream 2025 for Smith-Njigba

Jaxon Smith-Njigba’s 2025 breakout campaign was nothing short of legendary, as he spearheaded the Seahawks‘ offense with a record-breaking performance. The star wideout led the NFL with a staggering 1,793 receiving yards and set franchise highs with 119 receptions and 10 touchdowns, earning him the league’s Offensive Player of the Year honors.

His impact reached its peak during Super Bowl LX, where his elite route running and gravity on the field dismantled the New England Patriots’ secondary. By drawing constant double-teams, JSN opened up the field for his teammates and came up clutch with several third-down conversions, ultimately proving to be the catalyst in Seattle’s decisive 29–13 victory to secure the Lombardi Trophy.

New offensive teammate in Seattle?

Looking ahead to next season’s roster, the Seattle Seahawks want to keep the bar high. Bringing in veteran leadership is seen as essential.

According to insider Ian Rapoport on X, the player who recently met with the franchise was none other than Najee Harris. The former Steelers star could land with Mike Macdonald’s team, though he’s also scheduled to interview with the Las Vegas Raiders.

During the 2025 NFL Honors ceremony, the league named Vrabel Coach of the Year following an impressive season in New England. While his regular-season performance earned widespread praise, the year ended on a different note.

In Super Bowl LX, Vrabel and the Patriots were outcoached by Macdonald and the Seahawks, who captured the franchise’s second Vince Lombardi Trophy. With the championship secured, many fans began questioning whether the Coach of the Year award should have gone elsewhere.

Mike Macdonald sends blunt message about COTY snub

The Seahawks celebrated their Super Bowl victory with a parade at Lumen Field on Wednesday, marking a historic moment for the franchise. Amid the festivities, the Coach of the Year debate resurfaced.

During the celebration, longtime Seahawks radio voice Steve Raible introduced Macdonald by saying he should have been named the 2025 Coach of the Year. When Macdonald stepped up to the microphone, he responded with a memorable line while holding the Lombardi Trophy: “I think I’ll take this trophy instead.”

Mike Macdonald’s key change for the Seahawks

Prior to the 2025 NFL season, the Seahawks made a bold decision at quarterback, bringing in Sam Darnold after Geno Smith departed for the Las Vegas Raiders. The move paid off in dramatic fashion. While Las Vegas finished with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, Seattle went on to win Super Bowl LX.

Macdonald’s impact on the team was undeniable throughout the 2025 campaign, and the decision to trust Darnold proved to be one of the defining moves of the season. Under his leadership, the Seahawks found consistency, confidence, and ultimately championship success.

The receiver’s career so far has been stellar. He has lifted the Vince Lombardi Trophy twice (once with the Rams and most recently this past weekend) and was also named MVP in his first Super Bowl. Because of this, Macdonald did not hesitate to state that Kupp has a Hall of Fame–worthy future.

“Cooper is an absolute force multiplier, an absolute stud of a person, stud of a teammate,” Seahawks head coach said Sunday evening. “This should cement him in the Hall of Fame, in my opinion. Super Bowl MVP, two-time champion, all-time great teammate.

“I think the other thing with Coop is the way he’s helped our program and how we do things from day to day is not talked about enough. He’s got a great perspective. I’d be an idiot not to listen to him. Sometimes we don’t do what he wants, but we definitely listen to him.”

The key to success, according to Kupp

Winning a Super Bowl is undoubtedly one of the most difficult goals for any NFL team. It not only requires talent, but also the human quality necessary to achieve great objectives.

“It’s unbelievable,” Kupp after Sunday’s game. “To be in this place, it’s hallowed ground. Only the teams that come together to fight through adversity — you’re going to see it, you’re going to find times when things don’t go your way. We had such a connected group.

“Every single person to a man would say the special thing about this group is how connected we are. A belief in each other, a genuine love for each other to see the guy next to you succeed and that made all the difference in the world.”

From this point on — even long before the first practice of the new season begins — the Seahawks’ head coach knows that every one of his rivals will want to beat them starting in Week 1.

“We use the term ‘chasing edges’ here in Seattle,” Macdonald said at the Super Bowl handover press conference. “You have to live like that, you know, you can’t be copying everybody else. We want to be on the forefront of things. We know that — we know that we’re target No. 1 now.

“But again, it’s really gonna be our mentality for us to keep pushing the envelope with our personnel, where we can take things at our speed, you know? And so, there’s gonna be times where we feel like teams get a beat on us, and we’re gonna have to move and shake, and that’s happened several times throughout this season as well. And that’s just how we operate.”

Full confidence in his players in Seattle

The Seahawks’ entire staff put in tremendous preparation to stop Drake Maye and his offense. However, when the game began, the head coach left everything in the hands of his players, who responded positively from the very first snap.

“It’s funny, I told the team, on Saturday night, you know, I got a bad habit of hemming and hawing in my office, and with the rest of our coaching staff, thinking about plays and what we’re gonna run, and how it’s gonna go,” the HC said, “and then you get around the guys, and you see them, and all of a sudden, all those worries kind of go away magically.

“I think that speaks to how they played. Became very clear very early that they were a determined bunch that were gonna play our style ball last night. At that point, really, you know, the place became irrelevant. It was really the style of how the guys played, just to play that relentlessly throughout the game was really impressive, and really proud of those guys. That was a remarkable game by our defense.”

What’s next for the Seahawks?

The city of Seattle is buzzing with excitement as fans prepare for a massive Seahawks victory parade, scheduled as a citywide tribute on Wednesday, February 11, 2026. This historic celebration will see the streets painted in emerald and navy as the community gathers to honor the team’s incredible achievement.