Their Super Bowl triumph came with a bittersweet footnote, as the Seahawks were aware that Charbonnet would require ACL surgery. The recovery timeline for the promising athlete hinges on how effectively his rehabilitation progresses. In light of this situation, Darnold’s teammate offered a heartfelt message regarding his procedure.

Zach Charbonnet shared a poignant Bible verse on Instagram: “And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you,” expressing a resolve to overcome his setback.

The injury occurred during the Seahawks’ NFC Divisional Round triumph over the San Francisco 49ers on January 17, 2026. Now, the Super Bowl champion faces a race against time to return stronger and reinforce his invaluable contributions to the Seahawks, who already signed multiple players to future contracts.

Darnold’s teammate eyes recovery timeline

Charbonnet underwent surgery nearly five weeks after the injury, a common delay designed to allow swelling to reduce. This postponement, however, affects his potential return. With the typical 9–12 month window for ACL rehabilitation, Charbonnet is poised to miss a significant portion of the 2026 season.

Nevertheless, there is optimism for an earlier-than-expected return. Charbonnet’s presence could provide much-needed depth in the latter stages of the season, offering the Seahawks a vital option in their quest to defend their title, a scenario fans are eagerly anticipating.

Seahawks contemplate next moves

With Charbonnet’s surgery behind him and his potential return slated for October or November, the Seahawks face additional uncertainty concerning another key player’s future in the NFL.

Star running back Kenneth Walker III, who claimed the Super Bowl LX MVP honors, is set to enter free agency in March. If Walker departs while Charbonnet continues rehabilitation, the Seahawks will be left with a void at the starting position as they approach the 2026 Draft.

One receiver already sent a message to the team, but Smith-Njigba’s message almost seems like a warning. Speaking to Jonah Javad of WFAA, JSN admitted he wants to be the highest-paid wideout in the NFL.

“I know my time is coming and when we get it done it’s gonna be a great deal. God’s timing is perfect timing… I think I deserve to be the highest-paid at my position, just what I give to the game and the community, I give it my all. And I think that’s worth a lot, lot more.” Smith-Njigba said. “I would play this game for free, I love this game so much, but you don’t have to. I’m learning to be a good businessman, and we need that check at the end of the day.”

The Seahawks offense must remain untouched

The Seahawks lost Klint Kubiak to the Raiders already, so they will change offensive coordinator. However, it’s imperative for them to keep their offensive personnel as untouched as they can. With JSN knowing his contract is next, as well as running back Kenneth Walker III and WR Rashid Shaheed going into free agency. Hence, it’s go time for the Seahawks front office.

Sam Darnold is the only one under contract, at least for two more years. Hence, at least the quarterback is locked and loaded to run it back. Crucial days are coming for the Seahawks right now. After all, JSN, Walker, and Shaheed were all instrumental for the Seahawks win.

The Seahawks must take advantage of Darnold’s contract

Darnold is the 18th-highest paid quarterback in the NFL. Hence, that leaves the Seahawks with plenty of room to operate. That’s why they have the sixth-most cap space. Hence, the Seahawks must be eager and willing to spend the money if that means keeping their Super Bowl roster intact.

For WR/Returner Rashid Shaheed, coming back to Seattle is the priority. Shaheed appeared on The Insiders podcast and said what he wants. “Conversations are definitely going to be heating up towards March. But you know, I would love to come back. I loved my experience here, I’m loving the Pacific Northwest, and obviously the organization is second to none. I kind of want to run it back. We just won the Super Bowl, so, you know, why not?”

Shaheed was instrumental for the team’s success. Not only did he become the deep threat of the team and helped Sam Darnold, he also was stellar as a returner on special teams. Shaheed’s impact on the roster can’t be overstated.

The Seahawks should bring him back

The Seahawks have $62 million in salary cap space, which is the sixth-highest in the NFL. Bringing back Shaheed, who is not an expensive player, should be a priority. Shaheed earned Pro Bowl honors this year for his special teams’ output.

As a receiver, he had 59 catches for 687 yards and two touchdowns, which is a very nice output for a guy who is the third option in the depth chart. As a returner, he had 786 yards for two touchdowns. Hence, Shaheed ended with 1,542 all-purpose yards in 2025.

Shaheed was key for the Seahawks in must-win games

Shaheed turned the tide in Week 16 against the Rams. He housed a punt return that shifted the momentum of the game in Seattle’s favor, and then went to have a rush for 31 yards that almost killed the game. That pretty much sealed Seattle as the first seed in the NFC.

During the playoffs, he returned the opening kick all the way to the endzone and instantly put the 49ers in a world of trouble. It was a knockout blow in the first play of the game. In the Super Bowl, he had two receptions that ended in first downs for the Seahawks as well. The Seahawks really need him back as he is an absolute threat to opposing teams.

On the defensive side, Nick Emmanwori has had an outstanding rookie season, establishing himself as one of the key assets at his position. Even so, the safety knows he hasn’t reached his ceiling and will aim to keep improving in the upcoming season.

“It’s exciting for me because I can’t wait to go to the offseason and put the work in,” Emmanwori said recently on The Richard Sherman Podcast. “I know I’m just scratching the surface. I’m thinking of my prime, like how can I get to my prime?

“In my mind, this is just stuff that I’m putting together, but when I put everything together as far as the coverage and the pass rush and the playbook and just seeing the game, that’s what I’m looking forward to.”

The pivotal moment before the Super Bowl

Although Emmanwori’s first NFL season was outstanding, it’s clear that one of the most important moments for the former South Carolina player came in the divisional matchup against Matthew Stafford’s Rams.

“That was definitely a cool moment. I just remember being in my zone that game. I was in the zone. … It was just natural,” he said. “Whatever’s in the scheme, whatever’s in the playbook, I would flawlessly kind of just adjust to it and I can just make those plays.

“So it was like, I’m guarding the running back, making the play, guarding Puka in the slot, like guarding Davante Adams. Setting the edge, getting off blocks. I was just really in the zone that game and we were just focused. It was just a different feeling.”

Once again led by Darnold

The Seattle Seahawks are looking to reclaim their spot at the top of the NFC with Sam Darnold leading the offense. By pairing Darnold’s veteran experience with their explosive young playmakers, the team aims to build a high-powered scoring unit capable of a deep postseason run. With a revamped strategy and a focus on consistency, Seattle is betting on this new partnership to guide them back to the Super Bowl.

Klint Kubiak and the Raiders will enter a new era as the coach tries to rebuild a dysfunctional organization. For the Seahawks, they want to remain as strong as possible to have back-to-back Super Bowl wins. According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, the Seahawks will interview the San Francisco 49ers tight ends coach, Brian Fleury, for their OC vacancy.

Given that head coach Mike Macdonald runs the defense, the OC job is very important for Seattle, as that coach is in charge of not only gameplanning, but designing and playcalling on offense.

Who is Brian Fleury?

Fleury entered the NFL in 2013 as the Bills quality control coach. He then shifted to the defensive side of the ball, becoming the Browns assistant linebackers coach. In 2019, he arrived in San Francisco to become the 49ers defensive quality control coach. In 2020, the team put him back on offense as the offensive quality control coach. It was in 2022 when he was put in charge of the tight ends, and in 2025, he continued to do so alongside having run game coordinator duties.

In classic Kyle Shanahan fashion, he reinforced his offensive assistants by putting them on defense first. This is good as Fleury knows the ins-and-outs of defense, and he then acts accordingly on offense.

The 49ers would lose another coach

After losing DC Robert Saleh to the Tennessee Titans, now they could lose another one. However, it could be worse. The 49ers OC is Klint Kubiak’s brother, Klay. The Seahawks instead opted for Fleury, but they could’ve gone for the other Kubiak all the same to work alongside Sam Darnold.

Shanahan is used to losing coaches at this point. His coaching tree is one of the most popular ones in the NFL. Hence, he is constantly promoting and bringing new people to his staff. It seems that if he loses Fleury, a new guy will get his shot.

Seahawks cornerback Devon Witherspoon was amazing during the Super Bowl game. He later revealed the Patriots had a tell, and that helped the defense prepare for what was coming.

“I knew what was going on,” Witherspoon said in an interview with SiriusXM NFL Radio. “We had a good tell on what they like to do and how they like to play and how they were going to attack us.” He then went further. “We had a tell on their guards and their tackles, how they like to set, they’re going to overset on certain rushes, they’re going to fall for certain moves any time a group of guys get after them, and today I think we did that,”

Patriots must be fuming

Losing the Super Bowl is hard, but for some, it’s harder. It was reported how a Patriots player didn’t even give interviews postgame. However, one person must be going ballistic after reading what Witherspoon said, and that’s Patriots offensive coordinator, Josh McDaniels.

McDaniels is regarded as one of the best OCs of all time, and he is known for his eye for detail. His expertise on adapting and adjusting mid-game rely on him solving the puzzle of the opposing defense. Watching how he was absolutely dominated by the Seahawks defense because of a detail they caught must burn McDaniels’ inside out. He lost at the game he is best.

Seahawks have a ‘Mamba Mentality’

The Mamba Mentality was made famous by NBA superstar, the late great Kobe Bryant. This meant it’s full gas, all game, no break. Witherspoon admitted that in the middle of the Super Bowl LX celebration, they were still holding each other accountable for the two fourth-quarter the team allowed.

It’s clear this team wants to win, but it wants to be absolutely elite while doing it. The players will celebrate victories. But, they are also on the lookout as to how and where they can improve for the next time. That’s how champions are built.

Ernest Jones IV, who is now a two-time Super Bowl winner, took notice that Rams wideout Puka Nacua tweeted “Sam Darnold” followed by laughing emojis late in the Super Bowl. Jones didn’t like this and retaliated after the game quoting Nacua’s post with a “Ain’t you at home. Goofy a–.“

It’s not the first time Jones comes out to defend Darnold. After Darnold threw four picks in Week 11 against the Rams, Jones took time to defend the now-Super Bowl-winning quarterback. “Sam’s been balling,” Jones said. “If we want to try to define Sam by this game, Sam’s had us in every f—— game. So for him to sit there and say, ‘That’s my fault,’ no it’s not… He’s our quarterback. We’ve got his back, and if you’ve got anything to say, quite frankly, f— you.”

Jones himself had a great Super Bowl LX outing

The fact is Ernest Jones balled out against the Patriots and he didn’t even know. Jones appeared on ESPN postgame, and when the broadcast told him he had 11 tackles, his reaction was priceless, as you can see below.

Johnson played all defensive snaps, and he was fantastic all game. However, this spans throughout the year. Jones led the team with 125 total tackles and also had five interceptions, which puts him second-best in the NFL despite him being a linebacker. Not only that, but he led the NFL in interceptions yards with 150.

Jones is feuding with a former teammate of his

Puka Nacua and Ernest Jones actually played with each other. Jones earned his first Super Bowl with the Rams in 2021 and played with Nacua in the 2023 season. Nacua led the team in receiving yards and Jones led the Rams in tackles that season. However, it seems like they are not in great terms now.

Jones ultimately had the last laugh in this feud. He won a Super Bowl before Nacua got to the Rams, then he left and went on to eliminate Nacua this year to eventually win the Super Bowl again.

The quarterback’s career in this league got off to a turbulent start, failing to meet early expectations. Stops with the Jets, Panthers, then the 49ers followed, before he slowly began to rebuild his game upon arriving in Minnesota with the Vikings. Macdonald knew Darnold had something special inside him — something that could ultimately lead him to greatness.

“Sam doesn’t care about the obstacles,” the HC said to the press. “Everybody’s made a narrative about this guy. They have tried to put a story and a label on who he is as a person, who he is as a quarterback. He does not care. He’s the same guy every day since he showed up.

“He’s so steadfast, he’s a great teammate, his teammates love him. All he’s done since he’s walked in the door is be a tremendous player on our football team and a tremendous leader who’s the same every day. That’s who he is and that’s how we need to talk about him moving forward.”

Darnold’s epic season in Seattle

In his standout 2025 debut season with the Seattle Seahawks, Sam Darnold proved to be the missing piece for the team’s offense, leading them to a dominant 14–3 record.

The veteran quarterback amassed an impressive 4,048 passing yards and threw 25 touchdowns, effectively silencing critics who doubted his consistency. Despite recording 14 interceptions, Darnold maintained a solid 55.6 QBR, demonstrating his ability to keep the chains moving and elevate Seattle to the top of the NFC West.

First ring for Sam Darnold

In a historic night for Seattle, Darnold silenced the skeptics by leading the Seahawks to a thrilling 29-13 victory over the New England Patriots on the game’s biggest stage.

After years of perseverance, the veteran quarterback finally reached the summit of the NFL, lifting his first Super Bowl at 28, and cementing his legacy with a performance for the ages.

“I’m so proud of our guys. Our defense, I can’t say enough good things about out defense and special teams. I know we won the Super Bowl, but we could’ve been a little bit better offensively. But I don’t care about that right now,” Darnold admitted during his postgame interview on the field.

“It’s an unbelievable feeling. I’m just so happy for the guys in the locker room, the coaches that put in so much effort through the whole season. All my teammates, all my coaches I’ve ever had always believed in me, and I’ve always believed in myself because of my family and friends. It’s as simple as that, as long as you believe in yourself, anything is possible.”

Darnold gets his ring

The former third overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft once became a nationwide meme as he admitted to seeing ghosts during a game. Now, he’s become a symbol of perseverance and never giving up.

Hoisting his first Super Bowl at 28, Darnold is a long ways from reaching greats like Tom Brady and Patrick Mahomes, who had won several rings by the age of 28, but one has got to start somewhere. For Darnold, it took a while, but his story has come to a perfect ending—except it’s only getting started.

What a journey

Many believed the die was cast for Darnold. After a rough start to his career with the New York Jets, followed by uneventful stints with the Carolina Panthers and the San Francisco 49ers, Darnold proved he could command an offense when the Minnesota Vikings took him in ahead of the 2024 NFL season.

Still, belief in him always seemed short-leashed, with organizations keeping a wary eye on him and his turnover meltdowns. Even as he led the Seahawks to a 14–3 record, finishing atop the NFC and reaching Super Bowl LX, many across the league believed Darnold would revert to his rookie, wet-behind-the-ears version on the biggest stage.

On February 8, on national television, Darnold proved the world wrong. For immortality, a Super Bowl ring will silence every critic. Darnold is indeed a franchise quarterback in the NFL, and he can lead a team to a Super Bowl. In fact, he now has.

According to StatMuse, Brady won three of his seven Super Bowls before turning 28 in the NFL. He led the New England Patriots to championships in Super Bowls XXXVI, XXXVIII, and XXXIX before his 28th birthday.

As for Mahomes, the best quarterback in Kansas City Chiefs history, he has led his team to five Super Bowl appearances. Three of them came before he turned 28—with another being when he was actually 28 years old.

Mahomes has won three Super Bowls at age 28 or younger, too. However, he also lost another title game during that same span. That defeat came against none other than Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Super Bowl LV. Five Super Bowls later, Darnold finally got his first ring.

Darnold’s stats in Super Bowl LX

Taking on a talented defense like New England’s, the biggest priority for Darnold and company was to protect the football. They did just that, while putting together long drives to take the air out the Pats’ sails. As the clock hit zero, Darnold finished the night with 19 completions for 202 yards and a touchdown pass.

Though it wasn’t his best game of the season, Darnold made no mistakes and helped the Seahawks hoist their second Super Bowl in franchise history. With a defense as elite as Seattle’s, Darnold and the offense could afford to have somewhat of a slow night.

Still, Darnold and the Seahawks had a walk in the park compared to Drake Maye, who was outplayed by Seattle in Super Bowl LX, leading to memes and reactions all over social media.

“LB Tyrice Knight is being evaluated for a concussion,” the Seahawks announce on social media, via @seahawksPR on X.

Knight had recorded one solo tackle so far in Super Bowl LX, helping the Seahawks defense—nicknamed “The Dark Side”—wreak havoc on Drake Maye, Mike Vrabel, and the Pats’ plans.

Moreover, the former fourth-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft plays a crucial role on the Seahawks’ special teams, which has been one of the high points for the organization in 2025. In Super Bowl LX, the Hawks have no plans whatsoever to abandon an area of the game that has helped them reach the grand stage.

When did injury happen?

Although the Seahawks haven’t confirmed the exact play in which Knight may have sustained a concussion, all signs point to a kickoff in which Knight delivered a vicious hit on Patriots kick returner D’Ernest Johnson.

Seattle is now on full alert, as Jaxon Smith-Njigba is being evaluated for a concussion, hindering the Seahawks’ wide receiver depth chart. Still, Macdonald and the Hawks they are confident they can keep the foot on the pedal despite the injuries. After all, they a part of football, and in Super Bowl LX that’s no different.