Wilson’s legacy on the gridiron is undeniable: he is a 10-time Pro Bowler, the 2020 Walter Payton Man of the Year, a two-time NFC champion, and a Super Bowl XLVIII Champion with the Seattle Seahawks. Leaving the game ranked 16th all-time with 46,966 career passing yards, his impact on the league will be felt for years to come.

As Wilson transitions to the booth, the four franchises he once led find themselves in vastly different situations today at the quarterback position.

The current state of Russell Wilson’s former teams

Seattle Seahawks

Entering the NFL as a modest third-round pick (75th overall) in 2012, Wilson quickly defied all expectations in the Emerald City and secured a historic Super Bowl victory in 2014. In a poetic twist of fate, the very same year Wilson announced his retirement, the Seahawks captured another Lombardi Trophy—winning Super Bowl LX under the leadership of quarterback Sam Darnold.

Darnold, who completed a massive career resurgence by guiding the NFC West powerhouse back to the mountaintop, is now firmly entrenched as Seattle’s franchise QB1.

Denver Broncos

In 2022, the Broncos executed a blockbuster trade with the Seahawks to acquire the quarterback who had famously defeated them in the Super Bowl nearly a decade prior. Unfortunately, the high-stakes partnership never quite clicked, and the two sides parted ways in 2024.

Today, Denver’s quarterback room is in a much more promising position with Bo Nix under center. Nix successfully led the Broncos to the AFC Championship game last season; though the club fell to the New England Patriots after Nix was sidelined with an injury, the future remains incredibly bright in Mile High.

Pittsburgh Steelers

Following his release from Denver, Wilson signed a one-year deal with Pittsburgh. While he managed to guide Mike Tomlin’s squad to a playoff berth, the offense lacked the long-term consistency management desired, leading to his exit after just one season.

To replace him, the Steelers made waves by signing four-time MVP Aaron Rodgers. Rodgers enjoyed a solid 2025 campaign, orchestrating another playoff appearance for the black and gold. The franchise is fully running it back, confirming Rodgers’ return as the definitive starter for the 2026 season.

New York Giants

Wilson’s final destination in the NFL was a brief, rocky stint with the New York Giants. Though he earned the Week 1 starting nod, his uneven performances failed to satisfy head coach Brian Daboll, resulting in a swift benching.

The reins of the offense were handed to rookie Jaxson Dart, whom the Giants selected in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft. Bringing a dynamic dual-threat capability reminiscent of a young Wilson, Dart earned the full trust of the coaching staff, while Wilson concluded his final season as the team’s QB3 behind Dart and veteran Jameis Winston.

Patrick Mahomes sends heartfelt tribute

Following his retirement video, praise poured in from players across the league. Among the most notable reactions was a classy, heartfelt exchange with Kansas City Chiefs superstar Patrick Mahomes.

“Congrats on a helluva carreer man!” Patrick Mahomes wrote on his Instagram post. “Thanks, 15. Love we got to share the field together! Keep being an inspiration to the kids!” Wilson replied.

“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.

“We talked for like 30 minutes on FaceTime, just chopping it up, and after that I made my decision,” Fowler via the team’s official website. “If you want to win a Super Bowl, you should come here,” read one of Lawrence’s messages.

After winning the most recent Super Bowl, the Seahawks will be the ones featured in the 2026 NFL season opener. With an elite outside linebacker group, Fowler Jr. may have finally found the place in the league where he can ultimately go on to lift a Vince Lombardi Trophy at the end of the season.

An old familiar face from Dallas

The temptation from DeMarcus Lawrence to join Seattle was not the only reason behind Dante Fowler Jr.’s decision. Aden Durde is currently the defensive coordinator under Mike Macdonald and knows the linebacker first-hand from their time together with the Dallas Cowboys.

“Me and him have a really great relationship going all the way back to when I was playing with the Falcons, and when we had a really great defense with the Cowboys. So just being able to come and play for him again as a defensive coordinator is really cool.”

Cowboys still can’t reach another Super Bowl

The Dallas Cowboys captured their last championship on January 28, 1996, with a 27–17 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowl XXX. While that era defined the franchise as a powerhouse, the 2025 season proved to be a stark contrast as the team struggled to find consistency, ultimately missing the playoffs with a disappointing 7–9–1 record.

Defensively, Dante Fowler Jr. appeared in all 17 games, contributing 3.0 sacks, 15 total tackles (10 solo), and 30 total pressures. Despite these individual efforts on the edge, the defensive unit as a whole surrendered a franchise-record 511 points, leaving the Cowboys outside the postseason picture once again.

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.

The information was revealed by insider Tom Pelissero through his X account, adding that the deal was for a sum close to $5 million. Mike Macdonald adds quality and experience in the trenches.

Fowler Jr. will play for his sixth team since turning professional. In addition to the already mentioned Jaguars and Cowboys, he has also worn the jerseys of the Washington Commanders, Los Angeles Rams, and Atlanta Falcons.

Fowler Jr.’s 2025 season in Dallas

During his second tenure with the Dallas Cowboys, Dante Fowler Jr. served as a key rotational pass rusher, contributing a solid veteran presence to the defensive line. In his final season with the team, he recorded 10 solo tackles and showcased his ability to get to the quarterback by tallying 3 sacks.

While he didn’t record any forced fumbles or interceptions during that stretch, his efficiency in limited snaps helped maintain the intensity of the Cowboys’ pass rush.

How much do the Seahawks gain with the arrival of the pass rusher?

The addition of Dante Fowler Jr. provides the Seattle Seahawks with a seasoned pass rusher who brings valuable depth and a high pressure rate to Mike Macdonald’s defensive front. By joining forces with defensive coordinator Aden Durde, Fowler Jr. allows the Seahawks to maintain a more consistent rotation, keeping their edge rushers fresh for high-leverage passing downs.

He is expected to join a rotation that features potential starters DeMarcus Lawrence, Uchenna Nwosu, and Derick Hall, significantly bolstering a unit that needed veteran reinforcements after the departure of Boye Mafe.

According to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN, the Seahawks would love to address Kenneth Walker’s exit in a unorthodox way. Walker joining the Chiefs left quite a hole in Seattle’s running game.

While the team addressed it by drafting running back Jadarian Price in the 2026 NFL Draft, the fact is that’s not the only alternative to get the running game going. Per Fowler, “The Seahawks have backfield depth and also hope to utilize dual-threat QB Jalen Milroe.”

Jalen Milroe is a highly-athletic QB

Milroe is a big body with explosive speed. We’ve seen previous teams use this strategy before. For instance, two years ago the Steelers did it with Justin Fields. The Saints have also done it with Taysom Hill.

Sam Darnold will still be the undoubted starter off the team, but he is a pure pocket passer, and his speed is not precisely one to dazzle anyone. Hence, everytime Milroe is on the field, pay attention to run-pass-options (RPOs) to either explode on the run, or launch his bazooka arm deep.

The Seahawks have other lesser weapons on the RB depth chart

The Seahawks will have Price as RB1, and Zach Charbonnet will come back from his injury at some point. Still, the Seahawks also brought in Emmanuel Wilson to join George Holani, Velus Jones Jr., Kenny McIntosh, and Jacardia Wright.

During his final season at Ohio State, Smith-Njigba played only three games due to a nagging hamstring injury. This raised concerns that his draft stock might fall in 2023, but the Seahawks ultimately selected him with the 20th overall pick and Mike Macdonald now knows there’s no ceiling for the WR.

Upon his arrival, the Seahawks knew they needed to address JSN’s health. Recently, the team’s Director of Equipment, Erik Kennedy, revealed that a foot scan and a change in cleat size helped the wide receiver leave his hamstring issues behind.

“You’re always trying to find little edges that can help players,” Kennedy said on The John Schneider Show. “Let’s just say Jaxon Smith-Njigba, you were talking him about in college, he was wearing a size 12, had hamstring issues and things like that. Gets here, he’s a 10 1/2. . . . It’s helped him, right? He hasn’t missed time and done things like that. That helps build the trust for us with the players.”

The Seahawks are prioritizing player health

The Seahawks didn’t just fix Smith-Njigba’s issues; they’ve applied this philosophy to the entire roster. The secret? Custom-made gear for every player, and it has worked pretty well so far.

Kennedy added that JSN’s foot scan—which revealed he was wearing a size 12 when he actually needed a 10.5—prompted the organization to re-evaluate everyone. Following these checkups, the team shifted to custom helmets, cleats, and shoulder pads to minimize injury risks.

“What we get into is the helmet, to protect the players, everything should be custom, right?” Kennedy said. “We’ve gotten to the point we believe everything’s custom, and John and those guys and the ownership and everybody’s afforded us the opportunity to go out and chase and do those things where wearing the top helmets, wearing custom shoulder pads that are scanned to the body, scanning the feet, like getting to the point where you’re basically scanning everything to fit the person, and then having the crew to be able to do it. There’s five of us full-time guys that do it.”

A solid ownership leads to success

The Seahawks are proof that an organization that takes care of its players is rewarded with success. Three years after JSN’s arrival and the implementation of custom-made gear, a Super Bowl title returned to Seattle with their Super Bowl LX victory.

While the club is now for sale, the current ownership has set a perfect blueprint for success for the next owners. Fans hope the new leadership continues these innovative practices to build a dynasty in the near future.

“My guess is the [NFL] won’t want to take that risk,” Hunt stated, via ESPN’s Nate Taylor. “I don’t think that’s on the table anymore. I think from a league standpoint, there would be some concern whether [Patrick Mahomes] would be ready to go.”

Mahomes is coming off surgery for a torn ACL and LCL suffered late in the 2025 NFL season. Despite encouraging signs—such as Mahomes posting a video of himself throwing a football on social media—Andy Reid and the Chiefs still can’t provide an exact timeline for his return.

As long as that uncertainty remains, the NFL may not commit to scheduling the Chiefs’ game at the Seahawks as the opener for the 2026 campaign. The safer approach would be to wait for clarity on Mahomes’ status and schedule Kansas City’s visit to the Emerald City for later in the year.

Chiefs resort to Brady example

Back in 2009, a returning-from-injury Tom Brady and the New England Patriots opened the season at home on Monday Night Football. That would be an ideal scenario for the Chiefs in 2026, as every extra day is crucial to getting Mahomes back healthy and on time so he doesn’t miss any games.

While Hunt and the Chiefs haven’t submitted any formal request to the league, they know history may be on their side if they choose to make their case. “It’s not a request we’ve made. It sounds like a good idea [for the NFL], although it’s only one [more] day,” Hunt said.

When does the NFL announce its schedule?

The NFL usually reveals its schedule for the upcoming season in mid-May, and that isn’t expected to change in 2026. Thus, there is still time for the league to consider every key detail and come up with the best possible schedule to keep every team satisfied. Having a Mahomes-less Kansas City Chiefs team open the season in Seattle may be less than ideal, but the league has several other issues to address, and it may end up being the best they can do.

In the City of Fountains, though, Hunt and company are quite confident they won’t book hotel rooms in the state of Washington to start the season. They believe the NFL knows better than to risk opening the season with the defending Super Bowl champions led by backup quarterback Justin Fields on a Wednesday night. Anything can happen, though, so Hunt and the Chiefs must stay alert for any outcome when the official schedule is announced.

“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.

This offseason, the Seahawks decided not to offer Walker III a new contract, prompting him to sign a three-year, $43 million deal with the Kansas City Chiefs and join Patrick Mahomes’ offense.

Zach Charbonnet now appears as the RB1 in the depth chart. Nevertheless, it seems like the Seahawks want to add more depth, with Najee Harris visiting the team on Wednesday.

Najee Harris may have a larger role in Seattle than in Las Vegas

Najee Harris entered the NFL as the 24th overall pick in 2021. He had an immediate impact with the Pittsburgh Steelers, securing over 1,000 rushing yards in each of his first four seasons.

Following his time in Pittsburgh, Harris signed a one-year deal with the Los Angeles Chargers for the 2025 season. Unfortunately, his campaign was cut short in Week 3 by a torn Achilles. Now a free agent, his best opportunity to return to a high-volume role may be with the Seahawks.

Seattle features a solid offensive line that helped Walker III thrive in 2025. If Harris joins the Seahawks, he would likely lead a committee alongside Zach Charbonnet (who is recovering from a February ACL surgery).

In contrast, joining the Raiders, who Harris will visit next week, would likely see him in a clear “wingman” role behind 2025 first-round standout Ashton Jeanty, who led the league in broken tackles as a rookie.

“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.