Seattle just won the Super Bowl, and already the defending champions are facing a wave of skepticism. A growing chorus of critics insists the Seahawks have zero chance to repeat, pointing to last season as a one-off and questioning whether quarterback Sam Darnold can reproduce his playoff success. The warning is blunt: the roster has changed, the schedule will be brutal, and the NFC West remains the toughest division in football. Yet Seattle’s response is defiant.
As one supporter put it, “We won it. We ain’t been beat yet. ”
The offseason was not flawless. Kenneth Walker, the Super Bowl MVP who led the NFL in playoff rushing, is gone.
Tariq Woolen, a 6-foot-4 cornerback with rare physical tools, has also departed. Those are significant losses that created holes on both sides of the ball. Seattle attempted to address the running back void by drafting Notre Dame’s Jadarian Price with the 32nd overall pick, betting on his explosiveness to eventually soften Walker’s departure. Defensively, the Seahawks still have Devon Witherspoon, a young star cornerback expected to command a massive payday in the near future.
The biggest reason for optimism lies at quarterback. Critics argue Darnold cannot repeat his 2024 performance, but the counterargument is that he is not starting over. He returns to the same organization, the same head coach, the same locker room, and the same offensive system he thrived in last season. Darnold threw for 4,048 yards and 25 touchdowns in 2024, carrying Seattle to the top of the NFC.
He now has another year with Jackson Smith-Njigba, who proved he can function as a true number one receiver. The additions of Cooper Kupp and Rashid Shaheed further bolster the receiving corps, making the claim that Darnold has fewer weapons difficult to defend. At 29 years old, Darnold is entering what should be the prime of his career. The question may not be whether he can match last season, but whether he can improve upon it.
Still, one glaring weakness threatens to undermine all of that optimism. Seattle’s offensive line was heavily criticized last season, and rookie Gray Zabel was brought in to help stabilize the unit. If the protection breaks down, Darnold will face constant pressure, and the entire championship formula gets tested. The NFC West offers no refuge for such vulnerabilities.
The Rams have Matthew Stafford and Sean McVay. The 49ers have Kyle Shanahan and a physical roster. Seattle already survived repeated battles with both teams last season, and the 2026 schedule promises more of the same. Despite the departures, Seattle is not an aging roster desperately chasing one final title.
Their best pieces are entering their prime. Witherspoon, Smith-Njigba, Nick Emmanwori, and Zabel are all young players expected to improve. Behind them is head coach Mike Macdonald, widely regarded as one of the league’s most respected defensive minds. The team does not need to recreate last year’s exact formula.
They need their young players to take another step forward. If they do, the Seahawks could be stronger in areas where they were vulnerable. The financial reality also plays a role in the skepticism. Last season, Darnold carried roughly a $13 million cap hit.
This year, that number jumps to around $38 million. Winning in the modern NFL comes with a price, and critics believe Seattle’s championship window was partly created by having Darnold on a relatively cheap contract. The question is whether Seattle paid Darnold because they got lucky or because they believe last season was only the beginning. The answer could define the entire 2026 campaign.
Seattle went 14-3 last season. They conquered the NFC. They have a 29-year-old quarterback returning to a system he knows, a young number one receiver, and an aggressive defensive scheme. Repeating will not be easy, but the “zero chance” prediction may be far more dangerous than it sounds.
The defending champions have lost pieces, but they have not lost the foundation.