The Seattle Seahawks walked off the field in February with a defense that looked historically good and an offense that could strike when it mattered. That combination won them a Super Bowl. But the 2026 season brings a different set of questions, and one of them involves a guy who has been a problem for years.
Anthony Bradford is still the starting right guard. And that is the kind of thing that keeps defensive coordinators awake at night, just not for the reasons Seattle would want.
Before we get into that, props where they are due. The Seahawks managed to keep most of their championship core together, which almost never happens. Klint Kubiak left to coach the Raiders. Kenneth Walker III signed elsewhere. Coby Bryant, Boye Mafe and Tariq Woolen all walked in free agency. But Seattle drafted Notre Dame running back Jadarian Price in the first round, brought back Josh Jobe to replace Woolen at corner, and has Derick Hall ready to step up on the edge. The depth looks solid.
But there is a hole you can drive a blitzing linebacker through.
The offensive line still has a soft spot
Bradford graded out at 50.6 overall from Pro Football Focus last season, ranking 70th out of 81 qualified guards. That is bad. His pass-blocking grade of 40.8? That was 76th. Only five guards in the entire league were worse at keeping their quarterback clean.
He gave up 38 total pressures last year. Six of those came in the NFC Championship Game alone against the Rams. The Seahawks won anyway because the rest of the line played better, Grey Zabel stabilized the left side, and Abe Lucas and Charles Cross finally stayed healthy at tackle. But they were essentially hiding Bradford, not fixing him.
Now Kubiak is gone. New offensive coordinator Brian Fleury comes from the Kyle Shanahan tree in San Francisco, so the system should look familiar. But Fleury has never called plays before. There is no guarantee he can scheme around a weak guard the way Kubiak did.
Teams will game plan for this. The Rams get Seattle twice a year, and Chris Shula loves to isolate a defender on the weakest link. Myles Garrett is in the NFC West now, and he spent years in Cleveland lining up over the worst guy on the line. You think he does not notice Bradford on the film?
One more thing: Zach Charbonnet is the Seahawks’ best pass-protecting back, and he tore his ACL in January. He likely misses Week 1. Without him to chip or pick up a blitz, Bradford has less help.
Seattle’s Super Bowl odds still look great on paper. But paper does not block Myles Garrett on third down. Bradford does. And that might be the one thing that keeps the Seahawks from running it back.
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