The Seattle Seahawks did something last season that most teams never get to do. They won a Super Bowl. And now, every single team on their 2026 schedule is going to treat them like the target. That’s just how it works. The defending champs get everybody’s best shot, every week, and every flaw gets magnified under a microscope.
Seattle’s roster is still loaded. General manager John Schneider made sure of that. He brought back center Jalen Sundell and right tackle Abraham Lucas, meaning the entire offensive line returns intact alongside guard Grey Zabel. The backfield got a jolt of speed when the Seahawks drafted Notre Dame running back Jadarian Price. They also locked up Rashid Shaheed and edge rusher Derick Hall on multi-year deals. With limited draft picks, Schneider chose continuity over chaos. That gives head coach Mike Macdonald a veteran group that looks ready to make another run.
But here’s the thing. Continuity only matters if the guy under center holds up his end. And that guy, Sam Darnold, is facing a completely different kind of pressure this year.
There was a time when Darnold spent every training camp trying to convince people he belonged in the league. That part of his career is over. After years of being written off, he pulled off one of the best comeback stories the NFL has seen in a long time. In 2025, he threw for over 4,000 yards and 25 touchdowns, made the Pro Bowl, and led Seattle to a championship. He became the quarterback nobody thought he could be.
Now comes the hard part. Defending a title is not the same as chasing one. Last season, the Seahawks played with a kind of freedom. People talked about other contenders. Darnold thrived in that space. This year, every defensive coordinator has spent months studying his film. They’ve got a full season of championship tape showing exactly how Seattle likes to attack coverages and create big plays. The element of surprise is gone.
Darnold has to prove that his success wasn’t just a perfect storm of good coaching, a great supporting cast, and favorable matchups. He needs to show he can adjust when defenses take away what worked last year. That’s the defining question of his next chapter.
And it’s not just outside noise. Inside the building, there’s a young quarterback named Jalen Milroe developing behind him. Nobody is saying there’s a quarterback controversy right now, because there isn’t. Darnold earned the job. But the NFL moves fast. If he hits a rough stretch, people are going to start asking questions about the future.
Championship quarterbacks get judged differently. Every interception is a bigger deal. Every missed throw gets replayed more times. The margin for error shrinks. Darnold is now in that group where the expectation isn’t just to avoid mistakes, it’s to play like one of the best in the league. The Seahawks are paying him to stay at that level.
Here’s the thing that makes the pressure even more intense. Seattle has built this thing for him to succeed. The offensive line is intact. Price adds explosion to the running game. Shaheed stretches the field deep while Jaxon Smith-Njigba works underneath. The defense is still championship caliber after keeping most of its key guys. There are no excuses about coaching changes or a weak supporting cast. The roster is built to compete for another Super Bowl right now.
That puts the weight on Darnold. He doesn’t need to throw for 5,000 yards or win MVP. He just has to be efficient, protect the football, and deliver in big moments. If he does, the Seahawks are right back in the NFC’s elite group. If he doesn’t, all that talent around him matters a whole lot less.
The Seahawks deserve credit for not blowing up a championship roster. They doubled down on what worked and added smart pieces. But that approach leaves one obvious conclusion. The player with the most to prove this season is Sam Darnold. Not because he failed. But because he already succeeded, and now everyone wants to see if he can do it again when the target is on his back.
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