Why the Seahawks Are Stuck in the Middle

A fan’s perspective on Seattle, the draft, and the QB problem

April 22, 2025

I was in elementary school when I first discovered football. The first game I ever watched on TV was on December 1st, 2011—Seahawks vs. Eagles. I’ll never forget the play that made me fall in love with the sport. About 6 minutes into the first quarter, Tarvaris Jackson hands the ball off to Marshawn Lynch at the 10-yard line. Eagles defenders SWARM him. Everyone thinks the play is dead. But out of nowhere, Marshawn pops out of the scrum and races to the end zone. The whole broadcast erupts. I was 9 years old, jumping up and down in front of the TV, watching a grown man bulldoze through 20 defenders like they were bowling pins. That was the moment I got hooked. The power, the chaos, the raw domination—FOOTBALL HAD ME.

To make it even better, Seattle boat raced the Eagles that night. And of course, 9-year-old me thought Seattle was the best team in the league (boy was I wrong lol). But something about that physicality felt unique to Seattle. Watching those early Pete Carroll squads play smashmouth football was genuinely inspiring. We all remember the iconic moments—Beast Quake, Kam Chancellor hospitalizing Vernon Davis, Marshawn juking out Ray Lewis, Sherm laughing at Crabtree. Those plays weren’t just entertaining. They made a statement. When the Seahawks took the field, you could see fear in the opposition’s eyes and feel the ground shake.

That was almost 15 years ago… which is insane to even type out. The league’s changed. The rules now favor offense. Defenses are cautious, scared to lay a hand on anyone. And now, it’s all about one position: the quarterback. If you have THE GUY under center, you’re a contender. If not, you’re mid. And Seattle? Right now, it’s mid.

And man, it wasn’t that long ago we were talking Super Bowl. Remember the 2019 season? We were 11-3 going into Week 16, basically holding the #1 seed—until our entire running back room got cursed with injuries during the Cardinals game (I was at that game…pain). We had to call Beast Mode out of retirement to play the final game of the decade, only to take a delay of game and not give it to him again on the 1 yard line and lose out on the NFC west to the 49ers. Like that team was basically 2 plays away from potentially facing the chiefs in the Super Bowl that year.

To make matters worse the following year, we actually thought the Seahawks were going to the Super Bowl after pulling off the second worst trade of the century for Jamal Adams. And for a moment it looked like we were going to at least make a run in the playoffs. LetRussCook was an MVP frontrunner, we won the west, and DK was balling. Only everything came crashing down when we got out dueled by basically a 9 fingered Jared Goff. Brutal.

But despite that playoff flop, we still believed. Why? Because we had Russ. We believed in the guy under center. Someone who could pull a rabbit out of his hat and wield us to a win. That’s the reality of this league. Your QB decides your ceiling.

So why am I bringing up the past? Because Seattle’s right back where it was in 2020. Traded their star player, released a fan favorite and community pillar, stacked up picks, brought in a new QB, and swore it was a “retool,” not a rebuild. The one constant through it all? John Schinder.

This is his make-or-break year in my opinion. I think John is an exceptional GM, and his brilliance was on display this past offseason acquiring a younger Sam Darnold for a much cheaper contract. But he has had his share of misses, especially with the offensive line. But with two more years left on his contract, it seems like the pressure is on John to draft the next generation Seahawks quarterback. Something he is known for with his experience as a GM and his time in Green Bay.

Right now, the roster feels unbalanced. On paper, the defense looks stacked. If we can add an edge (Mykel Williams please!!!) and maybe some secondary help, I truly think Mike Macdonald can turn this into a top-5 defense. But the offense… it is not good...

Biggest changes? DK, Tyler, and Geno are gone. I liked the Geno trade. He wasn’t a bad QB—he had clutch moments, like that 49ers game-winning scramble. But man, the inconsistencies… I mean there were so many moments where he would make some dumb throw that didn’t need to happen that would make you want to rip your hair out. I mean the Rams game at home this year, like RUN THE BALL. YOU WERE ON THE 5 YARD LINE TWICE YOU DON’T NEED TO THROW IT ACROSS YOUR BODY. Anyways, Sam Darnold is similar. Maybe less mobile, maybe a little more hesitant with the ball. But overall, not a huge step up or down. The real blow was losing DK and Tyler. I would have paid 30 mil for DK. I think he is a top 12 WR in the league, easily. But it was kind of clear that both sides wanted a change in scenery. But that leaves us KING JSN, Kupp, Noah Fant and ofc the goat, JAKE BOBO as our receivers (JSN is like 6 months older than me which is insane). We will see how much Kupp has left in the tank, but I think he will be an early favorite target for Sam Darnold this season. Outside of that, K9 is in the last year of his rookie deal, and Charbonnet has started to emerge as a true number 1 running back. But the offensive line is a mess. I wouldn’t be surprised if Texas had a better Online than the Seahawks.

So what should Seattle do in this draft? Two ways to approach it.

Option 1: Go get THE GUY at QB. If Seattle truly believes one of these QBs is HIM, they should take the shot. Personally, I don’t think they believe Darnold is that guy. I think they’re scouting this class hard, or even eyeing next year. I think Drew Allar could be the one Seattle wants to draft. He’s got the Josh Allen build that John Schneider loves. But that’s a 2026 problem.

In this year’s class, only two QBs are worth a 1st-round pick imo: Cam Ward (who’s going #1), and Shedeur Sanders. Shedeur is polarizing. Some worry about his athleticism, some about the “Deion baggage,” but the tape doesn’t lie. He had the worst supporting cast of any top QB this year and still balled out. He put the entire Colorado team on his back and he delivered. That kind of pressure experience is invaluable for the NFL.

The other guys? Jaxson Dart is inconsistent, Milroe is Anthony Richardson plus. Tyler Shough- Old and inconsistent, and Quinn Ewers had every advantage with respect to roster, and coaching and was overwhelmed and disappointing. Like if your fanbase is chanting for Arch Manning mid-game vs Georgia… not a good rap for Ewers.

If I were Seattle, I’d try to grab Shedeur. I don’t think he’s Burrow, Mahomes, Lamar, or Allen—but he could be like prime Russ. Clutch. Calm under fire. A guy who wins in tough spots. More realistically, though, I think Seattle’s eyeing Milroe or Ewers in the later rounds. Milroe has the intangibles and fits the Richardson mold and could sit for a year behind Sam to improve accuracy. Ewers on the other hand reminds me of pre-draft Aaron Rodgers—talent + questions. His confidence might be shaky after how last season ended, but he’s got real tools.

Option 2: Build through the trenches. This is more likely. Use the first 4 picks to load up on EDGE, OL depth, and maybe grab a receiver or TE. I think round 1 will be BPA—corner, edge, tight end, or O-line. Maybe QB. The depth in this draft in rounds 2 and 3 is solid, so we can find value there, especially for WR.

Seattle needs a DAWG up front. Someone to bring back that physical, gritty Seahawks football. Will Johnson (if he falls) is ideal. Mykel Williams, Jihaad Campbell, Grey Zabel—all solid options. If Colston Loveland or Tyler Warren fall to 18, don’t be shocked if they get picked.

The bottom line is that this team has been mid for the past 5 years. Not bad enough to tank. Not good enough to contend. And unless they land a true difference maker at QB, they will continue to be mid.

If they want to quickly turn this around under Mike McDonald, they need to get back to the roots of Seahawks football. Run the ball. Physical in the trenches and swagger on both sides of the ball. I mean the number of times the Oline or Dline the past couple of years has been basically pushed around by other teams like rag dolls is embarrassing. They need to redefine their physicality up front, and this draft has the potential to do so. But in the end, it all comes down to the QB. Maybe they find one this year, or maybe Sam is the guy. But if they can come out with some offensive linemen, an edge rusher and some corner depth, they will have a solid SOLID roster that is a qb away from being a problem again for other teams in the league.