The 2025 season was the Seattle Seahawks' 50th in the National Football League (NFL), their 16th under general manager John Schneider, and their second under head coach Mike Macdonald. The Seahawks finished the regular season with a franchise-best 14–3 record, winning the NFC West for the first time since 2020 and securing the NFC’s No. 1 seed for the first time since 2014. They went on to win Super Bowl LX, defeating the New England Patriots 29–13 to capture their second Super Bowl championship and first since the 2013 season.
The offseason saw significant roster changes, as longtime players Tyler Lockett, Geno Smith, and DK Metcalf departed the team. Lockett was released and later signed with the Tennessee Titans, while Smith joined the Las Vegas Raiders and Metcalf was traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Key free agent additions included quarterback Sam Darnold, wide receiver Cooper Kupp, and linebacker DeMarcus Lawrence, and the team re-signed linebacker Ernest Jones IV to a three-year contract. On November 4, prior to the trade deadline, Seattle acquired All-Pro returner and wide receiver Rashid Shaheed from the New Orleans Saints.
Seattle improved upon their 10–7 record from 2024 and clinched a playoff berth in Week 16 with an overtime victory over the rival Los Angeles Rams on Thursday Night Football, ending a two-year postseason absence. The team won 13 games for the first time since 2013 and secured a franchise-record 14 regular-season victories with a 13–3 win over the San Francisco 49ers in Week 18. In a divisional round rematch against San Francisco, the Seahawks earned their first playoff victory since 2019 and advanced to their first NFC Championship Game since 2014. They became the first Super Bowl champion to complete an entire postseason without committing a turnover.
Individually, Jaxon Smith-Njigba was awarded Offensive Player of the Year and set a franchise single-season record with 1,793 receiving yards, surpassing DK Metcalf’s previous mark of 1,303 set in 2020. The Seahawks also posted a franchise-record point differential of +191, breaking the previous record of +186 established during the 2013 Super Bowl-winning season. The defense was the top scoring defense in the league and earned the nickname "The Dark Side".
NFL statistician Aaron Schatz, using the DVOA advanced metric, calculated that, play-for-play, the 2025 Seahawks were not only the best team in the NFL in 2025, but within the top 10 teams of all time. They are the third-highest ranked Super Bowl winning team, after only the 1985 Chicago Bears, and the 1991 Washington Redskins.
The Seattle Seahawks recorded the highest average home attendance among teams in the state of Washington, with 68,740 spectators per game. This was slightly ahead of the football team of the Washington Huskies, who averaged 68,238, 502 less than the Seahawks. After the season, the team's offensive coordinator, Klint Kubiak, was hired by the Las Vegas Raiders to be their head coach.
The Dark Side The Dark Side is a nickname used to refer to the defensive unit of the Seattle Seahawks beginning in the 2024–2025 NFL season. The nickname originated within the Seahawks locker room during the 2024–2025 season. It was originally known as the "death zone" early on, but had become the "Dark Side" by the start of the 2025–2026 NFL season. It was later referenced in media coverage of the team’s defensive performance, especially following their victory in Super Bowl LX.
Defensive characteristics
During the 2025 season, the Seahawks defense utilized multiple-front alignments and emphasized pressure generated by the defensive line. The unit ranked among league leaders in several major defensive statistical categories, including points allowed per game and takeaways. The Dark Side is frequently compared favorably to the 2010s Seahawks defense, the Legion of Boom. Notably, defensive tackle Jarran Reed is the only player from the Dark Side to have also played on the Legion of Boom, as he previously played with the Seahawks from 2016 to 2020 before returning to the team in 2023.
Key players (2025 Dark Side)
Defensive line Byron Murphy II – Defensive tackle Brandon Pili – Nose tackle Jarran Reed – Defensive tackle Leonard Williams – Defensive tackle
Edge rushers Derick Hall – Linebacker (edge) Boye Mafe – Linebacker (edge) Uchenna Nwosu – Linebacker (edge) DeMarcus Lawrence – Defensive end
Linebackers Ernest Jones IV – Linebacker Tyrice Knight – Linebacker Drake Thomas – Linebacker
Secondary Josh Jobe – Cornerback Devon Witherspoon – Cornerback Riq Woolen – Cornerback Coby Bryant – Safety Nick Emmanwori – Nickel Julian Love – Safety Ty Okada – Safety
Offseason
Free agents Position Player 2025 team Date signed Contract TE Pharaoh Brown UFA Miami Dolphins March 17, 2025 1 year, TBD CB Tre Brown UFA San Francisco 49ers March 12, 2025 TBD CB Artie Burns UFA Miami Dolphins March 17, 2025 1 year, TBD WR Jaelon Darden UFA OT George Fant UFA Washington Commanders August 19, 2025 TBD OT Stone Forsythe UFA New York Giants March 12, 2025 1 year, $1.3 million LB Trevis Gipson UFA San Francisco 49ers August 11, 2025 TBD DT Johnathan Hankins UFA Seattle Seahawks May 7, 2025 TBD S Rayshawn Jenkins UFA Cleveland Browns May 12, 2025 TBD CB Josh Jobe UFA Seattle Seahawks March 6, 2025 TBD DE Dre'Mont Jones UFA Tennessee Titans March 12, 2025 1 year, $8.5 million LB Ernest Jones IV UFA Seattle Seahawks March 9, 2025 3 years, $33 million LB Joshua Onujiogu UFA DT Jarran Reed UFA Seattle Seahawks March 10, 2025 3 years, $25 million DT Roy Robertson-Harris UFA New York Giants March 10, 2025 2 years, $9 million LB Josh Ross UFA Seattle Seahawks March 21, 2025TBD OG Laken Tomlinson UFA Houston Texans March 18, 2025 1 year, $4.25 million S K'Von Wallace UFA Houston Texans November 13, 2025TBD WR Cody White UFA Seattle Seahawks March 14, 2025 TBD
Signings Position Player Previous team Date signed Contract S D'Anthony Bell Cleveland Browns March 24, 2025 TBD WR River Cracraft Miami Dolphins March 21, 2025 TBD QB Sam Darnold Minnesota Vikings March 10, 2025 3 years, $100.5 million CB Shemar Jean-Charles New Orleans Saints March 19, 2025 TBD OT Josh Jones Baltimore Ravens March 13, 2025 1 year, $4.75 million WR Cooper Kupp Los Angeles Rams March 14, 2025 3 years, $45 million DE DeMarcus Lawrence Dallas Cowboys March 13, 2025 3 years, $32.5 million TE Eric Saubert San Francisco 49ers March 24, 2025 TBD WR Steven Sims Baltimore Ravens March 25, 2025 TBD WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling New Orleans Saints March 13, 2025 1 year, $4 million
Players lost Position Player Reason 2025 team Date DE Dre'Mont Jones Released Tennessee Titans March 4, 2025 WR Tyler Lockett Released Tennessee Titans March 5, 2025 WR DK Metcalf Traded Pittsburgh Steelers March 13, 2025 QB Geno Smith Traded Las Vegas Raiders March 13, 2025 TE Noah Fant Released Cincinnati Bengals July 20, 2025
Draft
+ 2025 Seattle Seahawks draft selections Round Selection Player Position College Notes 1 18 Grey Zabel G North Dakota State 2 35 Nick Emmanwori S South Carolina From Titans 50 Elijah Arroyo TE Miami (FL) From Steelers 52 Traded to the Tennessee Titans 3 82 Traded to the Tennessee Titans 92 Jalen Milroe QB Alabama From Lions via Jets and Raiders 4 120 Traded to the Tennessee Titans 137 Traded to the New England Patriots Compensatory selection 5 142 Rylie Mills DT Notre Dame From Vikings 144 Traded to the Cleveland Browns From Patriots 154 Traded to the New York Giants 166 Tory Horton WR Colorado State From Browns 172 Traded to the Minnesota Vikings Compensatory selection 175 Robbie Ouzts FB Alabama Compensatory selection 6 185 Traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers From Bears 192 Bryce Cabeldue OT Kansas From Browns 194 Traded to the Jacksonville Jaguars 7 223 Damien Martinez RB Miami From Steelers 234 Mason Richman OT Iowa 238 Ricky White WR UNLV From Patriots
+ 2025 Seattle Seahawks undrafted free agents Name Position College Ref. Zy Alexander CB LSU Tyrone Broden WR Arkansas Seth Coleman LB Illinois Jalan Gaines LB Illinois State Jared Ivey LB Ole Miss T.J. Jackson DE West Virginia Nick Kallerup TE Minnesota Amari Kight T UCF Marshall Lang TE Northwestern Federico Maranges C Florida Atlantic* Connor O'Toole LB Utah Demeco Roland NT Southern Miss J. R. Singleton NT Iowa State Bubba Thomas NT South Alabama Isas Waxter CB Villanova Jackson Woodard LB UNLV Jacardia Wright RB Missouri State
Notes
Staff
Final roster
Preseason Week Date Opponent Result Record Venue Recap 1 Las Vegas Raiders T 23–23 0–0–1 Lumen Field Recap 2 Kansas City Chiefs W 33–16 1–0–1 Lumen Field Recap 3 at Green Bay Packers L 7–20 1–1–1 Lambeau Field Recap
Regular season Schedule Week Date Opponent Result Record Venue Recap 1 September 7 San Francisco 49ers L 13–17 0–1 Lumen Field Recap 2 September 14 at Pittsburgh Steelers W 31–17 1–1 Acrisure Stadium Recap 3 September 21 New Orleans Saints W 44–13 2–1 Lumen Field Recap 4 at Arizona Cardinals W 23–20 3–1 State Farm Stadium Recap 5 October 5 Tampa Bay Buccaneers L 35–38 3–2 Lumen Field Recap 6 October 12 at Jacksonville Jaguars W 20–12 4–2 EverBank Stadium Recap 7 Houston Texans W 27–19 5–2 Lumen Field Recap 8Bye 9 November 2 at Washington Commanders W 38–14 6–2 Northwest Stadium Recap 10 November 9 Arizona Cardinals W 44–22 7–2 Lumen Field Recap 11 November 16 at Los Angeles Rams L 19–21 7–3 SoFi Stadium Recap 12 November 23 at Tennessee Titans W 30–24 8–3 Nissan Stadium Recap 13 November 30 Minnesota Vikings W 26–0 9–3 Lumen Field Recap 14 December 7 at Atlanta Falcons W 37–9 10–3 Mercedes-Benz Stadium Recap 15 December 14 Indianapolis Colts W 18–16 11–3 Lumen Field Recap 16 Los Angeles Rams W 38–37 12–3 Lumen Field Recap 17 December 28 at Carolina Panthers W 27–10 13–3 Bank of America Stadium Recap 18 at San Francisco 49ers W 13–3 14–3 Levi's Stadium Recap Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.
Game summaries Week 1: vs. San Francisco 49ers
With the loss, the Seahawks started their season 0–1.
Week 2: at Pittsburgh Steelers
At the beginning of the fourth quarter, the game-deciding play occurred following a Seahawks field goal. On the ensuing kickoff, Steelers returner Kaleb Johnson failed to go after the ball, mistakenly thinking it was not live. However, because the ball landed in the kickoff landing zone, it was live, and Seahawks player George Holani recovered it in the end zone for a touchdown.
Week 3: vs. New Orleans Saints
Wide receiver Tory Horton ran a 95-yard punt return for a touchdown, setting a franchise record for the longest punt return. With the blowout win, the Seahawks improved to 2–1.
Week 4: at Arizona Cardinals With their eighth consecutive win over Arizona, the Seahawks improved to 3–1.
Week 5: vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
With both clubs celebrating their respective 50th seasons, both teams wore throwback uniforms. In a shootout, Sam Darnold threw an interception to Lavonte David, allowing the Buccaneers to set up the winning field goal by Chase McLaughlin as time expired. With the loss, the Seahawks fell to 3–2.
Week 6: at Jacksonville Jaguars
Week 7: vs. Houston Texans
With the win, the Seahawks entered their bye week at 5–2 and 2–0 against the AFC South.
Week 9: at Washington Commanders
With another dominant win, the Seahawks improved to 6–2. Sam Darnold completed all 16 passing attempts in the first half, achieving a perfect passer rating for the half.
Week 10: vs. Arizona Cardinals
With their ninth win over Arizona since 2021, the Seahawks swept the Cardinals and improved to 7–2.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba became the first NFL receiver to eclipse 1,000 receiving yards this season.
Week 11: at Los Angeles Rams
Despite Sam Darnold throwing four interceptions, the Seahawks had a final opportunity to win the game with a field goal. However, Jason Myers’ 61-yard attempt fell short and wide right.