Now that we know the Seahawks’ 2025 schedule, including dates and kickoff times, it’s time for our annual ranking of the matchups.
In a 17-game season, all can prove to be important, but some loom as “must-see TV” while others are more “wait and see.”
So here it is, our ranking of the games in order of their anticipation value.
1. Washington Commanders, on road, Sunday night, Nov. 2: You knew a reunion of the Seahawks and Bobby Wagner and the Commanders, who are one of the hot stories in the NFL after last year’s surprising run to the NFC Conference title game, would be attractive for prime time. It’ll also be fun to see if Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald can come up with a scheme to contain Washington quarterback Jayden Daniels.
2. Pittsburgh Steelers, on road, Sept. 14: The Seahawks will get their reunion with DK Metcalf out of the way quickly, going to the Steel City in Week 2 for a 10 a.m. start. An added bonus is the weather should be a lot better than having to go there in December. One question remains: Who will be the QB for the Steelers who throws to Metcalf? If it’s Aaron Rodgers, this game becomes that much more fun.
3. Atlanta Falcons, on road, Dec. 7: The Seahawks will travel to Atlanta for a second straight year, which allows for Macdonald to coach in front of numerous friends and family. It also means the first real look at former UW star Michael Penix Jr., who got some garbage-time snaps against the Seahawks a year ago when they beat the Falcons 34-14. Atlanta will surely remember that score.
4. Minnesota Vikings, at home, Nov. 30: There are a lot of reunions on the Seahawks’ schedule this season. This time, it’s new quarterback Sam Darold facing the team he played for last year, a season that resurrected his career and allowed him to get a three-year deal worth up to $100 million with the Seahawks. By this point, we may have a good idea if that contract will prove worth it.
5. San Francisco 49ers, at home, Sept. 7: The start of any season brings its own level of excitement. And for the fourth straight year, the Seahawks will open at home, against maybe their most-heated rival, ratcheting up the excitement that much more. The Seahawks have gone 2-1 in their last three regular-season openers and a win here against a 49ers’ team that is exceedingly hard to read coming off last year’s injury-riddled 6-11 record and offseason of some housecleaning will be pivotal to achieve their goals in 2025.
6. Houston Texans, at home, Monday night, Oct. 20: The Seahawks’ lone Monday night game – featuring the latest regular-season home start time in team history at 7 p.m. as part of a MNF doubleheader – should be a fun one as they will get their first look at Texans’ third-year QB C.J. Stroud, who will be throwing to a beefed-up receiving corps. This is just Houston’s third game at Lumen Field.
7. Tampa Bay Buccaneers, at home, Oct. 5: Baker Mayfield lost to the Seahawks as the starting quarterback for Cleveland (2019) and the L.A. Rams (2022). Now he’ll get a third chance with a third team, this time with a Tampa Bay squad vying for its fifth straight NFC South title. The Seahawks will come into the game with a little extra rest following a Thursday night game the week before.
8. Los Angeles Rams, on road, Nov. 16: Yet another reunion game for the Seahawks, this time with new receiver Cooper Kupp making his return to SoFi Stadium where he won Super Bowl MVP honors in 2022 when he had eight catches for 92 yards and two TDs. If Kupp wants to turn in a similar performance this time, the Seahawks won’t mind.
9. Arizona Cardinals, on road, Thursday night, Sept. 25: The first of two Thursday night games looms as a critical one as a favorable early schedule means the Seahawks could be 2-1 or even 3-0 at this point. Few need reminding of the house of horrors that has been State Farm Stadium for the Seahawks with all the weird things that have happened there.
10. Jacksonville Jaguars, on road, Oct. 12: This is the Seahawks’ second trip to Jacksonville since 2005 and first since 2017, giving this game some novelty appeal. Former first overall pick Trevor Lawrence getting a fresh starter under new coach Liam Coen could make this a tougher than-expected game.
11. Tennessee Titans, on road, Nov. 23: Yet another reunion game to make this one fun, this time against Tyler Lockett. It’s another game where the Seahawks face a young, intriguing quarterback – this time, 2025 first overall pick Cam Ward, who spent two years at Washington State.
12. Arizona Cardinals, at home, Nov. 9: This looms as one the more underrated big games on the schedule as the Cardinals come to town following the Seahawks’ long trip to Washington the week before. Maybe Arizona will be in one of its annual in-season slumps.
13. Los Angeles Rams, at home, Thursday night, Dec. 18: This Thursday night home game might feature the popular or infamous – take your pick – Action Green uniforms. Whatever they wear, the Seahawks need to reverse a two-year losing streak at home to L.A., each defeats that proved the difference in not making the playoffs.
14. Indianapolis Colts, at home, Dec. 14: The Colts are heading into the season committed to third-year quarterback Anthony Richardson, the fourth overall pick of the 2023 draft. The Seahawks might have been tempted to take him had he fallen one more spot, where they drafted Devon Witherspoon. If Richardson has faltered by this point, the Seahawks could see Daniel Jones, whose last moment of glory in his six seasons with the Giants was leading them to a shocking upset at Lumen Field last October.
15. Carolina Panthers, on road, Dec. 27-28: Remember when these two teams used to play almost every year? This game, which could be played on a Saturday or a Sunday, will be the Seahawks’ first trip to Charlotte since 2019 and only the second game between the two since. Will third-year QB Bryce Young have revived his career when this game arrives? That looms as the key to whether this is an easy trip for the Seahawks or an unexpected stumble for a team that could be forced to make a cross-country trip to Charlotte on Christmas Day.
16. New Orleans Saints, at home, Sept. 21: Getting the Saints early may line up well as they enter the season unclear who will be the quarterback. The odds favor rookie Tyler Shough, a second-round pick and the third QB taken at 40th overall. Many experts weren’t sure he was worth taking that high, but the Saints knew they might have the need with Derek Carr dealing with a shoulder injury that led to his surprise retirement.
17. San Francisco 49ers, on road, Jan. 3-4: This could be a Saturday or a Sunday, and that likely won’t be known until the week of the game. The stakes of the game will determine how appetizing this matchup is, but winning in Santa Clara is rarely easy, though the Seahawks did it a year ago on Geno Smith’s late TD gallop.