This column would be coming regardless of the swing DK Metcalf took at a Lions fan Sunday. The former Seahawks receiver’s altercation – which led to a suspension – is not the linchpin in this argument.
But that incident with a blue-wigged spectator in Detroit does highlight what’s become undeniably true: Every week that passes, the Seahawks’ front office looks better.
Better might be understating the reality, actually. Brilliant might be the appropriate word. Because every move Seattle has made over the past few years – many of which came after letting go of coach Pete Carroll – has inched this team closer to a Super Bowl.
If there was ever a question of who should have stayed and had final say on roster decisions – Carroll or general manager John Schneider – the answer is clearly the latter.
A shot at a championship felt like a punchline at the beginning of the season and is now a firm possibility. Players’ execution has figured prominently into this truth. But the brass’ execution just as much.
It can all be explained in three categories.
1. Who the Seahawks got rid of
For starters, there’s Metcalf. The former second-round draft pick – who has a history of on-field outbursts – signed a five-year, $150 million extension with the Steelers this offseason. There was no way Seattle was going to give him that kind of dough, and given how he is averaging just 56.7 yards per game – his lowest total since his rookie year – the Seahawks’ reluctance seems justified. And this was before the incident that got him suspended (without pay) for the rest of the regular season. More significant, his departure allowed Jaxon Smith-Njigba – the leading receiver in the league this season – to become the Seahawks’ primary target.
Next, there was Geno Smith, who also wanted a contract resembling All-Pro money. After the Seahawks traded him instead, the Raiders gave Smith a two-year, $75 million extension. This season, though, he’s a quarterback outside the top 25 in the NFL in passer rating or QBR playing for a team that’s 2-13.
Coaching that team? One Pete Carroll, who couldn’t get the defense right in Seattle over his past three years and was fired after the 2023 season. His replacement? Defensive guru Mike Macdonald, who is overseeing a team ranked second in the league in points allowed per game (18.6).
2. Which veterans they acquired
The obvious one here is quarterback Sam Darnold, who was signed last offseason at a cheaper rate than what Smith wanted. But Darnold has performed at a Pro Bowl level, ranking seventh in passer rating (100.6) and fifth in yards (3,703) for a 12-3 team that’s two wins from a first-round postseason bye. But Darnold seemed like an obvious target after the Smith trade.
The real stroke of genius came midway through this season, when Schneider traded for speedy receiver/returner Rashid Shaheed. His contributions? A 100-yard kick return for a touchdown in Atlanta that snapped a 6-6 tie and prompted a Seahawks rout. A 58-yard punt return for a TD against the Rams last Thursday that helped bring Seattle to within one score in the fourth quarter. And a 31-yard run on a reverse that helped the Seahawks tie the score on their next possession.
If you isolate the offense and the defense, the Rams may very well still be the best team in the league. Throw in special teams, though? The Seahawks might take the top spot.
3. Who they drafted
Forget about Smith-Njigba, left tackle Charles Cross, and cornerback Devon Witherspoon for a second. These were obvious war-room whales who have helped lift Seattle to the top of the league. But those picks also all came while Carroll and Schneider were essentially co-execs.
Let’s look at four key picks since Caroll’s departure:
1) Safety Nick Emmanwori, the field-goal blocking, intercepting stud who according to Bet MGM, has the second-best chance to win NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year.
2) Defensive lineman Byron Murphy II, who in two years has watched his sack total go from 0.5 to 7.0, his tackles for a loss go from two to seven, and his QB hits go from one to 12.
3) Left guard Grey Zabel, who is No. 1 in the NFL in the advanced stat run-block win rate, per ESPN, and who has stabilized this once-porous offensive line.
4) Tight end AJ Barner, who takes all the snaps in Seattle’s version of the Tush Push, which has become one of the most effective short-yardage plays in the league.
I don’t think there is an ounce of animosity between Schneider and Carroll. It was John who yelled, “I love you, Pete!” during Carroll’s farewell news conference after his firing.
But Schneider has raised the bar regarding what success looks like in Seattle since that day. It may result in him raising a trophy.