3 things fueling the Seattle Seahawks this season

The 2024-25 NFL season is fast approaching, and the race for the playoffs will be fierce, especially in the NFC, where nearly every team has an argument for why they could claim one of the seven postseason slots. After an eventful offseason, the Seattle Seahawks are positioned as one of the most intriguing teams in the league, but will that be enough to improve upon their 9-8 record from a year ago and make a run in January?

The presumed hierarchy in the NFC has the defending Super Bowl runner-up 49ers at the top, followed in some order by the Lions, Eagles, and Packers. Other teams are expected to jump into the playoff conversation that missed out last year, such as the Falcons, who signed Kirk Cousins and hired Raheem Morris to be their new head coach, and the Bears, who are finally hoping to end their decades of quarterback futility after drafting Caleb Williams with the top overall pick in April's NFL Draft.

The teams that made the postseason a year ago don't figure to give up their spots without a fight. The Cowboys had a quiet offseason, but still return Dak Prescott, Ceedee Lamb, and Micah Parsons from a team that won 12 games last year. The Bucs are hoping to build on a surprising NFC South title and Divisional Round appearance in Baker Mayfield's second year in town, while the Rams will again be tough to stop with Puka Nacua, Cooper Kupp, and Kyren Williams surrounding Matthew Stafford.

There are very few teams in the NFC that figure to be non-competitive this year. The Commanders' arrow is pointing up after drafting Jayden Daniels No. 2 overall. The Vikings are getting back a healthy Justin Jefferson. Even the Cardinals, who have been the NFC West's doormat the last two years, have raised expectations in head coach Jonathan Gannon's second year.

All of this is to say that if the Seahawks hope to return to the playoffs, it's not going to be easy. It'll take an immediate buy-in from the entire roster on the new coaching staff, good health, and a little luck.

One thing Seattle won't be hurting for is motivation, which is why we've compiled a list of three things that will be fueling the denizens of Lumen Field this season. Is the 12th Man ready for some football? It better be, because the season is almost here.

The Seahawks need to prove that they can thrive in a post-Pete Carroll world

The NFL's coaching carousel is not one that typically gives extended rides. With very few exceptions, coaches come and go before they can even update their resumes. The Seahawks have managed to stay above the fray for well over a decade, but that all changed this offseason when they let Pete Carroll go after 14 years on the job.

Carroll oversaw an unprecedented period of success for the franchise, bringing Seattle its first Super Bowl title in 2014. He created the Legion of Boom, one of the best defenses of the modern era, and guided the Seahawks to the postseason 10 times.

Unfortunately for Carroll, his two playoff misses in three years led GM John Schneider to reach the conclusion that his best years were behind him. Now it's former Ravens defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald in charge, and he has the unenviable task of following a legend.

The Seahawks weren't the only ones interested in Macdonald's services, but they beat out several other teams when they signed him to a six-year contract in February. Macdonald did wonders with Baltimore's defense in his time in Charm City, and his arrival is expected to invigorate a unit that ranked 24th in points allowed in 2023.

Macdonald is well-respected throughout the NFL, and you'd be hard-pressed to find an insider that didn't give his hiring a high grade. Following a legend is never easy, though, which should give Macdonald and his team extra motivation to hit the ground running.

Most pundits expect the Seahawks to finish third in the NFC West

Despite the positivity surrounding Macdonald's arrival, Vegas has the Seahawks' over/under at 7.5, which would be a step back from their nine wins a year ago. Part of that outlook stems from how difficult the NFC promises to be. Seattle's schedule is pretty tough, with games against the Bills, Dolphins, Jets, Packers, Falcons, and Bears, in addition to two divisional games each against the Niners, Rams, and Cardinals. The other part comes from uncertainty about how the team will respond to a new coach after being Carroll's team for so long. Every year though, we see a new coach or two take over and completely change the culture of a franchise. Macdonald is a prime candidate to do that.

It would be one thing if Macdonald was taking over a talentless team that won only a couple games last year. That's not the case here. The Seahawks have a good roster, and there's a ton of talent at the skill positions, with DK Metcalf, Tyler Lockett, and Jaxon Smith-Njigba at wideout, Kenneth Walker III and Zach Charbonnet at running back. Macdonald's specialty is defense, so that side of the ball should improve just from his presence.

The NFL is often touted as the league with the most parity. That's true to an extent, even if teams like the Chiefs, Niners, and Ravens are usually at or near the top of the league. Beyond the perennial contenders, though, there isn't much difference between the teams in the NFL's middle class. Sometimes a little disrespect can provide that extra bit of motivation needed to defy expectations. Nobody believes in the Seahawks right now, which could be all they need to band together and prove the doubters wrong.

Geno Smith is playing for his job

Let's finish with one of the most underappreciated players in the NFL. Geno Smith was an afterthought after washing out with the Jets, but he's resurrected his career in Seattle to become a very good NFL starter.

Seattle's offense hasn't been good despite Geno, it's been good because of him. He's passed for nearly 8,000 yards in the past two seasons combined, with 50 touchdowns and just 20 interceptions. He was rewarded with a three-year, $75 million contract last offseason and still has two years left, but a look at the fine print shows that Seattle could get out of the deal after this year and only take a $13.5 million cap hit.

Geno's production and relative affordability compared to the massive deals other quarterbacks have inked in the past year should ensure his continued future in Seattle, but it's always difficult to predict what will happen when a new coach takes over. Geno has been good and he's still only 33 years old, but he's still a guy that Macdonald inherited. Will Seatte's new head coach want to put his own stamp on the organization by starting fresh with a rookie quarterback next year? There's an intriguing crop of prospects that figure to be available, including Shedeur Sanders, Quinn Ewers, and Carson Beck.

Geno needs to approach this year as if he's playing for his job, because he is. Luckily, the pieces are in place for him to succeed. We spoke briefly about the weapons surrounding him. That's true, and Seahawks fans should be especially excited to see what Smith-Njigba can do in his second year, as well as the way in which Charbonnet complements Walker in their second year together in the backfield.

Despite retaining most of the same pieces from a year ago, Seattle's offense will likely look much different once the season kicks off. Shane Waldron is gone to Chicago after three years as the team's offensive coordinator, and in his place is Ryan Grubb, who spent the last two years as the OC for the Washington Huskies.

Grubb's offense is a quarterback's dream. Washington led the nation in passing yards in 2022, then reached the finals of the College Football Playoff last year as Michael Penix Jr., Rome Odunze, and Ja'Lynn Polk carved up opposing defenses.

Having Grubb at the controls means that Geno is going to be passing a lot. A career high in yards and touchdowns is very much within the realm of possibility, and if that happens, it's hard to see how the Seahawks wouldn't be able to put together at least nine or ten wins.

With a new head coach for the first time in 14 years, the disrespect of oddsmakers, and a quarterback who still needs to prove he deserves to be a franchise cornerstone, the Seahawks should have all the fuel they need to make some noise this season. Buckle up, Seahawks fans. This could be a fun ride.