Step aside, Legion of Boom, this new age of Seattle Seahawks defenders is coming in hot for the 2025 season, at least that’s what Devon Witherspoon wants everybody to think. The talk of the Seahawks have been about Sam Darnold and the facelift the offense got this offseason. But the defense wants to be the heart and soul of this team, just like the Legion of Boom was years ago.
Early on in OTAs, the defense made their presence known with Darnold tossing two redzone interceptions, one to Julian Love and the other to Josh Jobe. This is a secondary that could come up with its own creative name, but they have to back it up. Nicknames are earned and right now in OTAs, they have a long way to prove they want to be tops in the NFL.
Sam Darnold’s best asset this season doesn’t have anything to do with the reimagined offense in Seattle
Darnold shouldn’t be offended by this in the slightest. In fact, he should embrace having a defense that’s willing and eager to take the pressure off of him. Look at what happened with the Cincinnati Bengals last year and Joe Burrow. His defense took a back seat and it cost him an MVP.
Having a sound and stingy defense will always pay off in the playoffs and on contending teams. That’s why the Seahawks wanted Darnold over Geno Smith, right, to contend? This Seattle defense doesn’t just want to be elite, they want to be the best.
“Everybody on my side of the ball wants the defense to be the reason why,” defensive tackle Jarran Reed said, per a story on the team’s website. "Defense wins championships, offense wins games, that just is what it is. We want to put the team on our back, and we want to be the reason why we win games."
That’s a bold claim, but one that if it works out, could be what elevates Darnold’s stature in the NFL. Seattle hasn’t had a defense inside the top 10 since 2016. They had a stretch where their defense was rated inside the top 10 for six straight seasons. During that period, they won a Super Bowl in 2013.
So everything Witherspoon and Reed are saying is correct; the Seahawks are best with a defense that can stop everybody. That was also the best stretch of Russell Wilson’s career. Coincidence? Probably not.
When the defense is good and keeps teams from scoring, the offense in turn elevates its play. That needs to be Darnold’s hope as he has every opportunity to lead this team to the top. He won’t be able to do it by himself with just the offense.
He needs the defense, too. They’ve vowed to take care of their role. What will Darnold do?