Tag: Seattle

Feb 8, 2026; Santa Clara, CA, USA; Seattle Seahawks linebacker Drake Thomas (42) against the New England Patriots during Super Bowl LX at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Report: Seahawks, LB Drake Thomas agree on 2-year deal worth up to $9 million

Posted on | by Field Level Media

The defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks are bringing back starting linebacker Drake Thomas, who agreed to a two-year contract with a base of $8 million and incentives for another $1 million, NFL Network reported on Thursday.

A pending restricted free agent with the start of the new league year on March 11, Thomas, 26, became a first-year starter in his third season with Seattle. He was in the starting lineup for 14 of 17 regular-season games and all three playoff games.

Thomas totaled 96 tackles, 3.5 sacks, 10 tackles for loss, one interception, one fumble recovery and eight passes defensed in the regular season. He added 18 tackles in the postseason.

He played on 68% of the defensive snaps (763) and 33% on special teams (150).

Undrafted out of North Carolina State, Thomas was signed by the Las Vegas Raiders in May 2023 and released on Aug. 29, then signed the next by the Seahawks.

–Field Level Media

Feb 2, 2026; San Jose, CA, USA; Seattle Seahawks head coach Mike MacDonald looks on during Opening Night for Super Bowl LX at San Jose Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images

Seahawks nostalgic to be back in San Francisco, site of 2024 turning point

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SAN JOSE, Calif. — As a rookie head coach in 2024, Mike Macdonald took his team to San Francisco for the first time with no trophies on the line but a sense the Seattle Seahawks’ season was on the brink.

“We were on a rollercoaster,” Macdonald said Tuesday at the San Jose Convention Center, recalling a critical moment during his first season as head coach.

With five losses in a string of six games, the Seahawks boarded the team plane at Sea-Tac Airport for a road game against the 49ers sporting a 4-5 record and more baggage than Macdonald could count.

“We were at an inflection point of where we want to go,” Macdonald recalled as the Seahawks are preparing to play once more at Levi’s Stadium in Super Bowl LX on Sunday night.

The Seahawks lost in overtime to the Los Angeles Rams on Nov. 3 that season and split for their bye week. The buzzword bouncing around the offices of Macdonald and general manager John Schneider always came back to one idea.

“Connected,” Macdonald said of the theme he shared to inspire a defensive turnaround. “We made a pact: We’re going to be a great defense no matter what happens.”

The Seahawks ended up winning six of their last eight games in 2024 then won 14 games during the 2025 regular season. They head toward the Super Bowl with Macdonald in position to win his 27th game, playoffs included, in his first two seasons.

Since their turning point, the Seahawks are 22-5, counting two victories in the current playoffs. With changes along the way to further the shared vision of what Seattle could become, Macdonald views Super Bowl LX as an exhibit of the collective investment in the ongoing mission.

“It’s a masterclass by John and our personnel folks,” Macdonald said. “When you have a shared alignment of what kind of people you want what kind of player fits the process. They’ve bought in. All of us. And they’re doing it for the guy next to him.

“For us, we said it after the (NFC) Championship Game that we didn’t care (if they were expected to win). We don’t. I think what was important to us was that we had to become a championship team. That’s what our focus was on.”

–Jeff Reynolds, Field Level Media

Jan 29, 2026; Santa Clara, California, USA; A Seattle Seahawks Riddell speedflex helmet. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

NFL disputes report of $5M fine of Seahawks for ownership rules violation

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The NFL said Sunday that the Seattle Seahawks were not fined for failing to comply with league ownership requirements to sell the team, contrary to a report of a $5 million penalty in the Wall Street Journal.

“As we told the WSJ yesterday on the record, the team was not fined,” NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy told Pro Football Talk on Sunday.

The Wall Street Journal article on Saturday included the league’s denial as well as the team — through a spokesman for Vulcan, Inc., the late Paul Allen’s company that manages the Seahawks — declining to comment on the fine.

The league and other owners are putting pressure on the trust that has controlled the franchise since owner Allen died in 2018, to sell the Seahawks, according to the article.

League rules require controlling ownership be an individual, not a larger entity such as a trust, according to the Wall Street Journal report.

Allen, a Microsoft co-founder who also owned the NBA’s Portland Trail Blazers, made the stated intention that the teams eventually be sold, with proceeds going to charity. His sister, Jody Allen, is executor of the trust.

Multiple reports on Friday said the Seahawks are up for sale immediately after Super Bowl LX next Sunday, when Seattle faces the New England Patriots in Santa Clara, Calif.

“We don’t comment on rumors or speculation, and the team is not for sale,” the Paul G. Allen Estate said in a statement on Friday. “We’ve already said that will change at some point per Paul’s wishes, but I have no news to share. Our focus right now is winning the Super Bowl and completing the sale of the Portland Trail Blazers in the coming months.”

The Trail Blazers went on sale in September 2025 and reportedly are being sold for more than $4 billion to a group of investors led by Tom Dundon, owner of the NHL’s Carolina Hurricanes.

Paul Allen’s estate does not include a hard deadline to sell the Seahawks, but one term expired in 2024 that would have required 10% of the proceeds to go to the state of Washington.

Per Sportico last summer, the Seahawks were valued at $6.59 billion, in the middle of the pack for NFL teams. Forbes’ December 2024 list of worldwide sports franchise values put the Seahawks in a tie for 24th place with the Los Angeles Dodgers at $5.45 billion.

The latest purchase of an NFL club was the $6.05 billion sale of the Washington Commanders in 2023. ESPN cited an anonymous team executive saying the Seahawks could be sold for $7 billion to $8 billion.

The highest-valued sports franchise is the Dallas Cowboys, listed by Sportico at $12.8 billion and by Forbes a year earlier at $10.1 billion.

Paul Allen spent $200 million in 1997 to buy the Seahawks from Ken Behring at a time when there was talk of the team relocating.

–Field Level Media

Sam Darnold, Seahawks try to deny Rams 3rd road playoff win

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If Sam Darnold has a nemesis, it’s the Los Angeles Rams.

Which, along with Darnold’s oblique injury, lends another level of intrigue to the NFC Championship game on Sunday in Seattle.

“Just attacking rehab these last couple days,” the Seattle Seahawks quarterback said. “Obviously, will be throughout the week; just got to continue to prepare and get my body right for Sunday.”

Darnold tweaked his oblique in practice last week. It didn’t seem to hinder him last Saturday as the Seahawks pummeled the visiting San Francisco 49ers 41-6 in the divisional playoffs.

Of course, Darnold wasn’t called on to do much, as the Seahawks’ running game, defense and special teams were dominant. Darnold was 12-of-17 passing for 124 yards and a touchdown to Jaxon Smith-Njigba and was turnover-free.

The Rams have had Darnold’s number. In a playoff game last year while with Minnesota, Darnold was sacked nine times and committed a pair of turnovers, one of which was returned for a touchdown, in a 27-9 defeat in Inglewood, Calif.

In Week 11 this season, Darnold threw four interceptions in a 21-19 loss to the host Rams, though he nearly rallied Seattle to a victory before Jason Myers’ 61-yard field-goal attempt as time expired faded wide right.

On Dec. 18 in Seattle, Darnold was sacked four times and threw a pair of picks as the Seahawks fell behind by 16 points in the fourth quarter. He then led a miraculous comeback and found backup tight end Eric Saubert for a two-point conversion in overtime of a 38-37 victory.

Darnold credited the Rams’ defense for having a “really good scheme” that disguises their coverages. He said a key will be “staying on schedule … staying positive on first and second down.”

“It’s win or go home at this point,” Darnold said. “But we look at it as another game. We trust our process throughout the week.”

Backup running back Zach Charbonnet, who led the Seahawks in the regular season with 12 rushing touchdowns, suffered a serious knee injury against the 49ers and is out for the rest of the season. Starter Kenneth Walker III carried a heavier load, rushing for 116 yards and three touchdowns.

The Seahawks (15-3) also have an injury concern at left tackle, with the top three candidates ailing. Starter Charles Cross left in the third quarter last Saturday with a foot injury and didn’t return. His backup, Josh Jones, wasn’t active against the 49ers with knee and ankle woes, and third-stringer Amari Kight, a rookie, played the final 17 snaps but missed practice time this week with a knee issue.

The Rams (14-5) have won two straight playoff games on the road to get to the conference title game. They dispatched Carolina 34-31 on Jan. 10 and Chicago 20-17 in overtime last Sunday.

They’re relatively healthy, with only safety Quentin Lake (illness) and linebacker Byron Young (knee) missing practice time this week.

The Los Angeles offense, which led the league in yards (394.6 per game) and scoring (30.5) during the regular season, struggled with a cold and hostile environment in Chicago.

It will be even louder Sunday in Seattle.

“When you go into the environment that we’re going into here on Sunday in Seattle, everybody’s gotta be on the same page and communicate,” said Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford, a leading MVP candidate. “That’s what offense is all about. You gotta have 11 people working as one.”

The Rams’ Davante Adams, who led the NFL with 14 receiving touchdowns in the regular season, missed the last game against Seattle with an injury.

“This is the biggest game,” Adams told reporters this week. “Whatever game you’re currently in is the biggest game of the year. But this is, obviously, the biggest game right here. They took care of business against us last time. It’s tough being on the sideline … even though we did take care of business on offense and had a good day. But it’s time to finish it off this time.”

–Field Level Media

Seahawks RB coach Kennedy Polamalu takes leave of absence

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Seattle Seahawks running backs coach Kennedy Polamalu is taking a leave of absence for personal reasons, the team announced on Wednesday.

Polamalu, 62, joined the staff in February 2024 when Mike Macdonald took over as head coach. Polamalu’s duties will be assumed by run game specialist/assistant offensive line coach Justin Outten and offensive assistant Michael Byrne.

NFL Network reported that Polamalu might perform other duties for the team during his absence.

Polamalu has extensive coaching experience after playing fullback at Southern California from 1982-85.

His numerous college coaching jobs include at his alma mater as well as at UCLA, San Diego State and Colorado. His NFL experience as a running backs coach includes the Cleveland Browns (2004), Jacksonville Jaguars (2005-09), Minnesota Vikings (2017-21), Las Vegas Raiders (2021-23) and Seahawks.

He is the uncle of Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2020 inductee Troy Polamalu, who played safety for the Pittsburgh Steelers from 2003-14.

–Field Level Media

Oct 5, 2025; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Seahawks head coach Mike MacDonald and Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles shake hands following the game at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-Imagn Images

Seahawks’ home woes can benefit blossoming Texans

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If the Seattle Seahawks could use the coin flip to defer a home game like an opening kickoff, they just might do it.

Entering Monday night’s game against the visiting Houston Texans (2-3), the Seahawks (4-2) are 3-0 away from home to extend their franchise-record road winning streak to nine games.

Meanwhile, they’re 1-2 this season at home after going 3-6 last year at Lumen Field in coach Mike Macdonald’s first season at the helm.

“We have to win at home,” Macdonald said. “We have to defend our home turf. We know that. It’s really important that we play better at home. It’s been an important emphasis since I was hired. Hasn’t come to life yet. We’re determined to make it come to life.”

The Seahawks won 20-12 last week at Jacksonville, limiting the Jaguars to 273 yards of total offense and sacking Trevor Lawrence seven times.

There were some tense moments late because the Seahawks’ two defeats — to San Francisco and Tampa Bay — happened when they blew leads in the final two minutes, but their defense held strong against the Jaguars.

“It’s been an emphasis for us,” Macdonald said of closing out games. “We weren’t shying away from it. Our guys were awesome. I think you could sense it on the sidelines that they wanted the opportunity to go out there and go play, and that’s all you can ask for as a coach.”

Sam Darnold continues to shine, passing for 295 yards and two touchdowns at Jacksonville. Darnold owns the third-best passer rating (116.0) in the NFL — trailing only Baltimore’s Lamar Jackson and Detroit’s Jared Goff.

“Sam’s fantastic,” tight end AJ Barner said. “He’s doing a heck of a job. Just how consistent he is, how hard he plays, how he leads — we have a very special quarterback here, and I think people are starting to find that out. We’re going to continue to ride with him.”

The Texans opened the season with three one-score losses before rebounding with lopsided victories against Tennessee (26-0) and at Baltimore (44-10). Quarterback C.J. Stroud was named the AFC Offensive Player of the Week following the game against the Ravens, in which he threw for 244 yards and four TDs.

Texans coach DeMeco Ryans, whose team comes off its bye week, said it’s too early to worry about the AFC playoff chase.

“That doesn’t creep into my mind at all about where the other AFC teams are, what their record is,” Ryans said. “It’s still early in the season. A lot of teams had a lot of really good starts to the season. But we all know, and it’s our focus, it’s all about how you finish the season.”

Like the Seahawks, the Texans rely on their defense.

“Our defense has done a really nice job because of the players and the work that they put in,” Ryans said. “We have outstanding players, outstanding men, not just players who go out. But they work the right way. Every single week, every single day in practice, they work together. When they play together, it’s a tough unit to beat.”

Both teams enter the game fairly healthy, with Seahawks linebacker Derick Hall (oblique) the only player forced to sit out practice Thursday.

–Field Level Media

Oct 12, 2025; Jacksonville, Florida, USA; Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba (11) makes a catch to score a touchdown during the first half against the Jacksonville Jaguars at EverBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Morgan Tencza-Imagn Images

Jaxon Smith-Njigba continues hot start as Seahawks down Jaguars

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Jaxon Smith-Njigba kept his sensational season going with a season-high 162 receiving yards, leading the Seattle Seahawks to a 20-12 win over the host Jacksonville Jaguars Sunday afternoon.

Smith-Njigba, who entered Sunday second in the league in receiving yards (534), recorded eight catches for his fourth 100-yard game of the season.

He caught Sam Darnold’s first five completions for his first 117 passing yards of the game, accounting for over half of the quarterback’s 295 passing yards and one of his two touchdowns.

Seattle (4-2) improved to 3-0 in road games this season — with nine straight road wins dating back to last season — while snapping Jacksonville’s three-game winning streak.

Trevor Lawrence completed 27 of 42 passes for 258 yards and two touchdowns. He was also sacked seven times, more than the six total sacks the Jaguars allowed in their first five games combined.

Jacksonville (4-2) opened the scoring on its third drive with a 21-yard pass from Lawrence to Brian Thomas Jr. It was Thomas’ first TD catch of the season after he had 10 as a rookie and paved the way for his team-high 90 receiving yards.

After the Seahawks were held without a first down on their first two series, they exploded for 20 points on their next five possessions.

A 24-yard Jason Myers field goal was followed by a 61-yard bomb from Darnold to Smith-Njigba on the first play of the following Seattle drive to make it 10-6.

A missed 50-yard field goal by Cam Little — who also missed the extra point on Jacksonville’s first touchdown — set the stage for Myers to nail a 53-yarder with 10 seconds left for a 13-6 halftime advantage.

Coming out of the half, the Seahawks marched 77 yards on eight plays, reaching pay dirt on an 11-yard pass to Cooper Kupp to make it 20-6 at the 10:14 mark.

Seattle’s third-ranked run defense stifled the Jaguars’ high-powered rushing attack. Jacksonville managed just 59 rushing yards on 3.1 yards per carry, well below its 137 yards per game average which ranked third in the NFL.

Jacksonville ended a scoring drought of over 33 minutes with a 26-yard touchdown from Lawrence to Tim Patrick, but a failed two-point conversion left it with a 20-12 deficit with 13 minutes left.

Jacksonville got the ball three times with a one-score deficit in the fourth quarter after that, but the offense was never able to cross midfield.

DeMarcus Lawrence and Byron Murphy II accounted for two sacks apiece.

–Field Level Media

Oct 5, 2025; Seattle, Washington, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield (6) scramble for positive yards against the Seattle Seahawks during the first half at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-Imagn Images

Baker Mayfield guides Buccaneers to high-octane win over Seahawks

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Chase McLaughlin kicked three field goals, including a 39-yarder as time expired, to give the Tampa Bay Buccaneers a 38-35 victory against the host Seattle Seahawks on Sunday as both teams celebrated their 50th anniversaries by wearing throwback uniforms.

Baker Mayfield completed 29 of 33 passes for 379 yards and two touchdowns for the Buccaneers (4-1). He hit Sterling Shepard with an 11-yard scoring strike with 1:08 remaining to tie the score at 35.

The Bucs got the ball back on Lavonte David’s interception on a ball that deflected off the helmet of teammate Logan Hall at the line of scrimmage to set up the winning kick.

Sam Darnold was 28-of-34 passing for 341 yards, four TDs and two interceptions for the Seahawks (3-2), who had a three-game winning streak snapped. AJ Barner caught two scoring passes for Seattle.

Darnold threw a 21-yard TD pass to rookie Tory Horton on fourth-and-2 with 3:18 remaining to cap an eight-play, 99-yard drive and put Seattle up 35-28.

The Bucs drove into the red zone on each of their first two possessions, but had to settle for McLaughlin field goals of 30 and 36 yards.

Tampa Bay extended its lead to 13-0 on a 7-yard run around the left end by Rachaad White with 2:09 left in the half. White served as the Bucs’ lead back with Bucky Irving (foot/shoulder) sidelined.

The Seahawks scored on Darnold’s 6-yard slant to Jaxon Smith-Njigba (eight catches, 132 yards) in the back of the end zone with 6 seconds left in the half.

The Seahawks took the second-half kickoff and went 77 yards in just four plays, taking a 14-13 lead after Zach Charbonnet’s 5-yard run up the middle.

The Bucs regained the lead on Mayfield’s 20-yard scoring strike to Emeka Egbuka. The duo connected on a two-point conversion to make it 21-14.

The Seahawks tied it at 21 on a 2-yard TD pass from Darnold to Barner.

Tampa Bay moved back out front as White took a pitch to the left and scored on a 1-yard run with 19 seconds left in the third quarter to make it 28-21. A 57-yard pass to Egbuka down to the 2 was the key play.

Darnold’s 6-yard TD pass to Barner knotted the score at 28 with 9:48 remaining.

–Field Level Media

Sep 7, 2025; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; Arizona Cardinals running back Trey Benson (33) at Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images

Cards RB Trey Benson thrust into spotlight against Seahawks

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The struggling Arizona Cardinals’ offense sure could use James Conner on a short week as they prepare for Thursday night’s game against Seattle in Glendale, Ariz.

But the Cardinals (2-1) will have to make due without Conner, their stalwart running back, who went on injured reserve Tuesday with a foot injury suffered in a 16-15 loss to host San Francisco on Sunday.

“One of your leaders, a captain. You hate that it happened,” said Cardinals coach Jonathan Gannon. “I feel terrible, but I know he’ll take the right attitude and bounce back.

“Picking up that slack, both the player and the person, we’re all going to have to collectively do it, truthfully. But that’s a bummer just like all of our guys who’ve gotten hurt. But just knowing what type of player and person he is it’s tough to replace, but we have to. So that’s what we’ll do.”

The Cardinals will have to rely on second-year back Trey Benson, who has a team-high 125 yards on 21 carries this season.

Conner, a Pro Bowl selection in 2018 and 2021, rushed for more than 3,700 yards and 38 touchdowns over the past four-plus seasons.

“JC is everything, means everything,” Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray said after Sunday’s loss. “I really don’t want to talk about it right now.”

Even without Conner, the Cardinals were within a last-second field goal of remaining undefeated.

They’ll have to rely on a defense that ranks tied for fifth in the league in allowing 17 points per game.

“I told the coaches, the sky’s not falling, there’s no panic in my game,” Gannon said. “I told the team that and I haven’t lost confidence. We lost a game. The things over the first three weeks that we haven’t done a good enough job — we’ve got time to correct it. But we’ve got to correct it.”

The Seahawks (2-1) have won two in a row after a season-opening loss to San Francisco. That includes Sunday’s 44-13 victory against visiting New Orleans as rookie Tory Horton returned a punt a franchise-record 95 yards for a touchdown and also made a TD catch.

“I know that he’s continuing to get better,” said Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold. “And I think that’s the biggest key as a young player is having that want to get better and understand the offense even that much more.”

The Seahawks also blocked a punt, the first time that happened to the Saints in 234 games.

“It was obviously a really good result, with the special teams and the defense and the way they set the tone for this game,” Darnold said. “It kind of led to us having really good field position all day.”

Seattle fullback Robbie Ouzts and offensive tackle Josh Jones, who both suffered ankle injuries against the Saints, were listed as non-participants in practice this week. All four Seahawks who missed last weekend’s game — running back Zach Charbonnet (foot), cornerback Devon Witherspoon (knee) and safeties Julian Love (hamstring) and Nick Emmanwori — were back in at least a limited capacity.

For the Cardinals, wide receiver Zay Jones (concussion), offensive tackle Kelvin Beachum (rest) and cornerback Will Johnson (groin) missed practice.

–Field Level Media

Dec 26, 2024; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Seattle Seahawks running back Kenny McIntosh (25) runs the ball against the Chicago Bears during the first quarter at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Bartel-Imagn Images

Report: Seahawks RB Kenny McIntosh’s leg injury thought to be torn ACL

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Seattle Seahawks running back Kenny McIntosh suffered a left leg injury on Saturday that is thought to be a torn ACL, according to an ESPN report.

The Seahawks said on their website that McIntosh injured his knee on a return drill, had to be helped off the field by athletic trainers and missed the rest of practice. Head coach Mike Macdonald did not meet with the media on Saturday and the team did not update McIntosh’s status.

McIntosh, 25, played in all 17 regular-season games last season, rushing 31 times for 172 yards and catching three passes on four targets for 22 yards. Primarily a special teams player, he returned six kicks for 153 yards (25.5-yard average).

He appeared in three games as a rookie in 2023 after spending most of the season on injured reserve. Seattle selected McIntosh in the seventh round of the 2023 NFL Draft out of Georgia.

–Field Level Media