The Seattle Seahawks are your 2025 Super Bowl champions, and they didn’t just win it-they owned the moment. In a 29-13 victory over the New England Patriots, Seattle capped off a season that saw them evolve from a tough, gritty team into a complete, title-winning force.
But for Colts fans, there’s a bit of déjà vu here-because this is the same Seahawks team Indianapolis nearly beat in Week 15, on the road, with a 44-year-old Philip Rivers stepping in for his first NFL start in nearly five years. That game ended in heartbreak, a 56-yard dagger from Jason Myers with just 18 seconds left on the clock sealing an 18-16 loss. It was a gut-punch that all but ended the Colts’ playoff hopes, but it also showed just how close Indy came to knocking off the eventual champs.
Now that the confetti’s settled, let’s break down what we can learn from Seattle’s championship run-and what it might mean for the Colts and the rest of the league moving forward.
Lesson One: It’s Not Always About How You Start
Let’s talk quarterbacks for a second-specifically Sam Darnold and Daniel Jones. Both were once the face of football in New York, drafted inside the top six and expected to be long-term franchise guys.
Fast forward a few years, and both have bounced around the league. Darnold?
Five teams in six seasons. Jones?
Three teams in two years.
But here’s the twist: Darnold just won a Super Bowl.
At 28, he finally found the right fit in Seattle. After years of turnover, inconsistency, and being written off, Darnold put together a postseason run that was as clean as it was clutch-five touchdown passes, 61.5% completion rate, and, most importantly, zero turnovers. That’s not just a turnaround-it’s a redemption arc.
It’s a reminder that development isn’t always linear. Coaching, system fit, and organizational patience matter.
Darnold wasn’t a different person overnight-he just finally landed in the right situation. For Colts fans watching Daniel Jones, who’s set to hit free agency but appears likely to re-sign in Indy, there’s real reason for optimism.
The tools are there. The flashes have been there.
If the Colts can build the right environment around him, who's to say he can’t follow a similar path?
Every stop in the NFL journey matters. And sometimes, it’s not about being the next big thing right away-it’s about sticking around long enough to become it.
Lesson Two: Dominance by Committee Still Wins Championships
Seattle didn’t have a game-wrecking pass rusher like Von Miller or Reggie White leading the charge. In fact, they didn’t have a single player hit double-digit sacks this season.
No one even hit eight. That’s right-Seattle’s top sack-getters maxed out at 7.0, and as a team, they finished with just 27 sacks on the year-sixth-fewest in the NFL.
That’s even fewer than the Colts’ 29.
But here’s where it gets interesting: Seattle had four players hit that 7.0 mark, and they consistently flooded the stat sheet with pressures. They didn’t overwhelm you with one superstar-they wore you down with depth, fresh legs, and relentless disruption. It was a “death-by-committee” approach that turned into a nightmare for opposing offensive lines, especially in the playoffs.
For the Colts, this should ring a few bells. Chris Ballard has long preached the importance of building through the trenches, investing heavily in defensive line talent via the draft.
The philosophy is sound. The execution?
That’s where things have fallen short.
Outside of DeForest Buckner and the promising emergence of second-year edge rusher Laiatu Latu-who posted 8.5 sacks in 2025-there hasn’t been a consistent return on investment. High picks like Kemoko Turay, Tyquan Lewis, Ben Banogu, Dayo Odeyingbo, and Kwity Paye have all had flashes, but none have turned into the kind of impact players you need to anchor a front four.
Even 2025 second-round pick JT Tuimoloau struggled to make an impact, finishing with zero sacks and just 14 pressures in 13 games. At times, he was a healthy scratch. That’s not what you want from a top-50 pick.
Seattle’s success proves you don’t need a singular superstar up front-but you do need depth, consistency, and guys who can win one-on-one matchups when it matters. The Colts have the blueprint. Now it’s about turning those picks into production-or finding someone who already has.
What Comes Next for Indy?
The Colts are at a crossroads. They’ve got a GM in Ballard who’s shown he can build a competitive roster, but after nearly a decade, the pass rush still hasn’t hit the level needed to consistently contend. That could mean doubling down in the draft once again-or finally dipping into free agency to land a proven edge rusher who can tilt the field.
And then there’s the quarterback situation. If Jones does return, the focus shifts to building the kind of infrastructure around him that allowed Darnold to thrive in Seattle: a balanced offense, a strong defense, and a coaching staff that knows how to maximize what he does well.
The margin between a playoff team and a Super Bowl champion can be razor-thin. The Colts saw that firsthand in Week 15. The question now is whether they can take that next step-and learn from the team that just did.
Because if Darnold can go from castoff to champion, and a low-sack defense can dominate the postseason, there’s no reason the Colts can’t turn a near-miss into something much more in 2026.