The Seahawks are not staring at a sweeping overhaul heading into 2026, and that’s part of what makes this group interesting. In a division where the NFC West can turn fast, Seattle’s best path to keeping things steady is simple: stay strong enough that the only departures are the kind that come from success, like Klint Kubiak’s move this past offseason.
That’s the backdrop for a roster that still has a few pressure points. If Seattle slips, the front office could start looking for fixes.
If the Seahawks keep rolling, it could mean more coaching interviews elsewhere for people like defensive coordinator Aden Durde or special teams coordinator Jay Harbaugh. Either way, the margin for error is thin, and a handful of key figures need to deliver in 2026.
Jalen Sundell is one of them. The center is not a liability, but he also isn’t the kind of force who can simply be penciled in without question.
He brings athleticism to the position, though power is not his calling card. His familiarity with left guard Grey Zabel from their North Dakota State days helped Zabel settle in more quickly in 2025, and Sundell’s own play was respectable.
Pro Football Focus ranked him 19th among 40 qualified centers last season, and he was a little stronger in pass protection than in the run game. He did not give up a sack until Seattle’s playoff game against the San Francisco 49ers.
Still, with Sundell locked in as the starter entering 2026, he has to show he deserves to hold the job beyond this season. If he backs up, the Seahawks could be shopping for his replacement in the 2027 NFL Draft.
Anthony Bradford is in an even more obvious prove-it spot. The right guard has spent the last three seasons under a microscope, and Seattle has kept sending him out there anyway.
That tells you the team sees enough to keep him in the lineup, but not enough to feel comfortable. Bradford has had stretches where he’s been serviceable, and others where he’s been flat-out rough.
Now he’s in the final year of his rookie deal, which makes 2026 a true audition for what comes next. Across three seasons, he has allowed 13 sacks and been flagged 19 times.
His run blocking has been only a little better than his pass protection, and that’s the real issue. Seattle needs more if it wants long-term stability on the line.
Then there’s Brian Fleury, who steps into a demanding chair for the first time in Seattle. He should be a good offensive coordinator, but the concerns are real.
He has never called plays before, and he’s following Klint Kubiak, who arrived, coached one season, and helped lead the Seahawks to a title before leaving for the Las Vegas Raiders. That’s a tough act to follow.
Seattle still has the pieces to compete for championships for years, but if Fleury doesn’t handle the job well, it could muddy the picture fast. His background and understanding of both sides of the ball point to success, yet he still has to prove he can run an offense and handle play-calling at this level.
Derick Hall rounds out the group. He isn’t in danger of losing his place - not with a year left on his rookie contract and a three-year extension signed this offseason.
But the extension also raises the bar. Hall is useful against the run and can pressure the quarterback, though the production has come in uneven bursts.
Last season, he finished with only two sacks, even if the underlying pass-rush numbers were better than that total suggests. The problem is that sacks are what people notice.
He had eight in 2024, so the ceiling is there. He may still be a valuable defensive piece, but unless the sack total climbs, plenty of fans are going to keep circling the word overpaid.
In Other News...
Seahawks Could Revisit A Familiar 2016 Pick Before Camp
Nick Vannetts name has surfaced again in Seattle just before veterans are set to report to training camp, a reminder of how the Seahawks sometimes circle back to familiar faces when roster building gets serious. The tight end, a third-round pick by Seattle in 2016, spent his first four seasons with the team before moving on and later landing with several other NFL clubs, including a recent stop with the Rams.
The timing of the visit makes it notable, especially with a new offensive coordinator in place and the tight end room still a spot worth watching. Vannetts experience in a different system could make him a useful piece if Seattle wants more continuity in how that group is used, but even a return would not come with any guarantees about where he fits once the roster starts getting trimmed. [Read more 🡒]
Seahawks May Have A Surprising Answer To A Major Pass Rush Debate
Nic Scourtons ACL tear changed the Carolina Panthers edge-rush outlook for 2026, and it also opened a door for a Seahawks team still weighing how to handle its own pass-rush depth. Uchenna Nwosu has become part of that conversation, with the idea of moving him surfacing as a way for Seattle to reshape the position while giving a wounded Panthers front another veteran option.
For the Seahawks, the appeal is not just what they might get back, but what a deal could free up in the bigger roster picture. The cap room created by moving Nwosu could give Seattle flexibility to chase outside help, and names like Jadeveon Clowney and Joey Bosa have already been floated as possible fits, even if those possibilities remain firmly in the speculative stage for now. [Read more 🡒]
Seahawks Suddenly Face A Tough Olu Oluwatimi Decision At Camp
As training camp opens and the Seahawks get ready to defend their title, one of the quieter roster questions has suddenly become a real one in the middle of the offensive line. ESPNs Brady Henderson has projected center Olu Oluwatimi as a possible trade candidate, a notable turn for a player who started half of the 2024 season and has been part of the teams recent interior-line planning.
The bigger issue is what that means for Seattles depth chart going forward, especially with Oluwatimi not included in Hendersons 2026 roster projection. Jalen Sundell is currently viewed as the player ahead of him at center, which leaves the Seahawks weighing whether to keep Oluwatimi as insurance or explore a market that could form before camp is over or later in the season. [Read more 🡒]