The Seahawks are already being treated like the team to beat after their Super Bowl 60 run, but not everyone is lining up behind Seattle’s repeat case.
Former Rams wide receiver Danny Amendola made that clear during NFL Training Camp when he laid out why he’s leaning toward his old team instead. Speaking to The Action Network, Amendola gave Seattle its due first.
“Yeah, the Seahawks are great. They played, earned it last year. They, deserve every bit of that championship,” Amendola began.
But he didn’t stop there. Amendola pointed to the pieces he believes give the Rams the edge, citing “offensive and defensive MVPs on both sides of the ball (quarterback Matthew Stafford and edge rusher Myles Garrett), and then another beast coming back in there in Aaron Donald at defensive tackle.” Amendola said, though it's not official on if Donald will return.
He also liked the addition of Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Trent McDuffie, saying, “Like I said, they got a good cornerback in the mix now, and they're just continuing to get better. Time will tell,” Amendola said.
“That's why we play the game, and we got a long way to go. By no means do we crown them the champions yet, but they've definitely got a good football team.”
Seattle is still bringing back plenty from its title-winning team, with Sam Darnold back at quarterback and Mike Macdonald entering season three as head coach. The Seahawks say they plan to “run it forward” from their Super Bowl 60 appearance.
Even so, Amendola’s comments fit the bigger picture in the NFC West: the Rams have reloaded, Seattle has its own core back, and the race could again come down to those two clubs. But the Seahawks are also dealing with a familiar challenge - people are still writing off their chances to repeat.
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Seahawks Secondary Just Got A Reminder Fans Were Dreading
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Pete Carroll acknowledged the defensive shortcomings afterward, and the performance came with the added complication of several Seahawks dealing with injuries during the game. For a unit that has already been under a microscope, it was a reminder of how quickly a respected secondary can be put on its heels, especially when the opponent keeps finding open space and the game starts slipping away. [Read more 🡒]
Tory Horton Is Giving Seahawks A Tough Receiver Decision
Tory Horton has been one of the more encouraging stories of Seahawks training camp, turning a comeback from a fractured leg into a legitimate push for a larger offensive role. The young receiver has looked sharp enough to keep showing up in the conversation alongside the other pieces Seattle has added at the position, giving the coaching staff something useful to sort through as camp moves along.
Hortons recent work has made the decision a little trickier because it is not just about talent, but about how much the Seahawks want to ask of him right now. With the team already invested in receivers such as Rashid Shaheed and Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Seattle will have to balance the appeal of Hortons upside with the need to keep a close eye on his workload after a run of injuries. [Read more 🡒]
Rylie Mills May Have Found A Seahawks Role That Changes Everything
Rylie Mills is lining up for a noticeably bigger job with the Seahawks this season, and it is the kind of role that can quietly reshape a defensive front. Seattle is expecting him to work across multiple spots along the line, giving the coaches a versatile piece who can move around depending on the look and the matchup. For a team always trying to find the right mix up front, that kind of flexibility matters.
Mills size and strength are what make the plan possible, and the Seahawks are counting on that to translate into more snaps and a larger footprint on game day. He also enters the season coming off a knee injury that slowed him last year, which only adds to the intrigue around how much he can handle once the real workload arrives. If he takes to the expanded assignment the way Seattle hopes, it could end up changing the way the defense uses him altogether. [Read more 🡒]
