The Seattle Seahawks already know what life looks like at the top of the NFC West. They beat the Los Angeles Rams twice in three meetings during the 2025 season, including the games that mattered most in the second half of the year. They also knocked off the Rams in the NFC Championship game on their way to the Super Bowl title.
Now the Rams have added Myles Garrett, and Seahawks left guard Grey Zabel sees that as something closer to a challenge than a threat.
Speaking on former Rams edge rusher Chris Long’s podcast, Green Light, Zabel was asked about Los Angeles’ offseason moves. He didn’t try to soften the edge of the rivalry, and he didn’t pretend the Rams had gotten worse.
Zabel said, "(The Rams') defensive line is wicked good. Got even better this offseason...
We're walking out of O-line meetings to lift or run or something, and all I could think about was, 'Awesome. Cleveland Browns just gave us a Christmas present in early June.'"
Zabel later made it clear he meant it. He said Garrett will show how good he is, and he welcomed the test.
That kind of response fits the culture Seattle has built under general manager John Schneider and head coach Mike Macdonald. The Seahawks are not interested in easy division games, especially not against the Rams or the San Francisco 49ers. With three of the better teams in the league living in the NFC West, every week inside the division should feel like a fight.
And that’s exactly how Zabel seems to want it. The Rams got better. Seattle noticed.
In Other News...
Jadarian Price Could Force Seahawks Into Another Huge RB Decision
John Schneiders track record at running back has usually been about patience and value, not splashy investment, which is why the Seahawks current situation is worth watching. Seattle has bodies in the backfield, but after Kenneth Walker III moved on in free agency, it no longer has the kind of explosive runner who can tilt a game with one touch. That leaves the spotlight on Jadarian Price, the rare early pick at the position in Schneiders tenure, and on how quickly the Seahawks can sort out whether they have found a long-term answer.
If Price settles in, Seattle can keep building around him and avoid another major swing. If he does not, the path gets complicated fast, with the front office potentially weighing another premium draft pick at a position it usually treats cautiously, or looking ahead to a market that could include veteran help and a new crop of college runners. Names like Kewan Lacy and Ahmad Hardy already fit the kind of conversation Seattle may be forced to have again sooner than expected. [Read more 🡒]
Seahawks Roster Looks Loaded But One Camp Concern Stands Out
With rookie camp underway and the 2026 season still months away, Seattles roster already looks deeper than it has in a while. Leonard Williams and Byron Murphy give the defensive front real backbone, Jaxon Smith-Njigba remains the most obvious offensive centerpiece, and Sam Darnold arrives with enough support around him to make this a team worth watching early. Even with offseason turnover, the Seahawks have the feel of a club that can point to multiple established pieces and a few young names ready to push for bigger roles.
The one area that keeps surfacing, though, is the back end of the roster and how quickly the new pieces can settle in. Losing Coby Bryant and Riq Woolen changes the look of the secondary, and Seattle is leaning on rookies Bud Clark and Julian Neal to help absorb that hit while the rest of camp sorts out the depth chart. There is also a real camp battle brewing behind Darnold, with Drew Lock and Jalen Milroe competing for the No. 2 job, the kind of subplot that can matter more than it sounds if the Seahawks need stability in a hurry. [Read more 🡒]
Zach Charbonnet May Be Running Out Of Time In Seattle
Zach Charbonnets path back to the Seahawks has already been complicated by the ACL injury he suffered in last seasons divisional playoff game against the 49ers, and his absence has only sharpened the questions around where he fits next. He was coming off a productive season that may have marked his high-water point in Seattle, but the running back picture has moved on while he has been sidelined.
For Charbonnet, the challenge now is not just getting healthy, but doing enough once he is back on the field to remind Seattle what he can still offer. The Seahawks have a different look in place at the position, and with his future role unsettled, every remaining opportunity to show he can still be a factor carries real weight for both sides. [Read more 🡒]