Sam Darnold isn’t pretending the season opener will be easy.
As the Seahawks get ready to open their title defense against the New England Patriots, the Seattle quarterback made it clear on Sunday that he expects a serious fight from a team he views as dangerous across the board.
”It’s a great opportunity for us,” Darnold said. “Obviously, this is a really good football team, coming in here in New England.
Really good defense, offense, good special teams, obviously, and really good coaching staff. So, we got our work cut out for us, but it’s exciting, man.
Exciting to have football back.
That’s the kind of respect you give a team that showed up in last season’s Super Bowl and now comes back with plenty to prove. Seattle beat New England in that championship game, but Darnold knows that history won’t matter much once Week 1 kicks off.
The Patriots still bring plenty of firepower, led by quarterback and last season’s AP MVP finalist Drake Maye and star wide receiver A.J. Brown. Seattle, for its part, brings back much of the core that powered its championship run and will try to start the new season the same way it finished the last one: with a win.
For Darnold and the Seahawks, this is more than just a first game. It’s an early measure of how the defending champs handle the spotlight that comes with the crown. Seattle will have to be sharp from the opening kickoff if it wants to avoid getting stunned right out of the gate.
In Other News...
DK Metcalf Just Reopened A Seahawks Debate Fans Never Dropped
DK Metcalfs exit from Seattle was never just a roster move, and the way things have played out has only made the old debate louder. He asked the Seahawks for a trade before the 2025 season, landed with the Steelers, and Seattle responded by turning the page with draft-pick compensation and a major contract for Jaxon Smith-Njigba. From the outside, it was the kind of decision that invites instant comparison, especially after the Seahawks went on to win Super Bowl LX while Pittsburghs run ended in the wild-card round.
Metcalf, though, is not treating the result like a reason to revisit his choice. He has said he understands the consequences of asking out and has congratulated his former teammates, even as the Steelers committed to him with a four-year, $132 million extension. For Seattle fans, it keeps the conversation in a familiar place: whether the franchise got the timing right, whether Metcalf got what he wanted, and how much a championship ring changes the hindsight around a trade that was already going to be dissected for years. [Read more 🡒]
Cooper Kupps New Seahawks Partnership Goes Well Beyond Sneakers
Brooks Running has officially stepped into the Seahawks orbit as the teams new Running Partner, and the rollout comes with Cooper Kupp serving as one of three new global ambassadors. The arrangement fits Seattles sports culture neatly enough, but it is aimed at more than branding and sideline visibility. Brooks is tying the partnership to community work across Washington state, with a focus on supporting high school football coaches and athletes through programs such as Coach of the Week and Future Run grants.
The broader push also reaches into girls flag football, where Brooks plans to recognize coaches and players as the sport keeps growing in the region. The company expects to spotlight those efforts at a Seahawks home game, turning what could have been a straightforward endorsement deal into a much wider effort around local football. For Kupp and the Seahawks, it is a partnership built as much on community footing as on what happens on game day. [Read more 🡒]
Seahawks Could Get A Big Backfield Boost Sooner Than Expected
Zach Charbonnets start to the season remains on hold, but theres at least a little more optimism around his recovery than there was when the Seahawks first braced for a long absence. The running back is on the physically unable to perform list after the knee injury he carried out of last season, which means he will miss the first four games, but coach Mike Macdonald said Charbonnet is progressing well and could be back sooner than the December timeframe that had seemed to be the target.
For Seattle, the possibility matters because Charbonnets return would give the backfield a jolt at a point in the season when teams usually start absorbing wear and tear. Still, nothing is locked in yet. He has to pass a physical before the Seahawks can activate him, and with no firm return date in place, the team is left waiting to see whether the encouraging signs turn into an actual midseason comeback. [Read more 🡒]