For the Seahawks, the conversation keeps circling back to the same place: the offensive line. Year after year, coaching changes, quarterback changes and coordinator changes have come and gone, while Seattle has poured resources into wide receiver, running back and tight end. And still the same question has hung over the offense.
Can the line finally hold up?
Heading into 2026, there’s at least a real case for optimism. Seattle is not starting over up front this time.
Every starter from last season is under contract and set to return, which is a notable shift for a franchise that has rarely enjoyed that kind of continuity in recent decades. Instead of tearing the group down and rebuilding it from scratch, the Seahawks have chosen to keep the core together, give a young unit another offseason in Brian Fleury’s new system and add depth around it.
That matters because offensive line play is about more than just talent. It’s about timing, trust and reps together. Keeping the same five on the field could be the simplest path to real improvement.
And if the line does improve, the ripple effects are obvious.
A steadier pocket gives the quarterback more time to work through the full progression. It opens up deeper route concepts.
It forces defenses to defend more than the quick game. Better run blocking changes the math on first and second down, keeps the offense in manageable situations and makes the play-action package much more threatening.
That kind of efficiency fits what Mike Macdonald wants from his team. His defense has already been built into one of the league’s most physical units, and the larger idea is complementary football. Sustained offensive drives help keep the defense rested, improve field position and let Seattle control the pace instead of chasing the game.
The challenge, though, is immediate.
The NFC West, which just added Myles Garrett this offseason to the Los Angeles Rams, still features defensive fronts that can wreck a game on their own. Seattle’s line will be tested right away.
If the group looks like it has in recent years, the offense may once again need big individual plays to carry it. If it takes even a modest step forward, the whole unit becomes cleaner, more efficient and harder to defend.
Seattle does not need a dominant line to matter. It just needs one that stops being the reason drives die. With the talent around it, that might be enough to push the offense forward in 2026.
And that’s why the ceiling question may come down less to the skill players - even with the NFL’s reigning Offensive Player of the Year in Jaxon Smith-Njigba - and more to whether the offensive line can finally become a strength instead of a weekly worry.
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The recognition has followed, too, with Johnson landing on ESPNs Top 50 WNBA Players list while continuing to draw praise inside the locker room for how quickly she has adjusted. Her growth has become one of the more encouraging storylines around the Storm, especially with teammates and coaches pointing to the way she has handled both the responsibility and the pressure that comes with playing such a big role so early. [Read more 🡒]
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The quarterback room adds another layer, with Sam Darnold positioned as the likely starter and Drew Lock and Jalen Milroe competing behind him. For Seattle, the intrigue is not just about who opens the season in what role, but how quickly those decisions settle once the pads come on and the real evaluation begins. [Read more 🡒]