Four games into the 2026 season, the Seahawks have given themselves a solid foundation at 3-1. That record tells part of the story. The rest is a little messier, with each phase of the team showing both real strength and a few areas that still need work.
The offense took an early hit when Sam Darnold went down with a glute injury on the first drive of the season and missed Week 2. Drew Lock handled the job well in his place, steering the team to a road win and keeping things steady until Darnold came back in Week 3.
Seattle’s offense has been productive overall. The Seahawks rank 13th in the league with 347.3 yards per game, and they’ve topped 30 points in each of the last three weeks.
That’s the kind of stretch that suggests the unit is moving in the right direction. The bigger concern is the ground game, where the Seahawks have had trouble finding enough reliable runners, an issue that could become more pronounced as the season goes on.
On defense, Seattle came out flying. The Seahawks held the New England Patriots and Arizona Cardinals to a combined 17 points over the first two weeks, and that kind of start made it look like this group was picking up right where it left off last season.
They also rank among the league’s stingiest teams overall, joining the Los Angeles Rams as one of just two teams to allow fewer than 1,000 yards. In fact, Seattle has allowed the fewest yards in the NFL, which leaves little room for complaint on that front.
The last two weeks have been less clean. The defense had trouble getting stops against the Washington Commanders on the road, and it let the Los Angeles Chargers hang around in the fourth quarter. Even so, the four forced turnovers helped the Seahawks come away with the win.
Special teams has been a mixed bag. Michael Dickson has been excellent, placing eight punts inside the 20-yard line, which ranks among the best marks in the league. The kickoff return side has also been solid, with Seattle starting around the 33-yard line on average, good for fourth-best in the NFL behind the Carolina Panthers, Philadelphia Eagles, and Las Vegas Raiders.
But the coverage work on kickoffs has not been nearly as dependable, especially in the loss to the Commanders. That phase may be the biggest reason Seattle doesn’t have a perfect record right now, though there have been signs of improvement.
If the Seahawks keep performing at an elite level from here, they’ll put themselves right back in the Super Bowl contender conversation.
In Other News...
Seahawks Have A Real Chance To Add Another Defensive Game Changer
Khalil Macks name is already starting to surface as the kind of midseason trade chip that can shake up the market, and Seattle makes plenty of sense as a possible landing spot. The Chargers 0-4 start has only added to the speculation, while the Seahawks have built enough of a pass rush to at least imagine how another proven edge presence could fit into the mix.
For Seattle, the appeal is easy to see: a contender looking to keep pressure on opposing quarterbacks could use another defensive difference-maker, especially if the price comes in the form of draft picks. The question now is less about whether the Seahawks would have interest than whether the Chargers decide to listen, and how much it would take to pull a player like Mack out of Los Angeles. [Read more 🡒]
Seahawks Fan Crossed A Line With Justin Herbert Heckle
The Chargers 0-4 start has already put Justin Herbert under the microscope, with the quarterback fighting through an uneven opening month under Jim Harbaugh and Mike McDaniel. Herberts early numbers have reflected the turbulence, and when Los Angeles came to Lumen Field in Week 4, the frustration around the offense spilled beyond the field and into the stands.
One Seahawks fan was caught on video directing a food-related insult at Herbert during the game, an example of how thin the line can get when a star quarterback is struggling and a road crowd senses it. It was the kind of heckle that can travel fast because of who it was aimed at, and it added another odd footnote to a Chargers season that has already been short on comfort and long on scrutiny. [Read more 🡒]
Seahawks Suddenly Have A Tough Elijah Arroyo Question
Elijah Arroyo entered the season with the kind of draft pedigree and internal praise that usually signals a real role, but the Seahawks have barely had him involved through four games. The tight end has only one catch on one target, and his snap count has been limited enough to make him more of a background note than a featured piece of the passing game.
For a Seattle offense still sorting out its weekly identity, Arroyos quiet start raises a practical question as much as a developmental one. John Schneiders public confidence in him suggested the organization saw a bigger future ahead, yet the current usage says the staff is still deciding how, or even whether, to fold him into the game plan in a meaningful way. [Read more 🡒]