Grey Zabel’s rookie season was enough to put him on the league’s radar, and now the Seahawks guard is walking into Year 2 with real buzz behind him.
Seattle’s first-round pick in the 2025 NFL draft was a big part of why the Seahawks won Super Bowl 60. Zabel settled in quickly, giving the offense a steady presence on an offensive line that had been a problem the year before. The former North Dakota State standout didn’t just hold his own - he looked like a starter with real upside from the jump.
That impression has carried over into the offseason. ESPN’s recent ranking of the 10 best interior offensive linemen in the league left Zabel just outside the top group, but he still landed an honorable mention after his breakout year.
" He played his ass off as a rookie," an anonymous NFC executive told ESPN while voting for Zabel to make the top-10 list. " He's going to be a Pro Bowler for [the Seahawks]. Excellent."
The expectation now is that Zabel takes another step in 2026, and Seattle’s setup gives him a strong chance to do it. The Seahawks are bringing back the same starting five on the offensive line from their Super Bowl season, which should help the group build on its continuity. Zabel will also be working alongside Charles Cross again, giving him another year next to the same tackle.
Seattle did lose offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak, but it kept offensive line coach John Benton, who played an important role in Zabel’s development as a rookie. With that foundation in place, Zabel has the tools to keep climbing - and eventually push his way into the conversation as one of the league’s top interior linemen.
In Other News...
Seahawks Fans Wont Like Where AP Just Put Mike Macdonald
The Associated Press latest look at the NFC Wests coaching hierarchy is the kind of thing Seahawks fans will notice quickly, even if the exercise is mostly opinion. Mike Macdonald is already being measured against the standard set by Sean McVay, whose longer track record and Super Bowl title still carry a lot of weight, while Andy Reid sits at the top of the broader discussion.
For Seattle, the more immediate part of the conversation is what comes next. The Seahawks are headed toward a Week 16 meeting with the Rams on Christmas Day, a matchup that will give Macdonald another chance to show where his program stands in the division and whether the early respect around his work is starting to catch up to the names ahead of him. [Read more 🡒]
Seahawks Rare Linebacker Misstep Looks Even Worse Now
Seattles decision to move on from Jordyn Brooks in 2024 already looked risky when the team chose Tyrel Dodson and Jerome Baker instead, but the linebacker picture has only gotten more uncomfortable since. Both replacements were gone by midseason, leaving the Seahawks to watch a familiar face thrive elsewhere while their own inside linebacker plans never really settled into place.
Brooks has turned his fresh start into a major rebound, and it is hard not to wonder how different this defense might have looked if Seattle had kept him in the fold. The Seahawks also had a chance to build around Ernest Jones, which would have given them a much sturdier pair in the middle, but instead the position became a reminder of how quickly a depth chart can unravel when the wrong call is made. [Read more 🡒]
Geno Smith Case Takes A Major Turn Seahawks Fans Need To See
The Geno Smith situation that surfaced last month has taken a notable turn, with the latest update coming from Davie, Fla., where police had been looking into assault allegations tied to the Jets quarterback. For Seahawks fans, it is another reminder of how quickly off-field headlines can follow a player whose name still carries plenty of weight in Seattle, even after his move on.
What makes the update matter is the uncertainty it leaves behind. The case was sparked by allegations posted on social media, and while the investigation has now reached a point where officials say they cannot move forward on the current information, the story still hangs on whether anything new ever comes to light. For now, it is a situation without a clean ending, just a pause that keeps the broader conversation around Smith from fully going away. [Read more 🡒]