The Seahawks don’t kick off Week 8 until they face the Chicago Bears, but Thursday night brings a game that could still matter in Seattle’s playoff picture.
Carolina and Green Bay meet in a matchup that may look ordinary on the surface, yet it carries a little extra weight for the Seahawks. The Panthers are 3-3 after a brutal loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and they’re dealing with a battered roster.
Damien Lewis and Jaelan Phillips are out, Taylor Moton “ain’t back for another year after breaking his fibula,” and Carolina’s offensive line is dinged up. The Panthers are also missing both starting cornerbacks, Mike Jackson Sr. and Jaycee Horn.
Other than that, they’re in good shape because the NFC South is its usually horrible self.
Green Bay, meanwhile, comes in at 4-3 after a messy 20-17 loss to the Detroit Lions. The Packers dealt with questionable officiating, kicking problems, and the familiar issue of dropped passes as Detroit handed them the defeat. Green Bay opened the season 1-2, looked sharper during a three-game winning streak, but now finds itself behind in the NFC North with a 1-2 division record.
For Seattle, the angle is simple: the more NFC teams that stumble, the better the Seahawks’ margin for error gets later in the season. There’s a real chance the NFC South winner finishes with a worse record than the NFC West winner, and the division runner-up may not be a factor in the Wild Card race. At the same time, multiple NFC North teams look poised to reach the playoffs, which is why a Packers loss would still matter in some way.
If Green Bay loses, the standings would tilt like this:
- Minnesota Vikings (6-0)
- San Francisco 49ers (6-1)
- New York Giants (4-2-1)
- Carolina Panthers (4-3)
- Chicago Bears (5-2)
- Detroit Lions (4-2)
- Seattle Seahawks (4-3)
- Green Bay Packers (4-4)
- Atlanta Falcons (3-4, 3-2 NFC)
- Los Angeles Rams (3-4, 2-2 NFC)
- Dallas Cowboys (3-4, 2-3 NFC)
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-5, 1-0 NFCS)
- New Orleans Saints (2-5, 0-1 NFCS, 1-3 NFC)
- Arizona Cardinals (2-5, 1-4 NFC, 3 Strength of Victory)
- Philadelphia Eagles (2-5, 1-4 NFC, 2.5 Strength of Victory)
- Washington Commanders (1-4-1)
So yes, even in Week 8, this one has a Seattle angle. A Packers loss would make the NFC a little less crowded and give the Seahawks a bit more breathing room in the race.
For one night, Seattle fans can pull for Carolina and, as the source put it: “So go Panthers! Go Dave Canales!
Go Bryce Young! Go Jake Curhan!
Go David Moore!”
In Other News...
Seahawks Could Make A Familiar Deadline Move Fans Will Debate
A familiar name is floating back into the conversation as the Seahawks approach the deadline, and its one that would immediately stir debate among fans. Cornerback Riq Woolen spent four seasons in Seattle before moving on to Philadelphia on a one-year deal in 2026, and the idea of bringing him back speaks to how much the Seahawks know him and how much they still value the possibility of adding a proven piece to the secondary.
From Seattles side, the fit is easy enough to understand: a player with that history would give the defense a recognizable option and another layer of intrigue as the team weighs its next move. Any deal would come down to what the Seahawks are willing to send back in draft compensation, and for now thats where the story sits, with no official trade reported and plenty of room for fans to argue over whether a reunion makes sense. [Read more 🡒]
Seahawks Already Face A Receiver Decision After Rashid Shaheed Scare
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De Jesus and Wilson both arrive as undrafted rookies who were recently waived by other NFL teams, but they come from different football backgrounds and bring different athletic profiles to the table. For Seattle, the larger question is less about the tryout names themselves than about how the receiver room holds together if Shaheed misses time, and whether the team has to make an early move to protect itself before the situation gets any murkier. [Read more 🡒]
Seahawks Just Got A Brutal Week 8 Challenge Up Front
Chicagos front just got a lot more imposing for Seattle to deal with in Week 8, because the Bears have added defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons in a trade with Tennessee that cost them multiple future draft picks. Simmons arrives with a reputation as one of the leagues most disruptive interior defenders, a player who already owns multiple All-Pro and Pro Bowl nods and was fresh off a three-year contract extension with the Titans.
For a Seahawks offense trying to keep its rhythm going, the timing could hardly be worse. The Bears did not just make a move for the future, they brought in an immediate difference-maker before a matchup that now has a much different feel up front, and Seattle will have to account for Simmons almost as soon as he learns the playbook. [Read more 🡒]