When it comes to playoff football in Seattle, tradition runs deep-and on Sunday, the Seahawks leaned into that legacy in a big way.
Ahead of the NFC Championship showdown against the Los Angeles Rams, the Seahawks tapped into one of the most iconic rituals in franchise history: raising the 12 Flag. And this time, it was chair Jody Allen who stepped up to hoist it high above Lumen Field, igniting a roar from the home crowd that could be felt all the way down to the turf.
Allen was joined by a trio of Seahawks legends-Matt Hasselbeck, Cliff Avril, and Michael Bennett-each of whom played a key role in defining different eras of Seattle football. From Hasselbeck’s leadership during the team’s first Super Bowl run in the mid-2000s, to Avril and Bennett anchoring the defensive front during the Legion of Boom years, their presence brought a wave of nostalgia and pride to a fanbase that knows its history.
This marked Jody Allen’s first time raising the 12 Flag for a conference title game, but it’s a moment that carries a deeper connection. Her brother, the late Paul Allen, raised the flag the last three times Seattle reached the NFC Championship-in 2005, 2013, and 2014.
Paul Allen, who bought the team in 1997, was more than just an owner. He was a steward of the Seahawks’ rise from regional curiosity to national powerhouse, and his legacy continues to shape the franchise’s identity.
Since Paul’s passing in 2018, Jody Allen has taken on that responsibility, and Sunday’s flag-raising felt like more than ceremonial-it was a bridge between past and present, a nod to the roots that still ground this team even as it pushes forward.
As the Seahawks took the field against their NFC West rivals with a Super Bowl berth on the line, the energy at Lumen Field was unmistakable. The 12s brought the noise, the memories, and the belief that this team, steeped in tradition and backed by its passionate fanbase, is never out of the fight.
The flag may be symbolic, but in Seattle, it’s also a signal: the playoffs are here, and the 12s are all in.