Six weeks into the 2026 season, the Seahawks are sitting at 3-3, and that record comes with an asterisk large enough to notice from across the league. They’re the Super Bowl champions, but they’re already three games back of the 49ers and losing the tiebreaker to Kyle Shanahan’s team. That makes repeating as NFC West champs a tough assignment.
Still, Seattle hasn’t exactly been getting blown off the field. The three losses have come by a total of seven points, and the Seahawks had chances to win each one.
They’re also hoping to get Jadarian Price and Zach Charbonnet back soon, which would give a sputtering offense some badly needed help. The urgency is there, but panic isn’t.
The clearest issue is on offense, where too many units have slipped from where they were at the end of last season. The defense, while still stronger overall, has also backed up a bit.
That doesn’t mean the season is off the rails. It does mean the slide is worth watching.
At quarterback, Sam Darnold’s season has been a mixed bag. He got hurt early in the opener, and Drew Lock stepped in and played pretty well.
Since Darnold returned, though, the play has been shaky. There’s no talk of benching him for Lock, but the Seahawks need more from him if they’re going to contend again.
The bigger concern is not just turnovers - it’s the drop in completion percentage and yards per attempt, with the interceptions needing to come down too. Grade: C-
The running back room has been hit hard. Kenneth Walker’s absence is especially painful with Jadarian Price also out, and right now Seattle doesn’t have a back who forces defenses to react.
Charbonnet should help when he’s back, but that won’t solve everything. Price needs to return, and he needs to stop fumbling.
There’s reason to think the situation improves later, but it’s not getting the job done now. Grade: C-
Wide receiver is a one-man show. Jaxon Smith-Njigba is still playing at an A+ level, even with the costly drop against San Francisco.
The rest of the group, though, has been wildly underwhelming. JSN leads all other receivers combined in targets, catches, yards and touchdowns, and it isn’t remotely close.
Seattle needs somebody else to show up. Grade: B-
The tight ends have become more blocking support than passing threat. AJ Barner, who had been one of the league’s better all-around tight ends, has slipped into being a good blocker with modest receiving production.
That’s an odd turn, especially with the Seahawks needing help for JSN in the passing game and with Kyle Shanahan disciple Brian Fleury expected to lean on the position. Barner is down across the board as a receiver, and his success rate on catches has fallen from 63.2% in each of his first two seasons to 41.7% this year.
Elijah Arroyo has mostly disappeared, and the group has been reduced to extra linemen. Grade: D
Up front, the offensive line may not be a problem in the disaster sense, but it has been a letdown. Kenneth Walker III may have made the group look better in 2025 than it really was.
Charles Cross remains solid at left tackle, but Abraham Lucas and Grey Zabel seem to have taken a step back. Jalen Sundell is adequate at center, not dominant, and the ongoing rotation at right guard - despite rookie Beau Stephens struggling - is hard to explain.
This isn’t a collapse, but it is disappointing. Grade: C-
On defense, the interior line remains a major asset. The unit isn’t quite at its Super Bowl peak, and Rylie Mills still hasn’t had the breakout some expected, but Leonard Williams and Byron Murphy II remain the foundation. Grade: A-
The edge rushers have talent and experience, but the group needs more support. Demarcus Lawrence and Uchenna Nwosu are still dangerous, yet both are veterans who can’t do everything alone.
Dante Fowler has not shown up, and Derick Hall hasn’t made the kind of impact many expected. Even so, there’s still belief Hall can become a meaningful piece before the year is over.
Grade: B-
At linebacker, Ernest Jones IV and Drake Thomas have been sharp and active, while Tyrice Knight adds talent in a reserve role. Like the rest of the team, the group hasn’t fully hit last year’s level yet, but there’s confidence it can keep improving. Grade: B+
The secondary is harder to separate cleanly, because the Seahawks move pieces around so much that cornerback and safety blend together. That especially applies to Devon Witherspoon and Nick Emmanwori.
Josh Jobe has had his issues, though not to the level some have suggested. Mike Evans really got after him, but that kind of thing has happened to plenty of corners.
Julian Love has been especially strong, and the rest of the group has been solid. The unit can still be better - maybe much better - which makes it a tough room to grade.
In the bigger picture, Michael Dickson has remained excellent, the coverage units have done their job, Jason Myers has been shaky at times, and Rashid Shaheed has not yet taken over games the way he did late last season. As with the secondary, there’s room for much more.
Overall, the defense is grading out at a B+ level, while the offense is closer to a C+ - and closer to a D without Smith-Njigba carrying so much of the load. If Seattle wants another real postseason push, both sides need to get back to where they were last year, which was roughly a full grade better.
In Other News...
Seahawks Suddenly Have A Zach Charbonnet Problem Before Chiefs Game
The Seahawks are heading into their Week 7 matchup with the Chiefs without Zach Charbonnet, who has already been activated off the physically unable to perform list but remains in rehab and not ready to suit up. Seattle also ruled out linebackers Drake Thomas and Chazz Surratt, along with defensive back Nick Emmanwori, leaving the roster thinner than the team would like as it prepares for one of its tougher tests of the early season.
Charbonnets situation is the one that stands out most because Seattle went through the trouble of making roster moves to keep him eligible later in the year. For now, though, the team has to proceed without the running back it had hoped might be closer to a return, and the injury list adds another wrinkle as the Seahawks try to navigate a game where depth could matter just as much as the headline names on the field. [Read more 🡒]
Seahawks Need These Surprise Contributors To Challenge The Unbeaten Chiefs
A Sunday night test against the unbeaten Chiefs gives the Seahawks a chance to measure how much depth and versatility they really have. With Kansas City coming in without a loss, Seattle will need more than its stars to make this one competitive, and a few unexpected names could shape how the game unfolds. Cooper Kupp, Ty Okada and Trevon Diggs are among the players who may wind up carrying more weight than usual in a matchup that demands sharp execution in every phase.
Seattle also has a familiar source of motivation in former player Kenneth Walker III, whose presence adds another layer to a game already loaded with stakes. The Seahawks know they are facing a team that has set the standard for the league, and this is the kind of night where role players can swing the balance if they rise to the moment. Whether those surprise contributors can actually tilt things in Seattles favor will be one of the more interesting subplots when the Chiefs arrive. [Read more 🡒]
Why Seahawks Let Kenneth Walker Walk Looks Even Tougher Now
When the Seahawks decided not to bring back Kenneth Walker III, the explanation centered on availability and durability. Seattle moved on instead of extending a back whose bursts and explosiveness had long made him one of the more dangerous players in the offense, and Walker eventually landed a three-year deal with the Kansas City Chiefs.
Now the decision looks a lot harder to defend. Walker is leading the NFL in rushing yards and touchdowns in 2026, a reminder of the kind of playmaker Seattle let leave, while the Seahawks are still sorting out their own backfield with Zach Charbonnet just coming off the physically unable to perform list. For a team that wanted more certainty, the contrast has only gotten sharper. [Read more 🡒]