The Seahawks are already in unfamiliar territory six weeks into 2026, and the contrast with last year’s championship ride is impossible to miss.
In 2025, Mike Macdonald’s team kept finding a way to steady itself. Seattle opened with a 17-13 loss at Lumen Field to the rival 49ers, then ripped off three straight wins.
After a last-second home loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 5, the Seahawks answered with four more victories. The next setback didn’t come until a 19-17 loss to the Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium in Week 11, and from there the team never lost again on its way to the Lombardi Trophy.
That run ended with a 14-3 record, tied for the best in the league. Seattle’s three losses were by a combined nine points. The Seahawks also went 8-1 on the road and never lost back-to-back games.
This season has looked nothing like that.
After beating the New England Patriots and Arizona Cardinals to open 2026, the defending champions have dropped three of their last four games. Thursday night’s 17-14 overtime loss in Denver was not only the team’s second straight defeat, it was also Seattle’s second road loss of the year.
Neither of those things happened in 2025. The Seahawks are now 3-3, which means they’ve already matched last season’s total number of losses.
Pass protection has become another sharp break from a year ago. Across 20 games last season, the most sacks Seattle allowed in any one game was four, and that happened in home wins over the Minnesota Vikings in Week 13 and the Rams in Week 16. This year, the Seahawks have already had two games with five sacks allowed: the 32-29 Week 5 home loss to the San Francisco 49ers and the overtime defeat at Denver.
In all, Seattle has given up 16 quarterback sacks through six games. Add in the club’s three-game postseason run from last season, and the Seahawks allowed only 33 sacks in 20 games a year ago.
The standings have turned against them, too. San Francisco’s 23-17 Monday night win over the Washington Commanders left Seattle three games back of Kyle Shanahan’s first-place team, which is also 3-0 in the division.
Now the challenge gets even tougher. The Seahawks return home Sunday evening to face the 5-0 Kansas City Chiefs and old friend Kenneth Walker III at Lumen Field.
In Other News...
Rams Suddenly Have An Offensive Question They May Not Avoid Much Longer
The NFC West picture got a little more complicated Monday night, when the 49ers beat Washington 23-17 and some of their players were already talking about how much sharper they need to be against more efficient opponents. For the Seahawks, it is the kind of backdrop that keeps the division in focus, especially with Seattle trying to sort out its own offense while watching how the teams around it respond to early-season pressure.
Across the division, the Rams suddenly have a personnel issue they may not be able to ignore for long. Tight end Terrance Ferguson is not expected to be ready to come off injured reserve anytime soon, and with Davante Adams now out because of injury, the possibility of adding help at receiver is starting to loom. Seattle has its own questions as Sam Darnold works through a rough start, with some evaluators still seeing him as a quarterback who needs the right structure around him, while the Seahawks also weigh what a possible Week 7 return for Zach Charbonnet could mean for the offense. [Read more 🡒]
Seahawks Defense Just Got A Telling Sign Before Facing Mahomes
The Seahawks head into Sunday night with something rare for a matchup of this size: respect already coming their way from the other sideline. Seattles defense has earned the leagues top ranking, and it will be tested in a heavyweight meeting with Kansas City, the NFLs top offense, at Lumen Field.
Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes both singled out the Seahawks defense and its scheme, a notable nod before a game that will draw plenty of attention on NBC and Peacock. Mahomes even pointed back to previous battles with the Ravens defense run by Seattle coordinator Mike Macdonald, a reminder that this meeting will be as much about chess as star power when kickoff arrives at 5:20 p.m. PT. [Read more 🡒]
Kenneth Walkers Seattle Return Just Got A Lot More Interesting
Kenneth Walkers first trip back to Seattle is shaping up as one of the more intriguing storylines on the Chiefs schedule. The running back has been a driving force behind Kansas Citys 5-0 start, and he arrives as the NFLs rushing leader, a reminder of just how quickly he has become central to the offense after moving on from his former team.
The return also carries a little extra edge because it is happening in a place that knows him well. Chiefs players and Andy Reid have both weighed in on the matchup, while the team has been sorting through its usual injury and practice updates as it gets ready for the week ahead, adding another layer to a game that already had plenty of attention. [Read more 🡒]