The Seattle Seahawks didn’t need a pile of individual awards to reach the top of the sport in 2025. Outside of Jaxon Smith-Njigba, they didn’t have many statistical headliners, yet they still beat the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LX. That, according to Julian Love, is the point.
Love said the Seahawks’ edge comes from players who could chase bigger numbers but choose not to. After Sunday’s training camp practice, he pointed to Leonard Williams as the kind of star who could demand more one-on-ones and more sacks, but doesn’t operate that way.
"The idea is like, okay, Leonard Williams, best D-tackle in the game … and he could easily be like, ‘Give me all the one-on-ones. I can get a certain amount of sacks.’
But he doesn’t," Seahawks safety Julian Love explained after the team's training camp practice on Sunday. "Obviously, I’m a friend of Leo.
That’s not how he operates. He would hate that.
And that's kind of the idea. [Jaxon Smith-Njigba] could easily be like, ‘Throw me the ball every time.
I’m the best receiver in the league.’ He doesn’t, though.
He hates that. He wants everyone else to have love and shine."
Williams’ 2024 season was the better statistical year. He finished with 64 tackles, 16 tackles for loss, 11.0 sacks, three batted passes and a 92-yard pick-six, but still did not land First-Team All-Pro honors. In 2025, his numbers dipped, but he was finally named Second Team All-Pro for the first time in his career.
Love said that kind of recognition is secondary in Seattle. The Seahawks’ top players are focused on winning, not stacking individual praise, and the awards are supposed to follow the team success.
He also singled out the defensive front as a group built on shared sacrifice. Byron Murphy, he said, is the league’s best at absorbing double teams, while Jarran Reed may be the best tackler at his position. Even with that kind of talent, Love said the group isn’t chasing personal stat lines.
"For the D-line specifically, you have Byron Murphy, who is the best double-team player in the league, probably in the past bunch of years in the league. You have Jarran Reed, probably the best tackler in the league at that position.
You have that whole front bringing something special, and they can all easily be like, ‘Let me get my double-digit sacks, let me get my payday, let me do my thing.’ But they don’t," Love said.
"They understand that if we rush as one, that’s how we were effective last year. We’re all going to get our things.
We’re going to get ours for sure. But we’re going to do it under the umbrella of 12 as one.
We’re going to do it together."
Seattle’s formula is built around that kind of buy-in, and Love said the team doesn’t need a major overhaul to keep it going. There are new faces on both sides of the ball, but head coach Mike Macdonald has made it clear that only players willing to embrace the system and culture will stick around. That, Love said, is what keeps the Seahawks steady from one year to the next.
In Other News...
Seahawks Camp Is Quietly Shaping Two Huge Week 1 Concerns
The early tone around Seahawks camp has been more encouraging than dramatic, which is exactly what a team with a lot of moving parts needs in late summer. Rashid Shaheeds development has been one of the brighter notes, and the arrival of new offensive coordinator Brian Fleury is helping preserve some continuity while the offense settles in. On the other side of the ball, Uchenna Nwosu, Derick Hall and Dante Fowler have all put together solid offseasons, and there is a real sense that younger defenders such as Byron Murphy II and Drake Thomas are positioned to take meaningful steps.
What makes the next few weeks interesting is how much of the roster still feels like it is being sorted out in real time. The secondary has opened up competition after recent departures, and rookies Bud Clark and Julian Neal are among the players trying to carve out roles. Seattle is also keeping a close eye on injured players like Zach Charbonnet, which adds another layer to a camp that has been productive without yet answering all of its biggest questions. [Read more 🡒]
Seahawks Camp Is Already Revealing A Backfield Pecking Order
Training camp is already giving the Seahawks a clearer look at their backfield hierarchy, and the early competition is centered on Emmanuel Wilson, George Holani and Jadarian Price. With Seattle leaning into a running backs-by-committee approach, the first few practices have done more to sort out the top of the depth chart than to settle it, which is exactly why the battle at the position has become one of the more closely watched parts of camp.
The bigger question now is how the workload will be divided once the roster gets closer to full strength. Charbonnets return is still pending, and his presence could change the shape of the rotation just as the contenders for the RB1 and RB2 roles are trying to separate themselves. For now, the Seahawks are getting an early read on who can handle the most responsibility, even if the final answer is still waiting on another piece of the puzzle. [Read more 🡒]
Seahawks Cut Short Another Backfield Hope Fans Wanted To See
Kenny McIntoshs time with the Seahawks has been defined more by what never quite got off the ground than by any extended chance to prove himself. A 2023 seventh-round pick, he came into the league with some hope attached, but injuries kept interrupting the conversation, including a knee issue and an ACL tear that limited his playing time and slowed his progress.
Seattles backfield picture keeps moving without him, with Jadarian Price, George Holani, Emanuel Wilson and Zach Charbonnet in the mix when healthy. For a team that has spent the offseason sorting out depth behind its top options, McIntoshs absence is another reminder of how quickly the running back room can change, and how hard it can be for a young player to carve out a role before the next wave arrives. [Read more 🡒]