3 Reasons Why Seahawks May Be Overlooked

Seattle Seahawks defensive end Leonard Williams against the Arizona Cardinals. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

3 Reasons Why Seahawks May Be Overlooked

Originally posted on Seattle Seahawks on SI
By Jeremy Brener | Last updated Jul 1, 2026 3:00 PM ET

The Seattle Seahawks are the defending Super Bowl champions, but there still seems to be a bit of an underdog aura surrounding them.

The Seahawks were dominant in the playoffs, winning three games by a combined 55 points, but they aren't being viewed as this obvious Super Bowl repeat champ going into the year. Here's a look at three reasons why the Seahawks could be overlooked going into the season:

The Los Angeles Rams Made Flashy Trades

IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Naturally, the Rams are going to get a lot of attention being in Los Angeles. However, their moves this offseason suggest that they could be the favorites to win the next Super Bowl. Trading for top-tier cornerback Trent McDuffie from the Kansas City Chiefs and acquiring the best defensive player in the league in defensive end Myles Garrett are certainly moves that can take the Rams over the top.

The Seahawks beat the Rams two out of three times last season, so they have a team that can compete with the best of them, but Los Angeles is a different animal in 2026 than 2025.

Losing Kenneth Walker III Hurts Their Potential

IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

People might assume that the Seahawks are not as good as they were last year because they saw running back and Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker III walk to the Kansas City Chiefs in the offseason.

Walker ran for 1,027 yards and five touchdowns last season with Seattle before popping off in the playoffs in three postseason matchups. He ran the ball 65 times for 313 yards, and in the Super Bowl, he logged 27 carries for 135 yards.

Losing Walker hurts, and replacing him with a first-round rookie Jadarian Price can't give immediate satisfaction until we see how he plays during the regular season. Price has the potential to immediately slot into Walker's role, but that's far from a guarantee at this point.

People Still Don't Believe in Sam Darnold

IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

While Darnold won the Super Bowl with the Seahawks in 2025 and led the Minnesota Vikings to a 14-win season in 2024, many people still associate Darnold with the failures of the beginning of his career when he was playing for the New York Jets.

The No. 3 overall pick failed to live up to the hype and he eventually went from a starter to a backup. While Darnold has done more than enough to prove himself in the league, his bust out of New York in the beginning of his career still haunts him like a ghost in terms of his perception.