Julian Love Explains Secret to Seahawks' Championship Mentality

Jun 9, 2026; Renton, WA, USA; Seattle Seahawks defensive end Leonard Williams (99) during minicamp at Virginia Mason Athletic Center. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Julian Love Explains Secret to Seahawks' Championship Mentality

Originally posted on Seattle Seahawks on SI
By Connor Benintendi | Last updated Jul 28, 2026 1:00 PM ET

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Outside of wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba, the Seattle Seahawks didn't have any top-of-the-NFL producers statistically in 2025. They still went on to win Super Bowl LX over the New England Patriots.

Defensively, you won't see First-Team All-Pro numbers by one player in sacks or tackles for loss. The load is spread across the defensive front. On the back end, no single player vacuumed up all the interceptions or pass deflections.

Seahawks players aren't being left off top-10 rankings because they are incapable of producing at an elite level. It's because they have a unique collective mindset and commitment to the common goal. And their Super Bowl rings are proof that it's effective.

A championship mentality

"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, in particular, had a better season in 2024 than in 2025. It was one of the best seasons ever put together by a Seahawks defensive lineman with 64 tackles, 16 tackles for loss, 11.0 sacks, three batted passes and a 92-yard pick-six. He still wasn't an All-Pro.

In 2025, Williams' stats were lower, but he was named Second Team All-Pro for the first time in his career. Despite another great season, it almost felt like voters were making up for their previous-season mistake.

IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

However, to Love's point, the Seahawks' top players aren't concerned with the personal accolades. They're trying to win championships, and allowing the awards to come as a result.

"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 is going for the selfless approach, and they don't have to change much from last season. Both sides of the ball have new faces, but head coach Mike Macdonald has made it a point to only keep those who are willing to buy into the system and culture. That's what will keep the consistency from year to year.

This article first appeared on Seattle Seahawks on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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