Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Cooper Kupp leaves the field after defeating the Los Angeles Rams. Steven Bisig-Imagn Images

The Hidden Reason Behind Seahawks' Super Bowl Run

Originally posted on Seattle Seahawks on SI
By Jeremy Brener | Last updated Jan 28, 2026 8:00 AM ET

The Seattle Seahawks are planning to travel to the Bay Area for Super Bowl LX against the New England Patriots.

There's a big reason why the Seahawks are in the Super Bowl, and it is possibly an underrated factor. The Seahawks have built a winning culture under head coach Mike McDonald, and that deserves credit as they get ready for the biggest game of the season.

"There were moments in that game where honestly I don't think they were doing anything special, it was just us. Then, you feel that in the game, where it's us, where we're making the mistakes and you start getting a little aggravated, or getting upset with one another, but I think what we've built made us all come back down to ground zero and go out there and get those stops when needed," Seahawks linebacker Ernest Jones IV said postgame.

Steven Bisig-Imagn Images

Seahawks Culture Leads Them to Super Bowl

The culture that has been cultivated in Seattle has been one of resilience. The team leans on one another whether offense, defense or special teams to get the job done and that is often planned but rarely executed in the NFL.

Seahawks rookie Nick Emmanwori also spoke about how strong the team has been by bringing him in for his first NFL season.

"This is the best team I've ever been on. I know I'm just a rookie but, in all my years playing football from high school to college, best chemistry, best players, best coaches. It's a little bittersweet, but I'm super excited about going to the Super Bowl and having the chance to win it. This is a team I'll remember forever. Every day was great, every day coming into work was great, never a boring moment at all," Emmanwori said postgame.

That culture led them to have the best record in the NFL. It gave them home field advantage throughout the playoffs. Getting to play the last two games inside Lumen Field gave the Seahawks a massive advantage, especially when the fan base has bought into the team's culture as well.

"It's one of a kind. You're talking about the 12s being out there and having your back when we needed them. Even when we let them down, they stayed with us. That just lets you know the culture that we have over here. We built that and shoutout to all the fans," Seahawks cornerback Devon Witherspoon said.

"They played a huge part in us winning these games at home. I remember when everybody was saying that we weren't winning at home and that we had to do better. We heard what everybody said, and we had to right by our fans, so shoutout to the 12s."

The culture has gotten the Seahawks this far, but they need it to bring them across the finish line at Super Bowl LX in Santa Clara.