The Seattle Seahawks had to go through their NFC West rivals three times last season to win the Super Bowl. Seattle met the San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Rams twice in the regular season and then again in the playoffs.
Moreover, it was the Rams that the Seahawks would defeat in the NFC title game to advance to Super Bowl LX. It was also the thrilling overtime win late in the 2025 NFL season that put Seattle in position to win the division and earn home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.
Despite those wins, Los Angeles was a thorn in Seattle’s side in the three meetings between the teams last season. On the July 14 edition of “Green Light with Chris Long,” Seahawks’ Grey Zabel shared his thoughts on the rivalry with the Rams.
“Talk about a clash of three completely different games,” Zabel told Chris Long. “We didn’t play well the first game, and then the second game was kind of a slow start. Then we got hot late in the game. The third game, we got hot earlier in the game, but we really couldn’t separate ourselves. It was a heavyweight boxing match in the end in that NFC Championship. It was unbelievable.
“I hate the Rams, but I love the Rams because it is mano a mano, best on best. They know us well, and we know them well. You’re just sitting there trying to win every single rep. When they’re calling out plays, we can tell what they’re doing based on their defensive scheme. It’s fun football. That’s why you play the game, to play teams like that.”
Grey Zabel on Rams Trading for Myles Garrett This Offseason
Moreover, losing to the Seahawks in those final two games likely caused the Rams to get aggressive this offseason as Los Angeles made trades for Trent McDuffie and Myles Garrett. Zabel and the Seahawks’ offensive line will have their hands full with Garrett and potentially Aaron Donald, as rumors around a possible return from retirement swirl.
With at least Garrett in the fold now, Zabel spoke about facing the best defensive player in the NFL this upcoming season.
“We’re walking out of O-line meetings, about to go out to lift or run or something, and all I could think about was, ‘Awesome. The Cleveland Browns just gave us a Christmas present in early June, late May. That’s sweet,'” Zabel said on how he and the Seahawks’ offensive line group reacted to the Garrett trade.
“Somebody sent the Twitter deal, and the first thing you do is check if it’s a burner account and somebody’s messing around… People skew away from competition. I’m like, ‘You know what? Let’s go see what we’ve got.’ He’s probably the best defensive end ever, and I kind of want to see how good I am. He might embarrass me a few plays. Awesome. Been there, done that. So let’s go to war.”
Seahawks Will Need Group Effort to Block Myles Garrett
Last season with the Seahawks, Zabel played 1,050 snaps, leading to a 57.3 overall PFF grade. As a rookie, he allowed 24 total pressures, two sacks, four QB hits, and five penalties.
Seattle won’t leave Zabel or any other offensive lineman with the sole responsibility of blocking Garrett this upcoming season. It will take a group effort to limit the Rams star’s ability to wreck their game plan. Still, it will be interesting to see how the Seahawks go about this process.
Seahawks’ Grey Zabel Doesn’t Hold Back on Rams, Myles Garrett