A lot has changed with the Seattle Seahawks offense for the 2026 campaign.
The team has lacked the backfield firepower it had with Kenneth Walker III and Zach Charbonnet during the Super Bowl run last season. Quarterback Sam Darnold has been careless with the ball at times this year too.
But against the Chicago Bears, the Seahawks might have missed former offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak more than anything. That appeared to be the case with Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald indirectly putting offensive coordinator Brian Fleury on notice while discussing the team’s play-calling and play designs after their loss to the Chicago Bears on Monday.
Wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba also addressed Seattle’s play-calling after the defeat. The wideout stopped short of placing a lot of blame on the calls, but he referred to it as one of many areas where the unit could improve.
“I thought [the play-calling] was fine,” said Smith-Njigba. “There’s a lot of areas where we need to look at and point the finger to. I think we all take the blame, and we all could get better.”
Notably, though, Smith-Njigba was most critical of his offense’s execution Monday.
“We didn’t execute well. Plain and simple,” said the wideout. “Execution is key in this league, especially starting early.
“We want to start fast and early and get the ball rolling while executing on third down. We didn’t do that tonight.”
The Seahawks were 1-for-11 on third downs in Week 8. The Bears pulled away from the Seahawks late to defeat the defending champions 34-17.
Seahawks OC Brian Fleury Under Fire After Loss to Bears
It’s not fair to blame Fleury for all of Seattle’s offensive issues during the first half of 2026. Injuries and inconsistent play have been major factors.
But clearly, the offense isn’t becoming a cohesive unit under Fleury’s watch.
When things broke down for the Seahawks offense last year, quarterback Sam Darnold and the team’s receivers did an excellent job of creating big plays on the fly. That hasn’t happened this season, though, which could be as much to blame for Seattle’s offensive struggles as any play-calling.
Third downs are always going to go exactly as a coordinator draws it up, and that’s fine as long as conversions are still happening.
After the Bears loss, Darnold answered why he thinks the team has lacked big plays in scramble-drill situations.
“I think teams are doing a good job, one, of taking those things away in scramble mode, and again, we can always be better in those situations,” said Darnold. “In terms of me allowing receivers, tight ends, backs to, giving them time as I scramble outside the pocket, maybe buy them a little bit of time to get open and find them down the field.
“There’s always ways to get better.”
In addition to third downs, the red zone was a problematic area for the Seahawks offense against the Bears. Seattle scored a touchdown on only one of four red-zone possessions.
More success in the scramble-drill could be a way for the Seahawks to score more touchdowns in the red zone.
Seattle Passing Offense Overly Reliant on Jaxon Smith-Njigba
The reigning NFL Offensive Player of the Year has been terrific to begin this season.
With 123.1 receiving yards per week, Smith-Njigba is on pace to become the league’s first 2,000-yard receiver. He also leads the NFL with nine receiving touchdowns — just one shy of what he posted last season.
But the Seahawks aren’t getting much production from anybody else. On Monday, Smith-Njigba had 118 of Seattle’s 188 receiving yards. No other receiver had more than 26 yards.
Making matters worse, the Seahawks only had 81 rushing yards. That made Smith-Njigba the only Seattle offensive player with more than 37 yards from scrimmage versus the Bears.
Whether through better play-calling, execution or something else, the Seahawks need high-priced free agent Rashid Shaheed, savvy veteran Cooper Kupp and the team’s collection of running backs to be much more involved.
“Look, Jaxon’s a great player. He’s going to command targets, and he’s one of, if not the best, receiver in the league right now,” said Kupp after Monday’s loss. “If he’s open, the ball’s going to go his way. That’s just going to be what it is.
“[But] we have to find ways to continue to compete, and know that you’ve got to compete without the ball as well. When the ball does come your way, you’ve got to make a play.”
Seahawks’ Jaxon Smith-Njigba Reacts to Play-Calling After Losing to Bears