Head coach Mike Macdonald and the Seattle Seahawks had to prove doubters wrong repeatedly throughout their 2025-26 Super Bowl run. They will probably have to do that again if the Seahawks are going to repeat as champions.
The NFL is still in the middle of the offseason. A lot of narratives are going to change over the next few months.
But Seattle’s rival, the Los Angeles Rams, became the league’s darling during the first week of free agency. With that in mind, pundits appear to see the Rams, not the Seahawks, emerging as the favorites in not only the NFC West but the entire conference.
That was evident in Bleacher Report’s Moe Moton’s top 10 NFL roster rankings Monday. While Moton placed the Seahawks in the top 10, Seattle came in at No. 5 behind both the Rams and Philadelphia Eagles.
“The Seahawks lost Walker, safety Coby Bryant, cornerback Riq Woolen and edge-rusher Boye Mafe in free agency,” wrote Moton.
“Walker’s departure leaves a void in the backfield, as Zach Charbonnet recovers from a torn ACL he suffered in January. Last season, Bryant was a primary starter, and Woolen played 78 percent of the defensive snaps. If DeMarcus Lawrence retires, losing Mafe would hurt a little more on the edge.
“Seattle is still a Super Bowl contender with a top-five roster, but free agency created voids that Schneider may have to address in the upcoming draft.”
Meanwhile, the Rams sat atop Moton’s list at No. 1.
In addition to the Rams and Eagles, Moton ranked the rosters from the Denver Broncos and Buffalo Bills also ahead of the Seahawks.
Seahawks Roster Ranked No. 5 After First Week of Free Agency
It’s important to note that offseason grades and rankings don’t mean much. They are fun to discuss, but they are meaningless when the games start.
Seahawks fans probably know this better than most. Pundits didn’t expect much from Seattle last offseason. Then during the regular season, the Seahawks dominated, winning the most competitive division in the NFL and capturing two decisive playoff victories on the way to a Super Bowl title.
But it’s probably still going to be bothersome to Seahawks pundits and fans that Moton didn’t rank Seattle’s roster higher.
SI on Seahawks’ Randy Gurzi argued Seattle’s roster wasn’t “getting championship respect.”
“It’s also interesting to note that even with two huge wins against the Rams, they’re still being given more credit than Seattle,” Gurzi wrote. “The Seahawks knocked off the Rams in Week 16 to help secure the NFC West title and the No. 1 seed.
“They then beat them in the NFC Championship Game, but remain the underdog.”
Another Epic Battle Coming to NFC West
Both times the Seahawks won the Super Bowl, they defeated a division rival at home in the NFC championship game.
That pattern could bode well for the Seahawks in 2026. The NFC West is expected to be one of the best NFL divisions again next season.
In addition to the Seahawks and Rams in the top 5, Moton rated the San Francisco 49ers roster at No. 10 on Monday.
The Rams are winning a lot of free agency headlines this offseason. Los Angeles traded for All-Pro cornerback Trent McDuffie and then signed Jaylen Watson to address the team’s biggest weakness.
Clearly, the Rams are “going for it” with their 2026 offseason moves. The Seahawks might have to get a little more aggressive to keep up, but Seattle also may be taking a more long-term approach with its offseason plan.
Los Angeles, though, might not have much more time as a contender. MVP quarterback Matthew Stafford turned 38 years old in February.
Seahawks Roster Fails to Earn ‘Championship Respect’ Amid NFL Free Agency