The Seattle Seahawks open Year 2 of the Mike Macdonald era on Sunday afternoon against the NFC West rival San Francisco 49ers.
Lefko: The best and worst-case Seahawks scenarios for this season
Before the Hawks take the field, let’s peer into the near future and try to forecast what transpires this fall. Could some of these predictions look completely foolish by December? Absolutely. But let’s take a stab at it nonetheless.
Here are 10 predictions for the 2025 Seahawks:
• The Seahawks finish No. 4 in scoring defense.
After evolving into a top-five defense over the back half of last season, the Seahawks bring back virtually every key player from that second-half surge. They also added four-time Pro Bowl defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence and ultra-athletic rookie safety Nick Emmanwori. With all that continuity, plus a greater level of familiarity in Macdonald’s cutting-edge scheme, Seattle’s defense will hit the ground running in Year 2 and solidify itself as one of the league’s top units.
• The Seahawks finish No. 14 in scoring offense.
Seattle’s offense should get a major schematic upgrade under Klint Kubiak. And after a decade-plus struggles in the trenches, the offensive line looks primed to take a meaningful step forward with the addition of new O-line coach John Benton, first-round pick Grey Zabel, a healthy Abraham Lucas and an O-line-friendly scheme. With a more sturdy framework and infrastructure, Seattle’s revamped offense will be much more efficient and consistent this fall.
.@Seahawks offense looked flawless with Sam Darnold under center in their opening drive 👏
Watch on @NFLNetwork
Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/v33lfq3z1o
— NFL (@NFL) August 16, 2025
• Sam Darnold will throw for 21 TDs and eight interceptions.
It seems unlikely that Darnold will replicate his breakout 35-touchdown campaign from last season, especially without the luxury of an all-world wide receiver like Justin Jefferson. But in this offense, Darnold won’t be asked to put up big numbers. His job will be to efficiently operate a balanced offensive attack, and he’ll make just enough big throws to allow this offense to adequately complement an elite defense.
• Kenneth Walker III and Zach Charbonnet will combine for 2,000 rushing yards.
The Seahawks are going back to a ground-and-pound style under Kubiak. And with the potential for a much-improved O-line, Walker and Charbonnet are both poised for productive seasons in Seattle’s revived rushing attack. Walker’s injury history and Charbonnet’s strong finish last year could leave the carries fairly evenly split, so we’ll predict Walker to finish as the leading rusher and Charbonnet to finish with more touchdowns.
Zach just drove his truck right through 😤 pic.twitter.com/iuttt9Jv09
— Seattle Seahawks (@Seahawks) August 16, 2025
• Tory Horton and Elijah Arroyo will both have at least 500 receiving yards.
The Seahawks have never had two rookies reach the 500-yard receiving mark in the same year. But that’s what we’re predicting here, with both Horton and Arroyo expected to be significant parts of Seattle’s offense from the get-go. Horton vaulted into the WR3 role with had a standout training camp and preseason, while Arroyo’s unique size-speed combo makes him a potential big-time weapon in a Kubiak offense that loves to target tight ends.
• Robbie Ouzts will be an All-Pro and/or Pro Bowl fullback.
The reality is that less than half the NFL teams have a true fullback, so theoretically this is the easiest position to crack the All-Pro or Pro Bowl team. But that being said, the rookie 6-foot-3, 274-pound Ouzts is ticketed for a key role right out of the gate. As he showed this preseason, Ouzts is primed to make a tone-setting impact as a bulldozing run blocker, while also possessing enough athletic versatility to keep defenses honest as a sneaky pass-catching threat.
OUZTS😤😤#NFLPreseason on NFL Network and NFL+ pic.twitter.com/hs5huYrV5M
— Alabama Football (@AlabamaFTBL) August 8, 2025
• The Seahawks won’t have a double-digit sack player, but seven defenders will reach at least three sacks.
Seattle has no shortage pass-rushing options. There’s the veteran trio of Leonard Williams, DeMarcus Lawrence and Jarran Reed. There’s the intriguing young edge-rushing duo of Boye Mafe and Derick Hall. There’s the potential to get more production this year from Uchenna Nwosu and Byron Murphy II. There even are a pair of defensive backs in Emmanwori and Devon Witherspoon who will be given blitz opportunities. Macdonald loves to dial up pressures from numerous different spots, so the variety of pass rushers is a great fit for his defense. But that also could mean that no one player puts up a big sack total, especially with opponents certain to zero in on Williams after his monster 2024 campaign.
• Devon Witherspoon returns to his stat-filled rookie form.
After a sensational 2023 rookie campaign where he recorded a pick-six, 16 pass breakups, three sacks and a forced fumble, Witherspoon had a relatively quiet 2024, at least in terms of the stat sheet. But with this defense humming from the get-go, expect the ultra-talented cornerback to once again showcase his versatile skill set with a number of big-time plays. The addition of another unique talent like Emmanwori should also help open up opportunities for Witherspoon to explode for a big Year 3.
DEVON WITHERSPOON 97-YARD PICK-6!
📺: #SEAvsNYG on ESPN/ABC
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus https://t.co/3ctCY8GbRh pic.twitter.com/UYoERSHHDq
— NFL (@NFL) October 3, 2023
• The Seahawks will beat the Commanders and Vikings, but slip up against a bottom-tier team.
The Commanders and the Vikings had the highest 2024 win totals of any team on Seattle’s schedule this fall, but both are candidates to regress after going a combined 17-5 in one-score contests last year. With a well-timed bye week ahead of the Washington matchup, Macdonald will use the extra time to devise a game plan that slows down dual-threat nightmare Jayden Daniels. And against Darnold’s old team, Seattle will ride home-field advantage to a dramatic win over the Vikings. But at some point, similar to last year’s ugly home loss to the lowly Giants, the Seahawks will drop a head-scratcher.
• The Seahawks will go 11-6, win the NFC West and reach the divisional round of the playoffs.
With a top-five defense, an improved offense and a favorable schedule, the Seahawks will reach 11-plus wins for the first time since 2020. And with the Rams and 49ers both dealing with various degrees of injury issues, Seattle will capture its first NFC West title since 2020 and win a wild-card playoff game before bowing out in the divisional round. As a whole, the season will mark another promising step forward under Macdonald, but more work remains before Seattle can vault into the NFC’s top tier.
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