Redemption is a big theme in Seattle right now after comeback kid Sam Darnold and the Seahawks dominated New England to win Super Bowl 60 on Sunday night, 11 years after the Patriots essentially ended Seattle’s hopes of an NFL dynasty in the most agonizing way imaginable.
Bright Future: Super Bowl champion Seahawks could ‘keep winning these’
Redemption might end up being the overarching theme for all of Seattle sports in 2026. And if that ends up being the case, then we’re just getting started in seeing Seattle not only take its place as the center of the sports universe, but putting together what would be the biggest – and happiest – year in Seattle sports history.
Here’s where we’re going with this.
The confetti hadn’t even stopped falling on the field after the Seahawks’ Super Bowl win on Sunday night when a report surfaced, hinting that something fans have been demanding for 18 years could finally happen in just a few short months.
“Think it’s going to be an extra-great year for Seattle. I’m hearing NBA Board of Governors likely to vote on expanding by two teams this summer and Las Vegas and Seattle are favored,” wrote Brad Townsend of the Dallas Morning News, a sports enterprise reporter who also covers the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks.
Last week:WA governor meets NBA commish, sparking Sonics buzz
OK, so the NBA granting the return of the Seattle Sonics is now in play for 2026. That would certainly be huge, and some well-deserved redemption a year after the Zombie Sonics (officially named the Oklahoma City Thunder) won their first championship since the franchise was ripped out of Seattle, given a corny name and handed hideous uniforms.
But that would be just Part 2 in this potential three-part redemption tour for Seattle sports. There’s only one thing that could arguably make Seattle sports fans happier than the Seahawks’ second Super Bowl win or a Sonics return, and that’s the Seattle Mariners, the lone MLB team never to reach the World Series, finally coming through and winning it all.
Going into the 2026 season, it’s more than just a pipe dream. The Mariners have had a big offseason, re-signing first baseman Josh Naylor and making a three-team trade just last week to bring in All-Star utility player Brendan Donovan. Now in the same week that pitchers and catchers report to spring training, Fangraphs is giving the Mariners the best odds of any team in the American League of winning the World Series in 2026 at 7.8%.
Do Seattle Mariners have a better roster now than last October?
There’s also some potential historical karma in the air.
The Mariners got closer than they ever had to the World Series in 2025, playing the first Game 7 in team history but falling short in the American League Championship Series after giving up a backbreaking home run in the late innings against the Blue Jays.
But as Mariners director of baseball communications (and certified stat guru) Alex Mayer pointed out Monday morning on social media, the last time NFL and MLB teams from one city won championships in the same year, it was the 2004 New England Patriots and Boston Red Sox. And in 2003, the Red Sox lost in Game 7 of the ALCS on a backbreaking home run, only to come back the next year to end one of the longest title droughts in the sport.
Seattle Mariners could be next 2013 Seahawks or 2004 Red Sox
Those parallels sure are tantalizing. We say bring on the Blue Jays in the ALCS again, so the Mariners can take Seattle’s redemption train right into the World Series and do what the Seahawks did on Sunday night: end their 50th season by raising a championship trophy.
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