The Seahawks believed Sam Darnold was their man last season.
But they didn’t need him to be The Man.
General manager John Schneider built a roster that had a swarming defense, playmakers such as Sporting News Offensive Player of the Year Jaxon Smith-Njigba to support Darnold on offense, and strong special teams.
In other words, the Seahawks had an elite all-around team, one that dominated in multiple ways during its Super Bowl run.
The Seahawks led the league in points allowed (17.4), didn’t have a turnover in the playoffs and their 246-point differential was the most by a Super Bowl champion since 1999.
At The Sporting News, we believe we have an elite team as well. Senior writers Bill Bender and Vinnie Iyer have 44 years of experience combined at SN, with Iyer having covered 14 Super Bowls. So while this is our first NFL preview print publication in a decade, we still have the experience and expertise—including 140 years as a brand—to help prep you for the upcoming season.
MORE: SN's 2026 College Football Preview magazine
As for the 2026 season? There are plenty of top-tier QBs gunning for Darnold and the Seahawks, including Josh Allen, who’s still aiming for his first Super Bowl appearance, and Patrick Mahomes, who is perhaps the biggest wild card as he returns from a torn ACL.
You’ll find all the key storylines and our 2026 predictions in the magazine, which you can purchase at your local supermarket or retailers such as Walmart, Target, Walgreens, CVS, Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million and more.
You can also order online at the McClatchy Media Magazine Shop.
SN's Pro Football magazine cover
SN
Of course, we’ll provide updated news and analysis at sportingnews.com, where we’re also ranking the greatest NFL teams, players and moments before the start of the season, to coincide with our 140th anniversary.
Learn more at sportingnews.com/us/140.