Quarterback

In 2024, the Cardinals finished at 7-10, but their offense ranked 6th in schedule adjusted efficiency, with their big problem being their defense, which ranked 27th. After numerous off-season additions on defense, the Cardinals went into 2025 as a sleeper team. However, their offense fell to 18th in schedule adjusted efficiency in 2025, largely as a result of injuries, most notably quarterback Kyler Murray, who missed 12 games, and feature back James Conner, who missed 14 games, while their defense failed to improve significantly, ranking 26th in schedule adjusted efficiency, also largely due to injuries. In total, the Cardinals finished the 2025 season with the most adjusted games lost to injury of any team in the league and those injuries largely affected key players on both sides of the ball.

Going into 2026, it is reasonable to expect better injury luck and the Cardinals had some bounce back potential if they played their off-season right. However, the moves they have made have not set them up for success next season. They opted to move on from quarterback Kyler Murray, tired of his consistent injuries. Murray was guaranteed 36.8 million in 2026, which the Cardinals are eating to avoid paying him another 36.335 million in 2027, 19.5 million of which would have guaranteed had he been on their roster in 2026.

Murray’s 2026 guarantees along with other moves the Cardinals made this off-season that left behind dead cap put the Cardinals in a tough salary cap situation this off-season, as they ranked 5th in the NFL with 73.3 million in dead cap on the books, while their active cap spending ranks 4th lowest in the NFL. They did not make significant additions in free agency and are left with a quarterback room of Jacoby Brissett, a veteran journeyman backup who started in Murray’s absence last season, Gardner Minshew, an equally low upside veteran journeyman backup, and 3rd round pick Carson Beck, who at least gives this quarterback room some upside, but who also probably isn’t their long-term solution at the quarterback position. 

James Conner remains on the roster and is set to return from his injury, but, given that he is going into his age 31 season and coming off of a major injury, it is fair to question what the Cardinals can expect from him this season. The Cardinals don’t seem convinced he can return to form, making him cut his salary from 8 million to 3 million to stay on the roster, signing ex-Falcons running back Tyler Allgeier to a 2-year, 12.25 million dollar deal in free agency, one of the few significant signings they made this off-season, and then using the 3rd overall pick on running back Jeremiyah Love. It’s very possible that neither Conner nor Allgeier see much action this season because of the addition of Love, a move I will get more into later.

The Cardinals’ defense should be at least somewhat better this season, due to better health, but they are likely to remain below average. The Cardinals fired head coach Jonathan Gannon, which wasn’t a bad decision in of itself, but the Cardinals were not a hot destination for head coaching candidates, leading to them hiring Mike LaFleur, who was the offensive coordinator for the Rams last season, but did not call plays. LaFleur will call plays in Arizona and his play calling history consists of two very underwhelming seasons with the New York Jets in 2021 and 2022. He also brings in Nathaniel Hackett as his offensive coordinator and, while he won’t call plays, Hackett has been one of the worst offensive coordinators in the league in recent years, most recently holding that title in 2023 and 2024, also with the New York Jets.

Jacoby Brissett is considered the heavy favorite to start at quarterback. He has made 65 career starts in 10 seasons in the league and has largely been unimpressive, completing 61.9% of his passes for an average of 6.57 YPA, 76 touchdowns, and 32 interceptions. Last season, he completed 64.9% of his passes for an average of 6.94 YPA, 23 touchdowns, and 8 interceptions in 12 starts and, while the Cardinals’ problems were not all his fault, he went just 1-11. Now going into his age 34 season, I wouldn’t expect him to suddenly get any better in 2026.

Gardner Minshew is a similar veteran option, making 47 career starts and completing 63.1% of his passes for an average of 6.88 YPA, 68 touchdowns, and 35 interceptions. He is only going into his age 30 season, so he is younger than Brissett, but he has been especially bad over the past few seasons, completing 63.1% of his passes for an average of 6.80 YPA, 27 touchdowns, and 23 interceptions in 25 starts since 2022, and, like Brissett, he is who he is at this stage of his career, which is a backup caliber quarterback. 

Minshew figures to open the year as the backup and it is possible the Cardinals would go to the rookie Beck before Minshew if they want to give Beck a chance to prove what he has in what should be a lost season, before the Cardinals have to make a decision on whether or not to draft a quarterback with what should be another high draft pick in a better quarterback class in 2027. Overall, this is one of the worst quarterback rooms in the league, which is one of the biggest reasons why this is likely to be one of the worst teams in the league.

Grade: C+

Running Backs

As I mentioned, the Cardinals used the 3rd overall pick on running back Jeremiyah Love. The Cardinals were in a tough spot picking 3rd. Their two biggest needs, quarterback and offensive line, would have been reaches at 3, with the next quarterback coming off the board at 13 and no offensive linemen coming off the board until 9. The Cardinals’ best option was probably to draft linebacker Arvell Reese to fill a lesser need, but instead the Cardinals opted to take Love, who some felt was the best player in the draft, but who played a position of relative low value and who didn’t fill a need, with Tyler Allgeier and James Conner already on the roster.

There is one benefit to drafting a running back and that is the fact that running backs tend to be the most NFL ready of any position and can make a big immediate impact as a result. However, they are also the most injury prone position and they have a relatively short career span. On top of that, as a result of their short careers and injury proneness, they tend to be one of the least valued positions from a salary standpoint. Part of the benefit of having a player on a rookie deal is that they are much cheaper than their counterparts would be in free agency and if the Cardinals had taken a linebacker or an offensive lineman at 3, they could have gotten them for much less than a comparable player on the open market. 

The salary of the 3rd overall pick would have ranked 33rd among offensive tackles, 19th among guards, and 12th among linebackers in terms of average annual salary. However, rookie salaries are not based on positional value, so Love is already the 8th highest paid running back in the league in terms of average annual salary, meaning he will have to be an elite running back right away to give the Cardinals any sort of excess value while on his rookie deal. 

Taking a running back would make some sense for a team that is ready to win now, given how short their careers are and how NFL ready they usually are coming out of college, but every other move the Cardinals made this off-season suggests they are taking a long view and rebuilding, so Love does not fit the Cardinals’ overall team building strategy. Also, while Love is an upgrade over what the Cardinals had at running back before and figures to get a heavy workload as a rookie, both as a runner and a receiver, he isn’t so much better than the Cardinals’ other running backs to justify being taken 3rd overall.

Based on their salaries, Allgeier figures to be the favorite for the #2 running back job over Conner. Allgeier has experience backing up a highly drafted running back, rushing for 1,035 yards and 3 touchdowns on 210 carries (4.93 YPC) as a rookie in 2022, only to be replaced by Bijan Robinson and be limited to just 466 carries over the last three seasons combined as a result. Allgeier has averaged 4.25 YPC with 3.27 yards per carry after contact, a 22.5% missed tackle rate, a 51.6% carry success rate, and 1.06 yards per route run in his career and had proven he deserved to be a starter somewhere again, which is probably what he thought he would be when he signed in Arizona, before the Love selection pushed him back into a backup role.

Conner, meanwhile, was actually one of the most effective running backs in the league in 2023 and 2024, averaging 4.81 YPC across 444 carries, with 3.60 yards per carry after contact, a 27.5% missed tackle rate, a 50.7% carry success rate, and 1.23 yards per route run. There is a good chance he wouldn’t be anywhere near that good in 2026, coming off a major injury and going into his age 31 season, but he could have still been effective in tandem with Allgeier. Now it is unclear what, if any, role he will have in this offense unless Love or Allgeier get hurt. It is possible the Cardinals look to trade him before the start of the season, but that trade probably wouldn’t net them much of a return.

The Cardinals also have 2024 3rd round pick Trey Benson, who was originally drafted to potentially replace Conner long-term. Benson only had 63 carries as a rookie behind Conner though and then, when he got a chance to prove himself in Conner’s absence last season, he also got hurt and finished last season with just 29 carries. He has averaged 4.90 YPC on those 92 career carries with 3.41 yards per carry after contact, a 26.1% missed tackle rate, a 44.6% carry success rate, and 1.03 yards per route run, so he has shown potential and between that and his draft position he might get to stay on the roster in 2026 as a 4th back, but he won’t have any role unless multiple backs ahead of him on the depth chart get hurt and it might be in both sides’ interest for the Cardinals to explore a trade for him, though that trade likely wouldn’t net the Cardinals much in return either. This is a deep backfield, but the Cardinals probably committed too much of their limited resources to a relatively low value position.

Grade: B+

Offensive Line

All of the Cardinals’ running backs could be held back from their potential by the Cardinals continued issues at quarterback and on the offensive line. The Cardinals did use their second round pick on an offensive lineman, taking Chase Bisontis, who will probably start right away at right guard and be an upgrade by default over Isaiah Adams, a 2024 3rd round pick who has struggled across 16 career starts, 11 of which came last season, but as a rookie Bisontis alone won’t save this offensive line from having issues and he isn’t even necessarily guaranteed to start as a rookie.

Their biggest issue is right tackle, where the Cardinals only added 7th round pick Jayden Williams through the draft, leaving veteran Elijah Wilkinson as their only real starting option. Wilkinson has mostly been a reserve in his career, starting 62 games in 9 seasons in the league and, while he did start all 17 games for the Falcons last season, it was only because expected right tackle Kaleb McGary got hurt and Wilkinson struggled, as he has as a starter for most of his career. Making matters even worse, Wilkinson is now going into his age 31 season and could be even worse in 2026 as a result. He is unlikely to be an upgrade over Jonah Williams and Kelvin Beachum, even though both of them struggled at right tackle last season.

The Cardinals did add veteran Isaac Seumalo in free agency on a 3-year, 31.5 million dollar deal and he has been a solid starter throughout his career (104 career starts), but he is also on the wrong side of 30, going into his age 33 season, and could decline in 2026, perhaps significantly. He might be an upgrade over departed veteran Evan Brown, who was only a marginal starter in 2025, but that is not a guarantee, given Seumalo’s age.

At center, the Cardinals have another older offensive lineman, Hjalte Froholdt, who is going into his age 30 season. Froholdt was the Cardinals’ second best offensive lineman last season and has been a solid starting center for them for three seasons and he isn’t totally over the hill yet, but any decline from him in 2026 would further hurt an offensive line that is already very questionable, with three starters 30 years of age or older and a rookie second round pick starting.

The Cardinals’ best offensive lineman remains left tackle Paris Johnson, the 6th overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, who has developed into an above average starting left tackle over the past two seasons. Still only in his age 25 season, I would expect him to remain at least an above average starter for several more years and he could even improve further. He elevates the overall grade of an otherwise underwhelming offensive line by himself.

Aside from Isaiah Adams, who will likely be benched at right guard for the rookie Bisontis, the Cardinals’ reserve options are Matt Pryor, who has mostly struggled across 40 career starts at guard and tackle and is now heading into his age 32 season, Oli Udoh, a below average swing tackle option who has struggled in 22 career starts, and Jon Gaines, a hybrid guard/center option who went in the 4th round in 2023 and wasn’t too bad in the first 5 starts of his career down the stretch last season. Overall, the Cardinals’ offensive line is likely to be a weakness.

Grade: B-

Receiving Corps

The Cardinals’ receiving corps was the strength of their offense last season. In fact, they were one of just four teams to have two receivers surpass 1000 yards receiving, with tight end Trey McBride and wide receiver Michael Wilson finishing with slash lines of 126/1239/11 and 78/1006/7 respectively. However, a big part of why they were so productive is because this team was so pass heavy last season, ranking 1st in pass attempts with 649, as opposed to last in run attempts with 366. With Jeremiyah Love and Tyler Allegeier being added and James Conner and Trey Benson returning from injury, the Cardinals figure to try to run a lot more this season than they did last season, which should lead to reduced production from both McBride and Wilson.

Last season was a career high for McBride in receiving, but his 1.78 yards per route run average was actually only 6th among tight ends and was behind both his 2.03 yards per route run average in 2023 and his 2.14 yards per route run average in 2024, when he had slash lines of 81/825/3 and 111/1146/2 respectively. McBride also averaged just 7.33 yards per target last season, down from 7.79 between 2023 and 2024. Wilson set a new career high in yards per route run last season with 1.59, but that isn’t that much higher than the 1.22 yards per route run he averaged between 2023 and 2024 and the increase was largely the result of higher usage rather than improved efficiency, as his 7.98 yards per target was down from his 8.63 yards per target between 2023 and 2024.

If McBride and Wilson have similar efficiencies in 2026 as they did in 2025, I would expect both of them to see their production decrease as they are likely to run fewer routes and see fewer targets in 2026. The good news is McBride is still clearly one of the best tight ends in the league and still very much in his prime in his age 27 season, while Wilson is only in his age 26 season and has been a relatively efficient target throughout his three seasons in the league, since being drafted in the 3rd round in 2023.

The Cardinals other outside wide receiver Marvin Harrison had a down year statistically, going from a 62/885/8 slash line in 2024 to a 41/608/4 slash line in 2025, but that was largely because he missed 5 games. His yards per route run was about the same in 2025 (1.58) as it was in 2024 (1.63) and, in games where both he and Wilson played, Harrison had 73 targets to just 58 for Wilson. Harrison was also the more efficient target between him and Wilson, averaging 8.33 yards per target, up from 7.63 in 2024. Harrison was also the 4th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft and is still only going into his age 24 season, so it shouldn’t be a surprise if Harrison outproduces Wilson in 2026 like he did in 2024 if both stay healthy like they did in 2024.

Even with Harrison missing five games last season, the Cardinals didn’t have another wide receiver behind Harrison and Wilson with more than 206 yards (Greg Dortch) and no other wide receivers averaged more than 1.06 yards per route run (Zay Jones). The Cardinals let both Dortch and Jones go this off-season and signed veteran Kendrick Bourne to try to upgrade the #3 receiver spot. Bourne isn’t a massive upgrade or anything, but he has a career 1.49 yards per route run average and averaged 1.53 yards per route run last season. He is going into his age 31 season and, as long as McBride, Wilson, and Harrison are healthy, he figures to not have a big role in this offense, but he is a better insurance policy than they had last season. The Cardinals also used a 5th round pick on Reggie Virgil, although that was more for the long-term and I don’t expect him to be any higher than 4th on the depth chart in year one.

At tight end, the Cardinals have Elijah Higgins, who has been a decent #2 tight end, averaging 1.13 yards per route run, while being a decent blocker. The Cardinals also have Tip Reiman, who the Cardinals brought in with a 3rd round pick in 2024, but he struggled mightily on 451 snaps as a rookie, before missing all but 98 snaps in four games with an ankle injury last season. He will probably never develop into a useful receiver and has averaged just 0.38 yards per route run in his career, but he does have some upside as a blocker if he is past the injury that prematurely ended his 2025 season. This is a pretty impressive group, led by Trey McBride, Michael Wilson, and Marvin Harrison, with better depth options than a year ago.

Grade: B+

Interior Defenders

As I mentioned earlier, the Cardinals’ defense was expected to be better in 2025 than 2024 because they made some off-season additions, but they were not better because of all of the injuries they had. One player who exemplifies both sides of that is interior defender Walter Nolen, whose selection in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft could have boosted this defense significantly, but he didn’t really because he was limited to 169 snaps in six games. The good news is Nolen showed a lot of promise in his limited action, with a 15.2% pressure rate and decent run defense on top of that. That is a very small sample size and I wouldn’t expect him to be that good over a full season, but he clearly has a huge upside in his second season in the league if he can stay healthy.

The Cardinals also added veteran interior defenders Calais Campbell and Dalvin Tomlinson last off-season. Campbell played well across 524 snaps, but Tomlinson struggled across 555 snaps and neither were brought back this off-season. To replace them, the Cardinals signed veterans Roy Lopez and Andrew Billings, who will compete for roles with holdovers Darius Robinson and Dante Stills. Overall, they are an underwhelming bunch.

Roy Lopez is probably the best of the bunch. He has only played 469 snaps per season over his career, with a maximum of 557 snaps in a season, but he is a decent rotational player who is capable against the run and as a pass rusher (7.0% pressure rate over the past four seasons). Darius Robinson was a first round pick in 2024 and still has upside, but his career is off to a disastrous start, as he was limited to 184 snaps in 6 games as a rookie and then struggled mightily across 507 snaps in 15 games last season. In total, he has just a 3.2% pressure rate in his career, while also struggling mightily against the run. Even if he takes a step forward in year three, he has a long way to go to even be a capable rotational player.

Billings and Stills, meanwhile, figure to be liabilities. Billings was a solid player in his prime, but struggled in 2025, playing below average both as a run stopper and pass rusher (5.4% pressure rate) across 510 snaps, and he is now going into his age 31 season, so he figures to continue struggling. Stills, meanwhile, has been a below average player across snap counts of 533, 532, and 548 in three seasons in the league since being drafted in the 6th round in 2023. The Cardinals have one high upside interior defender in Walter Nolen, but he is still very unproven and the rest of this position group is underwhelming.

Grade: B-

Edge Defenders

One player the Cardinals added last off-season who actually stayed healthy and lived up to expectations was edge defender Josh Sweat, who had 12 sacks, 6 hits, and a 13.2% pressure rate, while providing solid run defense. Sweat has consistently been an above average player in recent years and has totaled 45 sacks, 48 hits, and a 12.4% pressure rate in 82 games over the past five seasons combined, while only missing three games total over that stretch. Still only in his age 29 season, he should continue playing at a similar level in 2026.

Zaven Collins (543 snaps), Baron Browning (519 snaps), and Jordan Burch (504 snaps) all played significant roles for the Cardinals last season at the edge defender position and they should remain in the edge defender rotation, along with BJ Ojulari, who missed 9 games with injury last season, but played 25.5 snaps per game when on the field. Collins was the Cardinals’ second best edge defender, playing at an above average level against the run and adding 1.5 sacks, 7 hits, and a 13.2% pressure rate as a pass rusher. Collins has been above average as an edge defender in each of the past three seasons, averaging 593 snaps per season, while totaling 10 sacks, 13 hits, and a 11.6% pressure rate in 51 games. Still only in his age 27 season, I would expect more of the same from him in 2026.

Baron Browning has been a decent edge defender in each of the past four seasons, averaging 478 snaps per season over that stretch. He is a below average run defender, but has totaled 13.5 sacks, 16 hits, and a 13.3% pressure rate in 52 games as a part-time player in those four seasons. Burch and Ojulari are not as good of options, but both have upside. Burch was a 3rd round pick in 2025 and struggled both against the run and as a pass rusher (6.8% pressure rate), but he could be better in year two. BJ Ojulari went in the 2nd round in 2023, was decent across 409 snaps as a rookie, but then missed a year and a half with a torn ACL and struggled upon his return. However, he is still only going into his age 24 season and could bounce back in 2026, another year removed from his injury. This is a solid, but unspectacular position group overall.

Grade: B

Linebackers

The Cardinals’ linebacking corps was bad last season and is likely to be better this season, but mostly by default. Mack Wilson and Akeem Davis-Gaither began the year as the starters last season and then, after Wilson suffered a season ending injury that limited him to 521 snaps in 8 games, Cody Simon, a 4th round rookie, took over. Davis-Gaither, who was one of the worst linebackers in the league last season, left as a free agent this off-season, which is addition by subtraction. To replace Davis-Gaither, the Cardinals signed Jack Gibbens, who is a solid run stuffer but struggles in coverage. 

Gibbens will probably play a situational role, while Wilson and Simon are likely to be their top-2 linebackers. Wilson is a marginal starter at best, while Simon was mediocre as a rookie, but could be somewhat better in year two. This is still not a good linebacking corps, but Gibbens being added, Wilson coming back from injury, Simon going into his second year in the league, and Akeem Davis-Gaither no longer being on the roster are all positive developments. 

Grade: C+

Secondary

The Cardinals also had a lot of injuries in the secondary. Expected top cornerback Garrett Williams missed five games early in the year, was not the same upon his return, playing at an average level after playing at an above average level in 2024, and then ultimately his 2025 season ended in week 16 due to a torn achilles. Williams, a 3rd round pick in 2023, also missed time as a rookie with a torn ACL, so he has suffered a lot of injuries in a short period of time, which could cause him to not be at his best upon his return, whenever that may be, given how late in the season his achilles tear was.

Will Johnson, who was a second round rookie in 2025, also missed five games due to injury last season and durability concerns were the reason he fell to the second round originally, despite being a top-15 talent. Johnson had his moments as a rookie, but ultimately was just a marginal starter, failing to consistently show why he was a heavily regarded prospect even when he was on the field. He could take a step forward in year two, but that is not a guarantee and he could wind up missing more time too.

With Johnson and Williams missing time, Max Melton (423 snaps) and Denzel Burke (679 snaps) saw bigger than expected roles at cornerback. Melton was a second round pick in 2024, but he has struggled mightily across 988 career snaps. Burke also was below average in 2025, but he was better than Melton by default, despite only being a 5th round rookie. Burke and Melton will compete for the #3 cornerback role with Sean Murphy-Bunting and Starling Thomas, who both suffered season ending injuries before the 2025 season even started.

Both Murphy-Bunting and Starling Thomas were marginal players at best even before their injuries, so I wouldn’t expect much from either in 2026. Melton has the most upside of the bunch, but Burke, who probably has the lowest floor, might be the slight favorite for the #3 job at this point. With Williams likely to miss time with injury this season and Johnson a strong candidate to miss time as well, it is likely that multiple of these cornerbacks will see significant snaps this season, regardless of who actually wins the #3 cornerback job.

The Cardinals’ best defensive back last season was probably Jalen Thompson, but he left in free agency. To replace him, the Cardinals will either promote #3 safety Dadrion Taylor-Demerson and they will start free agent addition Andrew Wingard. Taylor-Demerson, a 4th round pick in 2024, has been decent in limited action thus far in his career, on snap counts of 258 and 452 over the past two seasons respectively, and he could be a decent starter long-term, though he is a projection to a larger role. Wingard, meanwhile, was decent as a reserve earlier in his career, but he struggled mightily across 962 snaps last season and is now going into his age 30 season, so he is probably best as a reserve. 

There is a good chance that whoever starts in place of Thompson is not as good as Thompson was last season. Budda Baker, meanwhile, remains as the other starting safety and he has been a solid starter for most of his career, but he declined a little bit in 2025 and is now going into his age 30 season, so he could easily continue declining, which would further hurt a secondary that already lost its best player from a year ago and that has a questionable cornerback group. Overall, this group looks like they will be a major liability this season.

Grade: C

Kickers

Chad Ryland was a decent kicker in 2024, adding about 1.81 points above an average kicker, but he slipped down to 6.45 points below an average kicker in 2025, 6th worst in the NFL. Ryland was also one of the worst kickers in the league as a rookie in 2023, when he cost his team 15.46 points compared to an average kicker. In total, his 20.10 points below average since entering the league are second worst in the league over that stretch. He is still relatively young, only going into his age 27 season, and he has shown he is capable of being a decent kicker, but it is probably more likely than not that he is below average again in 2026.

Grade: C

Conclusion

The Cardinals should be healthier this season than they were a year ago, when they went 3-14, but they let go of several veteran players this off-season in an attempt to rebuild and, even if they are healthier, they still will have one of the worst rosters in the league, with particular weaknesses at quarterback, on the offensive line, at the interior defender position, in the linebacking corps, and in the secondary. They should be in the mix for the #1 pick in 2027.

Prediction: 4-13, 4th in NFC West

Quarterback

In 2024, the Seahawks finished at 10-7 and missed out of the playoffs entirely, while ranking 14th in schedule adjusted efficiency. In 2025, the Seahawks won the Super Bowl after being one of the best teams in the league all season, finishing 14-3 and ranking 2nd in schedule adjusted efficiency. The reasons why they improved are numerous and they improved more on defense (12th in schedule adjusted efficiency to 1st) than on offense (15th in schedule adjusted efficiency to 8th), but we need to start by talking about their decision at the quarterback position. 

Geno Smith had been the Seahawks’ starting quarterback from 2022-2024 and had been decent, but he was in his mid-30s and wanted an expensive extension, ahead of the final year of his contract in 2025. Rather than giving them that extension, the Seahawks sent him to the Raiders for a third round pick and used some of the money they saved by not extending him to sign free agent Sam Darnold to a 3-year, 100.5 million dollar deal.

It was a risky decision at the time, as they were going from a known commodity to a quarterback with a wide range of potential outcomes. Darnold had a season in 2024 that was better than any season Geno Smith had ever had, completing 66.2% of his passes for an average of 7.92 YPA, 35 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions, but Darnold had never been anywhere near that good in the past, completing 59.7% of his passes for an average of 6.66 YPA, 63 touchdowns, and 56 interceptions in 56 career starts in the first six seasons of his career prior to 2024. Darnold was the 3rd overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft and had always had talent, but it was unclear after the 2024 season if he was a true late bloomer or if 2024 would prove to be a flash in the pan.

Darnold wasn’t quite as good statistically in 2025 as he was in 2024, completing 67.7% of his passes for an average of 8.49 YPA, 25 touchdowns, and 14 interceptions (99.1 passer rating, as opposed to 102.5 in 2024), but he was good enough to win the Super Bowl with a team that improved in many areas from the year before. Most importantly, he was significantly younger and also a little cheaper than Geno Smith, who showed his age and dropped off in a big way in his first season with the Raiders. Essentially, the Seahawks swapped an older, declining, more expensive quarterback for a cheaper, younger quarterback and got a third round pick in the process.

Darnold and this whole offense also benefited from the Seahawks’ decision to change offensive coordinators from Ryan Grubb to Klint Kubiak, whose scheme helped the Seahawks get the most out of their offense. Kubiak parlayed last season’s success into a head coaching job with the Raiders this off-season, which is a blow to this offense. His departure is one of several reasons why the Seahawks might not be quite as good in 2026 as they were in 2025, but they still have one of the best rosters in the league and should be among the best teams in the league again.

If Darnold gets hurt, the Seahawks would be in some trouble, not just because Darnold is an important part of this team, but because Drew Lock is an underwhelming backup option. Lock was a second round pick in 2019, but never really developed, completing 59.6% of his passes for an average of 6.57 YPA, 34 touchdowns, and 28 interceptions across 28 career starts. He could be pushed for the backup job by 2025 3rd round pick Jalen Milroe, but Milroe was a boom or bust prospect who did not play a meaningful snap as a rookie, so it seems unlikely he will overtake Lock this season.

Grade: B+

Receiving Corps

While Sam Darnold played well enough for this team to win the Super Bowl, this was much more of a complete team than it was a quarterback led one. Another big reason for the Seahawks’ improvement from 2024 to 2025 was the improvement of wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba, a 2023 1st round pick who was in his third season in the league in 2025. Wide receiver was a bit of a position of concern going into the 2025 season because the Seahawks traded away DK Metcalf for a second round pick and he had been a consistently solid receiver for them for years, including a 66/992/5 slash line and 1.81 yards per route run on 108 targets. 

However, trading Metcalf away, as well as the switch to Klint Kubiak at offensive coordinator, allowed the Seahawks to become a more run heavy team and to focus their passing game around Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who went from 137 targets in 2024 to 163 targets in 2025, despite the Seahawks going from 593 pass attempts to 481 pass attempts. In terms of target share, Jaxon Smith-Njigba led the league last season with 33.9% and, breaking out in his third season in the league, Smith-Njigba turned those targets into a 119/1793/10 slash line and 3.62 yards per route run, up from 100/1130/6 and 1.81 yards per route run in 2024.

With Kubiak gone, there is some concern that Smith-Njigba won’t be as effective or won’t get as high of a target share in 2026, especially since his production declined down the stretch last season, as teams focused more on taking him away. He went from an average of 119 yards per game on 9.7 targets per game in the first 11 games of the season to 80 yards per game on 9.3 targets per game in the final 6 games of the season. To counter that, the Seahawks could easily spread the ball around more in 2026.

Rashid Shaheed was acquired at the trade deadline last season to give the Seahawks another weapon at wide receiver and, while he struggled to get acclimated to the offense mid-season, only managing a 15/188/0 slash line on 26 targets in 9 games, the Seahawks still kept him on a 3-year, 51 million dollar deal as a free agent this off-season, suggesting they have bigger plans for him after a full off-season with the team. Shaheed has always shown potential in his career, averaging a 56/832/5 slash line per 17 games and 1.89 yards per route run prior to being traded last season, with his biggest concern being injuries, as he has played just 51 games in four seasons in the league. However, as long as he is healthy, he could easily be a capable #2 option opposite Smith-Njigba in his first full season with the team. 

The Seahawks could also get second year tight end Elijah Arroyo more involved in the offense. Arroyo only had a 15/179/1 slash line with a 1.13 yards per route run average on 26 targets as a rookie, but he could take a step forward in year two. The Seahawks still have AJ Barner, who was decent as the starting tight end last season, with a 52/519/6 slash line and 1.44 yards per route run on 68 targets, after a 30/245/4 slash line and 1.13 yards per route run on 38 targets as a rookie in 4th round rookie in 2024. Also an above average blocker, Barner is likely to remain the starting tight end this season, but the Seahawks could use more two tight end sets in passing situations this season to get Arroyo more involved in the offense.

Cooper Kupp also remains on the roster, although he is mostly a run blocker and veteran leader at this stage of his career. He managed just a 47/593/2 slash line with 1.40 yards per route run on 70 targets last season, far below peak for a receiver with a career 2.15 yards per route run average and a receiving triple crown under his belt. Going into his age 33 season in 2026, Kupp is unlikely to improve and could decline further. Even if Jaxon Smith-Njigba’s usage goes down in 2026 compared to 2025, I don’t expect it to translate to more targets for Kupp.

Second year wide receiver Tory Horton could also be more involved in the offense, after missing 9 games with injury last season. He had a 13/161/5 slash line with 1.17 yards per route run on 22 targets in 8 games last season, although that was before the addition of Rashid Shaheed. With Shaheed still on the roster, Horton is the clear 4th receiver, but could still take on a situational role and see more targets than he did in 2025 if he stays healthy. Durability is a question for him going back to his collegiate days though, a big part of why he fell to the 5th round, so he could end up missing more time in 2026. 

The Seahawks also have Jake Bobo, who has a career 0.96 yards per route run average in limited action, and 6th round rookie Emmanuel Henderson as depth options. This group is significantly elevated by the presence of Jaxon Smith-Njigba and with Rashid Shaheed and Elijah Arroyo going into their second year with the team, the Seahawks could have more complementary receiving options than they did a year ago, when Cooper Kupp and AJ Barner were second and third on the team in targets.

Grade: B+

Offensive Line

Another reason why the Seahawks were better in 2025 than 2024 was their improved offensive line. The Seahawks used their first round pick on Grey Zabel, who was immediately an above average starter as a rookie, while right tackle Abraham Lucas stayed healthy after missing 21 total games in 2023 and 2024 combined and was also an above average starter. Zabel could be even better in year two in 2025, while Lucas remains an injury risk, but has been an above average starter in both healthy seasons in the league, since going in the 3rd round in 2022. Lucas will likely continue playing at that level unless he gets hurt.

Left tackle Charles Cross was their best offensive lineman in 2025, as he had been in recent years. The 9th overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, Cross has been an above average starter across 62 starts in four seasons in the league and, only going into his age 26 season, he should continue playing at a similar level in 2026. The rest of this offensive line is still a liability though. Jalen Sundell took over as the starting center in 2025, after playing just 57 snaps as an undrafted rookie in 2024, and he was marginal at best. Right guard Anthony Bradford was a liability, as he has been throughout his career, starting 38 games since going in the 4th round in 2023, including all 17 last season.

Both Sundell and Bradford are likely to remain the starters though, due to a lack of other good options. At guard, their alternatives are Christian Haynes, a 2024 3rd round pick who has struggled mightily across 199 career snaps, and Beau Stephens, a 5th round rookie who is unlikely to be a starting caliber player in year one. At center, their alternative is Olusegun Oluwatimi, a 2023 5th round pick who has been mediocre across 875 career snaps (13 starts). The Seahawks do have at least one good reserve, swing tackle Josh Jones, who has 27 career starts in 6 seasons in the league and has mostly held his own when forced into action. This offensive line still has concerns, but they should play at a similar level to 2025, when they were an overall solid unit.

Grade: B

Running Backs

The Seahawks’ running backs in 2025 stayed the same as they were in 2023 and 2024, with Kenneth Walker and Zach Charbonnet as their top-2 backs, but the Seahawks ran the ball more in 2025 than they did in previous years and they had more talent around them, especially on the offensive line, which allowed both to have productive seasons. Unfortunately, Walker left as a free agent this off-season, while Charbonnet tore his ACL in the playoffs, which will keep him out for much of the 2026 season, leaving this backfield very much in flux, which will likely hurt this offense.

The Seahawks did use their first round pick on a running back, Jadarian Price, but even the Seahawks didn’t seem to feel he was worth a first round pick, desperately trying to trade back into the second round and taking him there. Price has a high upside, but it is tough to know what to expect from him, given that he backed up fellow first round pick Jeremiyah Love in college, leading to Price only seeing 395 total touches in three collegiate seasons. Price will almost definitely see an expanded role in his first year in the NFL compared to how much he played at Notre Dame and it is fair to wonder how he will perform in that role.

The first running back the Seahawks signed after losing Walker is former Packers backup Emanuel Wilson and he could be involved more than people expect. The Seahawks like to split carries pretty evenly between multiple running backs and may not be ready to fully hand over the backfield to a rookie. Wilson only has 242 career carries, but he has shown promise averaging 4.48 YPC, 2.94 yards per carry after contact, a 18.1% missed tackle rate, and a 59.1% carry success rate. 

Charbonnet is likely to be back down the stretch, but it is unclear how good he can be coming off the injury. Charbonnet was not that explosive of a player even before the injury, averaging just 4.12 YPC with 19 carries of 15+ yards across 427 career carries, but he is a good short yardage back who keeps the offense on schedule, with a 48.2% career carry success rate and 21 career rushing touchdowns, and the Seahawks trust him in obvious passing situations as a blocker. He will at least have a role as a short yardage back and a pass protector upon his return.

The Seahawks also have George Holani, a 2024 undrafted free agent who was the #2 back after Charbonnet got hurt last season, and Kenny McIntosh, a 2023 7th round pick who missed all of 2025 with injury, but showed promise in limited action in 2023 and 2024. They only have 28 career touches and 34 career touches respectively in their careers though, so they probably won’t be heavily involved unless one of Wilson or Price misses time when Charbonnet remains out, and they are not locks for the final roster. Between a downgraded running back room and the loss of Klint Kubiak, there is at least some concern that this offense won’t be as good in 2026 as they were in 2025. 

Grade: B-

Edge Defenders

As I mentioned, the Seahawks’ biggest improvement between 2024 and 2025 was on defense, where they went from 12th in schedule adjusted efficiency in 2024 to 1st last season. Part of the reason for their improvement was the addition of DeMarcus Lawrence in free agency. Lawrence was a risky signing because he was on the wrong side of 30 and coming off of an injury that limited him to just 167 snaps in 4 games in 2024, but Lawrence turned back the clock in 2025, playing at an above average level as a run defender and a pass rusher, totaling 6 sacks, 14 hits, and a 13.2% pressure rate. 

That is the kind of player Lawrence has been throughout his career, consistently playing at a high level against the run and totaling 49.5 sacks, 61 hits, and a 13.6% pressure rate across 105 games from 2017 to 2023. The age and injury concerns still remain for him though, as he is now going into his age 34 season and has missed 24 games over the past five seasons combined, so there is a good chance Lawrence doesn’t play as well or as much as he did a year ago. However, even if he doesn’t, he would have to decline significantly or miss significant time to not be an asset for this defense.

The Seahawks also lost Boye Mafe, who played 559 snaps last season, and, while Mafe was only decent across those snaps, his replacement Dante Fowler is likely to be a downgrade. Fowler’s biggest issue is his age, going into his age 32 season and, while he has remained a solid pass rusher, with his 12.1% pressure rate in 2025 actually being higher than his career rate of 11.6%, his run defense has fallen off since his prime and, between his age and his lack of ability to stop the run, he has been limited to just 384 snaps per season over the past four seasons. It is also possible that his pass rush ability also falls off this season, though there is a good chance he remains at least a decent situational pass rusher.

Uchenna Nwosu (581 snaps) and Derick Hall (419 snaps) remain on the roster and, with Lawrence getting older and Mafe gone, one or both of them would have to play a bigger role. The problem is Nwosu is also on the wrong side of 30, going into his age 30 season. Nwosu has been a solid player throughout his career, holding up against the run and adding 34.5 sacks, 64 hits, and a 12.2% pressure rate in 107 career games, but it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him decline somewhat in 2025. 

Injuries have also been an issue for Nwosu in the past, particularly in 2023 and 2024, when he was limited to 473 snaps in 12 total games. He seemed to be his old self in 2025 when he returned from those injuries, totaling 7 sacks, 7 hits, and a 12.7% pressure rate, while providing decent run defense, but between his age and his somewhat recent injury history, there are reasons why he might not be a strong candidate for an expanded role.

Hall is a better candidate for an expanded role, only going into his age 25 season. He also has experience playing a bigger role, playing 673 snaps in 2024. However, the reason his snaps were cut in 2025 were that he struggled mightily as a run defender. A 2023 2nd round pick, Hall is a great pass rusher, with 10 sacks, 25 hits, and a 13.7% pressure rate in 31 games over the past two seasons, and he was better against the run in a much smaller role in 2025. 

Given his age, it wouldn’t be a surprise if he continued his solid run defense into a bigger role against the run in 2026, but that is not a guarantee. With three of their top-4 edge defenders on the wrong side of 30 and Derick Hall potentially being a liability against the run, there are reasons for concern with this edge defender group, but, even if they aren’t as good as they were a year ago, it is unlikely this would be a bad position group and there is definitely upside here if enough things go right.

Grade: B+

Interior Defenders

Another reason why the Seahawks’ defense was significantly better in 2025 than 2024 was the emergence of 2024 1st round pick Byron Murphy at the interior defender position. Murphy was decent across 457 snaps as a rookie, but he took it to another level in 2025, seeing his snap count jump to 783 and playing at an above average level both against the run and as a pass rusher, where he totaled 7 sacks, 5 hits, and a 10.1% pressure rate. Murphy is technically a one-year wonder in terms of playing at the level he played at last season, but he has always had the upside to be an above average all-around player, so he likely has permanently turned a corner and could even get better going forward, still only going into his age 24 season. 

The Seahawks also bring back the other interior defenders who played significant snaps last season. The concern is that Leonard Williams (810 snaps) and Jarran Reed (397 snaps) are both on the wrong side of 30, going into their age 32 and age 34 season respectively. Williams hasn’t shown any signs of decline yet, continuing to play at an above average level against the run and as a pass rusher. Last season, he had 7 sacks, 15 hits, and a 10.8% pressure rate and, in his career, he has 61.5 sacks, 170 hits, and a 10.3% pressure rate in 175 career games. 

Williams has also been very durable in his career, only missing 6 games due to injury in 11 seasons in the league, while playing 51.0 snaps per game, which should be a sign that he will age better than most. That being said, it wouldn’t be a surprise if he declined at least somewhat this season. Reed, meanwhile, is still a solid pass rusher, as his 8.2% pressure rate in 2025 is in line with his career 8.0% pressure rate, but his run defense has dipped to below average and it wouldn’t be a surprise at all if he declined as a pass rusher and/or further declined as a run defender this season, given his age.

The Seahawks’ deep reserve options behind their top-3 are pretty uninspiring. Rylie Mills, a 5th round pick in 2025, probably has the most upside by default of their options, but he struggled on 48 snaps as a rookie. Other options include Brandon Pili, a 2023 undrafted free agent who has shown very little across 248 career snaps, and Mike Morris, a 2023 5th round pick who has shown very little across 260 career snaps. One of those three could end up playing a bigger role this season if one of their top-3 interior defenders misses significant time with injury or, in the case of Williams or Reed, if they decline significantly. This should still be an above average group, but they might not be quite as good as a year ago.

Grade: A-

Linebackers

Another big reason for the Seahawks’ defensive improvement from 2024 to 2025 was the addition of linebacker Ernest Jones. Jones was actually acquired midway through the 2024 season, but he immediately made their defense better and that continued in 2025. Jones has been an above average every down linebacker in each of the last three seasons (943 snaps per season), but 2025 was his best season, as he played at an All-Pro level. It is possible he isn’t quite as good again in 2026, but he should at least remain an above average every down player for several more seasons, as he is very much in his prime, going into his age 27 season.

The Seahawks also got mini breakout years from a pair of young linebackers, Drake Thomas and Tyrice Knight, who were both above average. Knight’s breakout year wasn’t a huge surprise, as he was decent across 550 snaps as a rookie and the 2024 4th round pick has always had upside, but Knight was noticeably better in 2025 than 2024, albeit across a smaller snap count (307) as the third linebacker. Thomas’ breakout, on the other hand, came out of nowhere, as the 2023 undrafted free agent played just 42 total snaps in the first two seasons of his career, before playing at an above average level across 761 snaps last season. 

Because Knight’s breakout was less surprising, it is also more likely to continue, while Thomas is a potential regression candidate. Perhaps Knight can play a larger role in 2026 to offset any potential regression from Thomas, though it is possible that Knight would not be as good in a larger role. Even if both regress somewhat, this still looks like one of the best linebacking corps in the league, headlined by the All-Pro caliber Ernest Jones.

Grade: A

Secondary

The addition of Defensive Rookie of the Year Nick Emmanwori in the second round of the 2025 NFL Draft was also a huge reason why this defense was so much better in 2025 than 2024. Emmanwori immediately played at a borderline All-Pro level and looks likely to be one of the best safeties in the league for years to come, even if his development is not linear and he regresses somewhat in 2026. The Seahawks did lose a pair of free agent defensive backs who played significant snaps last season, Coby Bryant (974 snaps) and Tariq Woolen (817 snaps), but both were middling players and shouldn’t be that hard to replace. The Seahawks used second and third round picks on Bud Clark and Julian Neal, who both could play roles as rookies in place of Bryant and Woolen.

Emmanwori, Julian Love, and Devon Witherspoon remain as the Seahawks top-3 defensive backs. Love, a solid starter since joining the Seahawks before the 2023 season, missed 9 games due to injury last season and should be healthier this season, having only missed two total games in the first six seasons of his career prior to last season. Love and Emmanwori will start together at safety in base packages. Witherspoon, meanwhile, is their top cornerback. Last season, when he played at an All-Pro level, was a breakout year for the 2023 5th overall pick, who was solid, but unspectacular in his first two seasons in the league. It is possible he regresses somewhat, but he has always had a huge ceiling and is still only going into his age 26 season, so he could easily remain one of the best cornerbacks in the league for years to come.

The rookie Bud Clark will compete with Ty Okada for the third safety spot behind Love and Emmanwori, a role that is close to a full-time role in this defense, given how often this defense uses sub packages and how often they use three safeties together in sub packages. The Seahawks also frequently use four safeties together in some sub packages, so whoever doesn’t win 3rd safety job could still see significant snaps. Okada went undrafted in 2023 and only played 33 snaps total in his first two seasons in the league combined, but he played 739 snaps last season, mostly as an injury replacement for Love and he was decent. He will probably remain decent in whatever role he ends up in for the 2026 season, while Clark could have some growing pains as a rookie, but ultimately has a much higher upside than Okada.

The one weakness in this secondary is the other outside cornerback spot opposite Devon Witherspoon, which will likely be occupied full-time by Josh Jobe, with Tariq Woolen gone. Jobe played 817 snaps last season, but he was a liability and he figures to see that snap count increase in 2026. A 2022 undrafted free agent, Jobe also struggled across snap counts of 240 and 443 in 2023 and 2024 respectively. He could be pushed for his job by the rookie Julian Neal later in the season, but it is unlikely that Neal would be a significant upgrade in year one. It’s a lone weak spot in a secondary that is otherwise one of the best in the league.

Grade: A-

Kickers

Jason Myers was the Seahawks’ kicker last season and had an above average season for the fourth time in six seasons, accounting for 4.97 points above an average kicker, giving him a total of 21.69 points added above average over the past six seasons combined. Myers is going into his age 35 season and has a bit of an inconsistent history, both of which are minor concerns, but there is a good chance he is at least an average kicker again, even if he isn’t quite as good as he was in 2025 again in 2026.

Grade: B+

Conclusion

There are some reasons to think that the Seahawks might not be quite as good in 2026 as they were in 2024. They lost offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak. Their running back room isn’t as good as it was a year ago. Their defense lost a few players who played significant snaps for them last season, while other key players are on the wrong side of 30. However, they are starting from such a high base point that, even if they aren’t quite as good as they were a year ago, there is still a strong chance they are among the best teams in the league and that they once again compete for a Super Bowl.

Prediction: 12-5, 2nd in NFC West