10 predictions for the 2025 Seahawks

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 future and try to forecast what transpires this fall. Could some of these predictions look completely foolish by December? Absolutely. But nevertheless, let’s take a stab at it.

Here are 10 predictions for the 2025 Seahawks:

• The Seahawks will 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 will finish No. 14 in scoring offense.

Seattle’s offense should get a major schematic upgrade under Klint Kubiak. And after more than a decade of struggles in the trenches, the offensive line looks primed to take a meaningful step forward with the addition of first-round pick Grey Zabel, a healthy Abraham Lucas, new O-line coach John Benton and an O-line-friendly scheme. Even with a potential step back at both quarterback and wide receiver, a more sturdy framework and infrastructure should allow Seattle’s revamped offense to 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 nine 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 could both be poised for highly productive seasons in a revived Seattle rushing attack, especially with it shaping up to be a more evenly split workload this fall. We’ll predict Walker to bounce back with an 1,100-yard campaign, with Charbonnet chipping in another 900 yards and leading the team in touchdowns while getting the bulk of the goal-line carries.

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 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. Both players are explosive-play threats, which should help them rack up yardage.

• Robbie Ouzts will be an All-Pro and/or Pro Bowl fullback.

The caveat here is that less than half of NFL teams have a true fullback, so this is the easiest position to crack an All-Pro or Pro Bowl team. But regardless, the rookie 6-foot-3, 274-pound Ouzts could be a real difference-maker in Seattle’s new-look offense. As he showed this preseason, Ouzts can 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. San Francisco’s Kyle Juszczyk and Baltimore’s Patrick Ricard are widely regarded as the league’s top two fullbacks, but don’t be surprised if Ouzts pushes them for postseason honors.

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 of pass-rushing options. There’s a solid core of Leonard Williams, Boye Mafe, Derick Hall, DeMarcus Lawrence and Jarran Reed. 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 Devon Witherspoon and Nick Emmanwori who will get 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 it could also mean that no one player puts up a big sack total, especially with opponents sure to hone in on Williams after his monster 2024 campaign.

• Devon Witherspoon will return 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 the potential for this defense to be 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 could 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 Vikings had the most wins last season of any opponent on Seattle’s 2025 schedule, but both are prime regression candidates after going a combined 17-5 in one-score contests last year. Coming off a well-timed bye week, Macdonald will use the extra time to devise a game plan that slows down dual-threat nightmare Jayden Daniels en route to a primetime road victory over the Commanders. And against Darnold’s old team, Seattle will ride home-field advantage to a key 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 truly vault into the NFC’s top tier.

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