3 things Daniel Jeremiah is watching for with Seahawks in ’26

After winning their second Super Bowl this past season, the Seattle Seahawks are taking on the difficult task of trying to climb to the NFL’s mountaintop again in 2026.

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As the Seahawks try to complete that task, NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah has three things he’ll be watching. He detailed what those factors are when he joined Seattle Sports’ Brock and Salk on Thursday.

A focus shift for Macdonald?

The Seahawks have evolved into one of the NFL’s elite defenses in two seasons under head coach Mike Macdonald.

Seattle orchestrated a midseason defensive turnaround during Macdonald’s first season in 2024. Last year, they were one of the league’s best all season long, which included ranking as the NFL’s top scoring defense, allowing just 17.2 points per game.

The team’s defensive success under Macdonald has Jeremiah wondering if the head coach could shift more of his focus to the other side of the ball this year, as Seattle is breaking in a first-time play-caller at offensive coordinator in Brian Fleury.

“I would say there’s probably eight to 10 coaches in the NFL that are viewed as the elite of the elite in terms of like a side of the ball, like their knowledge and their ability to build an offense or build a defense,” Jeremiah said. “… I talked to one of these teams who have one of these coaches who’s on the offensive side of the ball, (and they) said he is spending an unbelievable amount of time on the opposite side of the ball. So (with) the defense humming like it is, I’m curious to see if the head coach is gonna go even spend a little bit more time and see if he can take everything he knows from the defensive side of the ball and continue to maybe pour into the offensive side of the ball.

“I think that’s a trend that’s coming right now in the NFL, is you’re going to see some of these guys with expertise switching over and trying to find the next thing or to poke holes. So that’d be one thing, if I was going out to practice, I’d be keeping an eye on that.”

Potential position battle in the trenches

The offensive line had long been a source of frustration with the Seahawks, but that changed quite a bit last year as the line showed major improvements over its predecessors. However, right guard Anthony Bradford was often in the line of fire for his play.

Bradford could face some competition for his spot in training camp and throughout the upcoming season. Iowa product Beau Stephens, a fifth-round pick in the 2026 draft, figures to be one of the players who could push Bradford for the starting role. Seattle also has returnees Mason Richman, Bryce Cabeldue and Christian Haynes in the mix.

“We talked about a guard position more than any other radio segment in the history of mankind,” Jeremiah said, referring to his regular conversations during the Seahawks season with Brock and Salk. “So I’m curious to see (if) Bradford can hold on to that job or what that looks like there.”

Can Darnold reach new heights?

After being labeled a bust, quarterback Sam Darnold finally had his breakout season in 2024 with the Minnesota Vikings before signing a three-year deal with the Seahawks last offseason. Despite a successful 14-win campaign the year prior, there were still plenty of questions about Darnold when he came to the Pacific Northwest.

The questions remained after Darnold showed problems with turnovers in Seattle, particularly following his four-interception game in Week 11 against the Los Angeles Rams. But Darnold played well down the stretch, including a turnover-free playoff run while leading his team to the Lombardi Trophy.

“I really think that this is the new bar for Sam,” Jeremiah said. “I don’t think Sam’s going back, and I’m curious to see is there even another level that Sam can get to now with the confidence of a Super Bowl-winning quarterback.”

Hear the full conversation at this link or watch the video at the top of this story. Listen to Brock and Salk weekdays from 6-10 a.m. or find the podcast on the Seattle Sports app. 

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