Stacy: The 3 Seahawks questions that matter right now

Plenty of questions (and answers) will pop up this season for the Seattle Seahawks as they look to defend their Super Bowl title, but these are the big three that matter right now in the first week of May.

• Will Seattle add an edge?
• What does Dante Fowler Jr. have left in the tank?

April’s draft was deep with edge rusher talent, but despite losing Boye Mafe in free agency and rolling out an older group in 2026, the Seahawks didn’t replenish. ESPN’s Brady Henderson provided a simple explanation in his behind-the-scenes scoop earlier this week: the board never lined up. But defending your title means adding more depth there somehow, and by Monday evening the biggest question facing this team was whether or not they’d sign a veteran free agent.

Fans got an answer early Tuesday (so we’ve had to amend this one!) in the form of Dante Fowler Jr., with NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reporting he agreed to a one-year deal worth up to $5 million.

Brock Huard: What the Seahawks are getting in Fowler

The Seahawks, more than anyone, know how impactful an older veteran can be. Last year’s addition of 33-year-old Pro Bowler DeMarcus Lawrence was a massive boost; his six sacks (his most since 2022) are stellar for an older player, but don’t quite do justice to his physicality up front and influence on younger defenders (Derick Hall talked about what he’d learned during training camp). It also isn’t head coach Mike Macdonald’s first time overseeing a resurgence for an older player – see what Jadeveon Clowney did with the Ravens in 2023 when Macdonald was the defensive coordinator.

Fowler is two years younger and coming off a season with Dallas where he saw his most starts (11) since 2020. His numbers dipped from his 2024 campaign with Washington (10.5 sacks to three) but he tallied roughly the same number of quarterback hits (12 to 10, both his highest since 2019). His signing in Seattle also feels like an endorsement by DC Aden Durde, who worked with Fowler both in Dallas and Atlanta.

Now 12 years into his NFL career, the former top-three pick isn’t bringing that top-end physicality, speed or strength of a 22-year-old first-round rookie anymore. So don’t expect it from him. But for a Seattle team seeking depth, veteran savvy could be just enough.

• Who’s the Seahawks’ Week 1 opponent… and when will we find out?

Normally we’d know the schedule release date by now, and normally it’s the second week of May (or the week of May 11). But that could be different this season.

Last year’s release was on May 14, the year before on May 15, and the year before that on May 11. But NFL Vice President of Broadcast Planning Mike North joined the Always Gameday in Buffalo podcast and sure made it seem like a release the week of May 18 was possible, too.

“That’s what we’ve done the last five or six years,” North said. “That’s sort of our target. Is there any magic to May 12, 13, 14? No. Is there any real downside to (May) 19, 20 or 21? No.”

Right now our favorite for the Seahawks’ Wednesday night season opener is the Chicago Bears. Click here to find out why.

• What will attendance look like at OTAs, and will we hear any injury updates?

OTAs begin May 26. Attendance is voluntary, and it’s not uncommon for players across the league to keep their workouts closer to home or hold out entirely during contract disputes. And for some teams and fans, that doesn’t matter, so it’s usually not worth focusing too much on whether a player not attending is indicative of a much bigger issue.

But it does seem to matter quite a bit to Mike Macdonald. He pointed to last year’s attendance at OTAs as evidence that Seattle had the buy-in it needed from its players to make a push for a championship — one they eventually won. When the result is a Super Bowl, it’s hard to knock the process. Can the complete buy-in continue?

OTAs will also give reporters a chance to pepper Macdonald with a few questions about injured players. He didn’t have an update on running back Zach Charbonnet (recovering from a torn ACL) during the draft, so it’s unlikely there’s much of an update there, but we’ll still be listening for it.

More on the Seattle Seahawks

• Brock sees similarities to RB legend in Seahawks’ Jadarian Price
• Seahawks WR changes positions, could become tallest NFL CB ever
• Stacy: Why the one ‘F’ grade for Seahawks’ draft misses the mark
• Bump’s hope for Seattle Seahawks’ rookies this season
• Seattle Seahawks sign a six-year NFL veteran tight end

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