An area that’s not up to Seahawks’ ‘standard’ right now

Over the entirety of last season, the Seattle Seahawks’ kickoff coverage unit allowed just two returns past the opponent’s 40-yard line.

Three weeks into the 2026 campaign, the Seahawks have already allowed two such returns.

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In Week 2, they surrendered a return by Devin Duvernay to the Arizona Cardinals’ 43-yard line. And in Week 3, they gave up a return by Rachaad White to the Washington Commanders’ 44-yard line.

Overall, Seattle’s kick coverage unit ranks 30th in yards allowed per return (30.1) this season. Last year, the Seahawks ranked fourth (24.0).

For head coach Mike Macdonald – who preaches a “chasing edges” mantra of pursuing competitive advantages in every small margin – it’s simply not up to standard.

“To put it plainly, it’s not good enough,” Macdonald said earlier this week. “There’s things process-wise we can improve on. And we’ve talked about this throughout training camp, and really since we got here, but a Seahawk play needs to look like a Seahawk play. And there’s plays on tape that we’re not doing that.”

During their run to a Super Bowl title last season, the Seahawks ranked No. 2 in special teams DVOA, according to FTN Fantasy. This year, they rank 15th.

“The standard is higher on special teams here,” Macdonald said. “We’ve proven that, and the guys will get it right, but there’s definitely a sense of urgency to make it look like us and play our style of ball on teams.”

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