Fox NFL analyst Julian Edelman says the defending Super Bowl-champion Seattle Seahawks are built to dominate the 2026 NFL season, pointing to a roster that returns 20 of 22 starters from a team that just posted a franchise-record 14-3 record.
“I’m big on Seattle,” Edelman said Tuesday on “The Herd.” “They’re returning 20 of 22 starters. I got to sit and talk with all these guys in a production meeting in the preseason. Sam Darnold was mad about his performance in the Super Bowl, and the week before that he had an unbelievable game performance to beat the Los Angeles Rams. He gets to go into the offseason almost like he lost the Super Bowl with his mindset after winning a Super Bowl. And then they get to hear all the hype on the Rams. I think this is a storm brewing to just wipe out a lot of teams. They’re really good.”
Edelman also praised head coach Mike Macdonald, calling him a defensive-minded leader with an unusual mix of calm and steel.
“I was so impressed with Mike Macdonald’s calm, cool and collected demeanor but also his way where he’s big with the connections with the players, but he also has kind of that hard alpha trait to him because he is a defensive guy and his mentality with steering the ship. I’m so impressed with every single guy they have.”
Seattle opens its 2026 regular season at home Wednesday night against the New England Patriots, a rematch of Super Bowl LX. The Seahawks come into the game as the reigning champions after a 14-3 season that delivered their first NFC West title since 2020 and the second Super Bowl win in franchise history, following the 2013 title.
Under quarterback Sam Darnold in his first year in Seattle, the offense—then run by coordinator Klint Kubiak—finished third in the league in scoring at 28.4 points per game and eighth in total yardage at 351.4 yards per game. Kubiak has since left to become head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders; the Seahawks replaced him with Brian Fleury, formerly of the San Francisco 49ers’ offensive staff.
Seattle’s defense, which returns coordinator Aden Durde for a third season, was the NFL’s stingiest last year, allowing a league-low 17.2 points per game while ranking sixth in total defense at 285.6 yards allowed per game.
Edelman contrasted Seattle’s quiet buildup with the attention surrounding the Los Angeles Rams, who enter the season with MVP quarterback Matthew Stafford and a retooled roster that includes defensive end Myles Garrett, acquired from the Cleveland Browns, and cornerback Trent McDuffie, acquired from the Kansas City Chiefs. Defensive lineman Aaron Donald has also come out of retirement to rejoin the Rams after two years away from football.
Seattle’s own offseason has focused on keeping its championship roster together. The team signed wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba to a four-year, $168.6 million extension and cornerback Devon Witherspoon to a four-year, $132 million deal, making each the highest-paid player at his position. The Seahawks also extended defensive lineman Leonard Williams for three years and $90 million, re-signed wide receiver and returner Rashid Shaheed for three years and $51 million, and kept cornerback Josh Jobe on a three-year, $24 million deal.
In the draft, Seattle used the No. 32 overall pick on Notre Dame running back Jadarian Price, filling the void left by the departure of Kenneth Walker III, the running back who was named MVP of Super Bowl LX.
“They draft, develop and pay their guys,” Edelman said. “They got a lot of great things going for them, and the biggest thing is that no one’s even talking about them. It’s the quietest Super Bowl champion team I’ve ever heard of. It’s unreal, and it’s going to play into their favor.”
