One month ago, I highlighted the significance of the Seattle Seahawks’ five-game stretch, anticipating it to be a revealing period that could shape the franchise’s trajectory over the next two seasons, particularly as they faced the Rams. Regrettably, experiencing their first four-game losing streak under Pete Carroll’s leadership has unequivocally underscored the imperative for the Seahawks to make decisive moves in the upcoming offseason to avoid succumbing to mediocrity.
Being stuck in mediocrity is one of the most frustrating positions in the NFL, posing an existential dilemma: whether to undergo the painful process of roster turnover, acquiring high draft picks and cost-effective players to build a contender, or persist in a pattern of consistent winning seasons with a playoff ceiling of the first or second round. The Seahawks’ recent losses have laid bare any illusion of this current group being close to Super Bowl contention, especially when compared to teams like the 49ers, Cowboys, and Eagles.
While another year for the young core and improved injury luck might contribute to growth, it now seems more aligned with teams like the Vikings, Saints, and Buccaneers hovering around the .500 mark, unless the Seahawks make a significant change at the most impactful position in the NFL: quarterback.
Geno Smith is a capable quarterback, but with a defense as porous as theirs, overcoming such deficiencies requires strategic actions. The best approach is to address the quarterback position, as it has been demonstrated across the league that a true franchise quarterback can elevate a team to unprecedented heights. The Chiefs’ decision to draft Patrick Mahomes after a solid season from Alex Smith serves as a pivotal example, leading to a generation-defining move and the franchise’s greatest decision.
From a draft perspective, the Seahawks find themselves in a similar position this year, likely picking somewhere in the middle to the back half of the first round. In a draft anticipated to be rich in quarterbacks, it’s evident that transcendent talent can be found beyond the top five picks, as illustrated by the Texans and Chiefs in the 2017 class with Deshaun Watson and Mahomes.
The Bengals’ success with Joe Burrow highlights the impact a quarterback can have in transforming a team into a Super Bowl contender. While the Seahawks can’t feasibly bottom out due to financial commitments and a strong core, this draft presents an opportunity to follow the Chiefs’ model of drafting a rookie quarterback and allowing them to develop while building around them.
Although the team has been in a similar situation before, with echoes of post-Super Bowl runs malaise, the current circumstances demand a strategic evaluation of the best path back to the Super Bowl. The recent stretch has demonstrated that the Seahawks are not on par with the top-tier teams in the NFC or the broader NFL. Given the substantial sample size, it’s increasingly apparent that the current roster lacks the game-changing talent at the quarterback position necessary for Super Bowl contention.