Most people probably didn’t anticipate a complete overhaul for the Seattle Seahawks this offseason. However, a change to their quarterback and wide receiver room has given them an entirely different outlook heading into the 2025 season.
For a team on the fringes of the playoffs, the additions of Sam Darnold and Cooper Kupp might not be enough to offset losing DK Metcalf and Geno Smith. There is one key weakness that might derail their entire operation, unless they make a significant trade before the start of mandatory minicamp from June 17-19.
Seattle Seahawks Need To Address a Glaring Weakness
Adding Darnold as their new quarterback was an incredibly bold move for the Seahawks who traded Smith away to the Las Vegas Raiders. Darnold enjoyed a breakout 2024 campaign in Minnesota, although the one-time Pro Bowler’s success might hinge on the protection he’s afforded up front.
Last season, Darnold was behind an impressive Vikings’ offensive line that ranked No. 9 in the entire NFL, per PFSN’s OL+ metric. They did struggle against the blitz at times, with Darnold holding the ball for nearly three seconds (2.93; second-highest in the NFL).
Still, Darnold produced MVP-caliber numbers last season in Minnesota, throwing for 4,319 yards and 35 touchdowns with a 66.2% completion percentage. On the other hand, the Seahawks ranked 31st on the OL+ metric. That drop-off might spell doom for Darnold.
Wyatt doesn’t mind going the extra mile for a good pancake 🥞 pic.twitter.com/AiSL3mzecD
— Cleveland Browns (@Browns) September 12, 2023
In the last two weeks, the 28-year-old quarterback had two of his three worst games. The script was exposed by the Detroit Lions in Week 18, as a series of blitzes forced him into consistent pressure, leading to unsatisfactory performances to close out the year.
Is that the norm or was it the exception? Time will tell.
Seahawks Acquire Offensive Weapons for Darnold
After inking Darnold to a three-year, $100.5 million contract in the offseason, the Seahawks focused on acquiring the right weapons to put around him, especially after losing Metcalf as well as legendary Seahawk Tyler Lockett.
But that left the offensive line relatively the same from the previous season, with the added loss of Laken Tomlinson. Seattle made a concerted effort to address the issue at the 2025 NFL Draft by adding offensive guards Grey Zabel and Bryce Cabeldue, then offensive tackle Mason Richman in the seventh round.
Those three rookies — Zabel was a first-round pick, Cabeldue was a sixth-round pick — might not be enough to turn the tide on one of the worst offensive lines in the league.
That’s why PFSN’s Brandon Austin linked the Seahawks to veteran Wyatt Teller of the Cleveland Browns in a trade scenario. The three-time Pro Bowler is a bona fide starter, plus he provides a strong veteran presence for the rookies to lean on.
“Seattle ranked in the bottom five in pressures allowed from guards last year, and could immediately plug Teller in as a starter,” Austin wrote. “In 13 games last season, he allowed just two sacks, 27 pressures, five QB hits, and a pressure rate of 1.88% on 573 pass-blocking snaps. The 30-year-old Pro Bowler would bring some much-needed veteran and starter-level experience to an offensive line that currently has all its projected starters being 26 years old or younger.”
Teller was drafted in the fifth round of the 2018 NFL Draft by the Browns. He’s one of the better guards in the entire NFL and a durable one, starting 88 games out of a possible 96 games in seven seasons.