The celebration is over, now the hard work begins
Less than a day after lifting the Lombardi Trophy, reality was already knocking on coach Mike Macdonald’s door. The Seattle Seahawks are champions, but in the NFL that only means one thing: Now everyone wants to beat you.
“You can’t be copying anyone else. We want to be ahead of the curve. We know we’re the number one target now,” Macdonald said.
The challenge is historic. Before Kansas City accomplished it recently, it had been almost 20 years without a team winning back-to-back championships. And the road for Seattle will be uphill.
A defense that could change
The feared “Dark Side” defensive unit could look very different in 2026. Several key pillars such as Coby Bryant, Riq Woolen and Boye Mafe will become free agents. The unknown also surrounds veterans like Leonard Williams and DeMarcus Lawrence.
“The sad thing is, after tonight, who knows where the other guys are,” defenseman Derick Hall said. “We hope we can keep this together.”
In attack, the situation is not simple either. Kenneth Walker III, named Super Bowl MVP, is also approaching free agency. When asked about his future, he was clear:
“I would definitely like to come back,” Walker said. “But this was my last night with Seattle… I’m the Super Bowl MVP, so I’m happy.”
If Walker leaves, Zach Charbonnet would be the natural candidate to replace him, although he is coming off a knee injury.
“Oh, yeah,” Charbonnet said of his hopes of playing in 2026.
Added to this is the departure of offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak to Las Vegas. All while competing in an NFC West division where San Francisco and the Los Angeles Rams are always lurking.
Sunday’s party was epic. But Monday came with an inescapable truth: repeating as champion will be even more difficult than winning for the first time.




