Fresh off of a Super Bowl, it may seem silly to think that anyone on the Seattle Seahawks roster is under pressure. However, the opposite may be true. The Seahawks or no longer the hunter; they are now “the hunted.” Each team will be looking at Seattle as the measuring stick for where they all want to be at – Super Bowl Champions. There are naturally going to be more eyes on the team as well, with the Seahawks scheduled for six primetime games this year. With this, let us look at which players are under the most pressure entering the 2026 season.
Sam Darnold
Being a quarterback will put any player in the limelight. This naturally brings more pressure. However, for Darnold, it is inevitable that there will be loud voices around the NFL landscape just waiting for him to make a mistake so they can compare him to his “seeing ghosts” New York Jets days. You would think that leading the Seahawks to a Super Bowl victory would have gotten rid of these voices.
Advertisement
However, those doubts remain throughout the NFL landscape … maybe even within Seahawks fan circles. Can Darnold maintain his 2025 postseason success for an entire season? Or will he struggle similar to certain parts of the 2025 regular season, when he was one of the league leaders in interceptions? If it is the latter, you know those loud voices will be ready to argue that Darnold is back to the Jets-version of himself. Keep in mind that he’s in year two of his three-year contract, and he could be in for a big pay bump with a successful year. That in itself brings pressure that no other player on the Seahawks roster can match.
With Hall entering his contract year there automatically creates pressure to perform for a larger payday. The Seahawks (and Derick Hall) just saw Boye Mafe leave for the Cincinnati Bengals on a $20 million/year deal. This leaves the edge room in Seattle pretty thin (and old), especially after 2026. This puts Hall in the prime position for an extension.
Hall and Mafe had similar 2025 seasons, both with two sacks each, with Mafe adding 31 total tackles and a forced fumble, to Hall’s 30 total tackles. However, Hall also had an 8-sack season back in 2024. Because of this, Schneider could look to make the extension now at a lower/similar number to what Mafe got in Cincinnati rather than roll the dice and potentially pay a higher price at the end of the 2026 season. However, Hall and his agent will see this opportunity as well and may want to roll the dice on Hall having another big 8-plus sack season. It is this potential dice roll that puts Hall under a lot of pressure entering 2026. Time will tell if he bets on himself and wins when it comes time to sign a new contract.
Advertisement
Sundell being on this list may be surprising. However, there are two big reasons for his inclusion. First, like Hall, Sundell is entering a contract year. Second, Sundell is an undrafted free agent, which is why he is entering a contract year in only his third year in the league. His status as a former UDFA is why he faces extra pressure.
Despite earning the starting center job last season, and playing fairly well all season, most people around NFL circles view him as nothing more than a less than average starter. Similar to Darnold, despite winning the Super Bowl as the starting center, this disrespect for Sundell because of his draft status remains. That is where Sundell is under pressure. He needs to perform well and cement his status as a top-tier NFL starting center, which will also help line his pockets come pay day in spring 2027.
Nobody on the Seahawks roster has seemingly faced as much criticism throughout his career as Bradford. With tons of Twitter clips showing Bradford falling down and missing blocks, most NFL fans (especially within Seahawks circles) believe that Bradford is one of the worsts player in the league. That is far from the case. However, there is still room for improvement. With the Seahawks drafting Iowa’s Beau Stephens, along with Bradford entering his contract year, this is a true “prove-it” year for him.
Advertisement
There are a lot of ways 2026 can go for Bradford. He can make a big jump and cement himself as a true difference maker at guard, leading to a big payday. He also can show some struggles and potentially be replaced by Stephens, or even another one of Seattle’s promising young guards (Bryce Cabeldue, Mason Richman) mid-season. Time will tell how 2026 looks like.
Honorable Mentions
Kenny McIntosh: The former 7th round pick by the Seahawks is entering his final year of his rookie contract. Unfortunately, McIntosh is coming off of a torn ACL that he suffered in July 2025. On top of this the Seahawks just signed Emanuel Wilson and drafted Jadarian Price, plus they have George holani. All of these put together seem to make McIntosh the odd man out in the running back room.
Christian Haynes: The third-year guard out of UConn has seemingly disappointed each step of his NFL career. As the 81st overall pick in 2024, Haynes was expected to come in and start right away. Instead, he couldn’t reach the starting lineup and is now in position where he is fighting for a spot on the 53-man roster. Can year two with o-line coach, John Benton, help Haynes meet his potential? Or will he struggle again and not even make the team?
Advertisement
Mike Morris: Another player on this list entering their contract year. See a pattern? Morris has looked well on special teams but has struggled to get many defensive snaps. Morris is a fine player; however, he unfortunately is in a very deep defensive line room. With Rylie Mills finally healthy, and the Seahawks seemingly excited in what they see in Jared Ivey, could Morris be the odd man out?
Read the full article here