When John Schneider joined Pete Carroll in 2010 to take on the task of turning the Seahawks back into a championship-caliber team, those two attacked their new jobs asking themselves, as Schneider recently described, "What are we doing every single day, what are our contingency plans, how are we improving in every aspect of our operation? … What are we doing every single day to get better? It's really as simple as that. Work on it, pray on it, and how can we improve every day?"

The late Paul Allen, who first began turning the franchise around when he purchased the Seahawks in 1997, then hired Mike Holmgren two years later, challenged Carroll and Schneider to constantly innovate and improve, a directive his sister, Seahawks Chair Jody Allen, has continued with Schneider and head coach Mike Macdonald.

That approach helped Schneider and Carroll lead the Seahawks to their first Super Bowl title 12 years ago, and now, the Seahawks are back in the Super Bowl because, through all the ups and downs, and some very hard decisions, Schneider, Jody Allen, Mike Macdonald, and before he stepped down two years ago, Carroll, all stuck to that focus of innovating and getting better every day.

Schneider was recently named the executive of the year by both the Pro Football Writers of American and the Sporting News, long overdue recognition for the work he has done over the course of 16 seasons as Seattle's general manager, and while his 2025 body of work was incredibly deserving on its own, what has really elevated the franchise is the work Schneider has done dating back to the 2022 offseason when, with Jody Allen signing off on a franchise-altering trade, Schneider set in motion the moves that would help him build a Super Bowl-caliber roster.

Schneider is the last person to want individual credit—when asked about executive of the year recognition, he was quick to call it a team award while naming numerous people in the organization—but there's no denying that he has been the lead architect who helped the Seahawks go from a losing record and out of the playoffs in 2021 to Super Bowl LX four seasons later.

"Don't be fooled by his aw-shucks personality, he's as sharp as they come," Macdonald said of his general manager earlier this week. "He seems like he's young because of his energy and his enthusiasm, but he's seen a lot of football, he's seen a lot of great organizations operate. He's got a very clear vision of what he wants to achieve. Man, what a great communicator, and the spirit behind how he operates is the Seahawks. The brand of the Seahawks, John exemplifies that every day. Man, he is an awesome person to work with on a day-to-day basis. I look forward to seeing him every day, he makes it fun, he makes it exciting, he challenges you. I had a lot of mentors going through the process two years, and to a man, they said, 'You need to go work with that guy.' That meant a lot, and he's lived up to that, and then some.'"

At this time four years ago, the Seahawks were coming off a 7-10 season, their first losing season under Schneider and Carroll in a decade, and just their second time missing the playoffs over the previous 10 seasons. At that point, the Seahawks were eight years removed from going to back-to-back Super Bowls, and were facing some tough contract decisions, most notably with Pro-Bowl quarterback Russell Wilson.

Four years later, the roster has been turned over almost entirely, with only punter Michael Dickson and kicker Jason Myers remaining from that 2021 team, and after a 14-3 season in Macdonald's second year as head coach, the Seahawks are back in the Super Bowl. Here are 12 moves and decisions made by Schneider, Jody Allen and company that helped the Seahawks get to this point.

1. March 2022: The Seahawks trade quarterback Russell Wilson to the Broncos.

Wilson helped lead the Seahawks to their first Super Bowl title, and was a nine-time Pro-Bowler coming out of the 2021 season, so there's no denying his place in franchise history, but when Schneider, Carroll and Jody Allen began mapping out the long-term future, one that if Wilson were to continue in Seattle, would have included a massive contract extension for a then 33-year old quarterback, they saw a chance to reset the franchise in a major way. Yes, it was a bold move, one that, if it didn't work out, could cost a lot of people their jobs, but it turned out to a franchise-altering move in the best way possible, one that helped set the table for the four-year run of roster building that Schneider has done to build a Super Bowl team.

Eventually, the Seahawks agreed to a trade with Denver that sent Wilson and a fourth-round pick to the Broncos in exchange for two first-round picks, two second-rounders, a fifth-round pick, and three players, quarterback Drew Lock, defensive lineman Shelby Harris and tight end Noah Fant.

The Seahawks also released a beloved franchise icon, Bobby Wagner, that same offseason in a salary-cap related move, and at the time, those two moves made Schneider and Carroll unpopular with a lot of fans, but in retrospect, those bold moves helped the Seahawks build a Super Bowl team.

2. April 2022: With extra picks from the Wilson trade, the Seahawks begin building the foundation of future success in the 2022 draft.

Schneider and company built a Super Bowl-winning team in large part with a trio of great draft classes from 2010-2012, but for numerous reasons, including the reduced draft capital that comes with winning a lot of games, as well as the roster depth that made it harder for young players to break through, the draft classes after that three-year run failed to produce as many impact players. There were still big hits along the way like Tyler Lockett, Jarran Reed, Michael Dickson, DK Metcalf and others, but from 2013-2020, the Seahawks had fewer starters and Pro-Bowl caliber players come out of their draft classes than they did from 2010-2012.

Blessed with added draft capital thanks to the trade, as well as the previous season's losing record, Schneider and his player personnel department hit a home run in the 2022 draft, selecting seven players who will have big roles in Sunday's game: left tackle Charles Cross, outside linebacker Boye Mafe, running back Kenneth Walker III, right tackle Abraham Lucas, safety Coby Bryant, cornerback Riq Woolen and receiver and special teams standout Dareke Young.

3. April 2023: Schneider and company nail another draft thanks in part to those extra picks from the Wilson trade.

With Denver struggling in 2022, the Seahawks ended up with the No. 5 overall pick in 2023, as well as their own pick, No. 20 overall. Going into the draft, there was a lot of speculation that the Seahawks would take a quarterback, but Geno Smith's emergence during a Pro-Bowl 2022 season meant the Seahawks weren't forced to find a starting quarterback. So at No. 5 overall, the Seahawks eschewed drafting for need and instead went with a physical, hyper-competitive cornerback out of Illinois, Devon Witherspoon, a player who an ecstatic Carroll compared to Hall of Fame safety Troy Polamalu shortly after the pick was made.

Witherspoon has since earned Pro Bowl honors in each of his first three seasons, as well as a second-team All-Pro selection this year, and is, as Macdonald likes to call him, a force multiplier who makes everyone around him better.

With their next first-round pick, the Seahawks added Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who is now a two-time Pro-Bowler and, after leading the NFL with 1,793 receiving yards, the Associated Press Offensive Player of the Year.

"Spoon is a heartbeat guy, the whole building feels him," Schneider said. "They're just these completely different personalities, but in their own right. Everybody just totally respects Jax, the way he handles himself. It was amazing to have two guys that we thought were top five to seven players in that draft, to be able to draft both those guys was pretty incredible."

While those two were the stars of the 2023 class, Witherspoon and Smith-Njigba were far from the only members of that class to contribute to this year's success. The Seahawks also added outside linebacker Derick Hall, running back Zach Charbonnet, right guard Anthony Bradford, defensive lineman Mike Morris and center Olu Oluwatimi, all of whom had roles in getting the Seahawks to the Super Bowl.

4. October 2023: Seahawks acquire Leonard Williams in a trade with the Giants.

While the Seahawks fell short of a playoff berth in 2023, they started the season playing well, winning five of their first seven games, a start that convinced Schneider and company to make a big swing at the trade deadline, adding defensive tackle Leonard Williams in a trade with the Giants.

The Seahawks fell short of their goals that season, but Williams, who later signed a contract extension, has become one of the Seahawks' most valuable players over the past two and a half seasons, twice earning Pro-Bowl honors as well a second-team All-Pro selection. Williams is also a key leader as part of a veteran defensive line that played a big role in the Seahawks building the NFL's best defense.

5. January 2024: The Seahawks move on from legendary head coach Pete Carroll and hire Mike Macdonald.

Pete Carroll led the Seahawks to new heights during his 14-year run as head coach, including one Super Bowl title and two NFC championships, so it was not an easy decision when Jody Allen made the call to move on from Carroll while at the same time elevating Schneider's role, naming him president of football operations.

It was a challenging and emotional decision for all parties involved, but with Carroll stepping down and Schneider taking full control of football operations, his first very important order of business was to hire Carroll's successor.

After a thorough interview process, Schneider and the Seahawks hired then 36-year-old Ravens defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald, making him the youngest head coach in the league at the time. Macdonald's first season was one of growth, with his defense heating up in the second half of the season as the Seahawks won six of their last eight games, falling just short of the playoff with a 10-7 record. In Year 2, Macdonald's defense was one of the best in the league, his team went 14-3 to win the NFC West and earn the No. 1 seed, and after playoff wins over a pair of division rivals, Macdonald has the Seahawks back in the Super Bowl.

6. April 2024: The Seahawks add more impact players in the draft.

No longer enjoying extra picks from the Russell Wilson trade, the Seahawks didn't have quite the haul in 2024 as they did the previous two years, but they still added some players who contributed to this Super Bowl run. Leading that group is first-round pick Byron Murphy II, who in his second season emerged as one of the NFL's premier interior defensive linemen. The Seahawks also added starting tight end AJ Barner, linebacker Tyrice Knight, cornerback Nehemiah Pritchett, a core special teams player.

7. October 2024: Seahawks acquire Ernest Jones IV in a trade with the Titans.

As well as the Seahawks defense has played all season, it might be easy to forget that they went through some growing pains in Macdonald's first season, especially when it came to stopping the run. The Seahawks made several changes to their defense heading into he 2024 season, including signing two new starting linebackers in free agency in Jerome Baker and Tyrel Dodson.

With things not going according to plan, Macdonald wasn't afraid to make in-season lineup changes, and with Schneider's help and a big trade, the Seahawks reset at linebacker midway through the season. First, the Seahawks added Ernest Jones IV in a trade with the Titans, sending Baker to Tennessee as part of that trade, then Macdonald promoted rookie Tyrice Knight to the starting lineup, a move that was followed by Dodson's release.

Jones, who was named second-team All-Pro this year, has emerged as one of Seattle's top defensive leaders and playmakers, and while it was a group effort, his addition midway through last season was a big part of a defensive turnaround.

8. January 2025: Mike Macdonald makes a change at offensive coordinator.

Less than a year into the job, Macdonald had a tough decision to make heading into his first offseason. A lot of things well went well for the Seahawks in 2024, but looking for more offensive consistency and a true identity on that side of the ball, Macdonald and Schneider made a change at offensive coordinator, moving on from Ryan Grubb and replacing him with Klint Kubiak. That move, as well as some big changes in personnel, helped the Seahawks make big improvements on offense, scoring 483 points, the third most in the league and the most in franchise history, while also finishing in the Top 10 in total yards, passing yards and rushing yards.

9. March 2025: Seahawks make two big trades, moving Geno Smith and DK Metcalf.

As was the case three years earlier, the Seahawks found themselves at something of a crossroads with their starting quarterback. As Schneider explained last spring, the Seahawks offered a contract extension to Geno Smith, but it quickly became apparent that the two sides were far apart. Rather than go through a long, drawn out negotiation that could have ended any number of ways, Schneider moved quickly, trading Smith to the Raiders where he was reunited with Pete Carroll, and pivoting to Sam Darnold, who was to the top quarterback in free agency.

Coming off a Pro-Bowl season with the Vikings, Darnold has been fantastic in his first season with the Seahawks, again earning Pro-Bowl honors while helping the Seahawks to a 14-3 record. And Darnold was at his best in the biggest game of the season thus far, throwing for 346 yards and three touchdowns in an NFC championship game win over the Rams.

And in addition to trading Smith, the Seahawks made another big change to their offense when, after receiver DK Metcalf requested a trade, they decided to honor that request. While Metcalf was and is a great talent, that trade helped the Seahawks in several ways, starting with the extra draft capital that helped them trade up to pick Nick Emmanwori in the 2025 draft. The trade also freed up salary cap space, and perhaps most significantly, it made Jaxon Smith-Njigba the team's clear No. 1 receiver, leading to a record-setting season that resulted in Smith-Njigba becoming just the second player in franchise history to earn AP Offensive Player of the Year honors.

10. March 2025: Seahawks add three key players in free agency, signing Sam Darnold, Cooper Kupp and DeMarcus Lawrence.

As noted above, Darnold's signing was one of the key moves of the offseason, and arguably one of the best free agent signings in team history. But that signing wasn't the only big one Schneider made last March.

With Metcalf gone, the Seahawks needed help at receiver, and were able to land former All-Pro Cooper Kupp, bringing the Yakima native back to his home state after a long, successful career with the Rams. Kupp didn't put up huge numbers in his ninth season, but he came up with numerous clutch catches and third down conversions, and had a huge impact on the team off the field with his leadership, work ethic and off-the-charts football IQ that helps players and coaches on both sides of the ball.

Seattle's other big free-agent signing was that of veteran outside linebacker DeMarcus Lawrence, who was a four-time Pro-Bowler during his 11 seasons with the Cowboys. Lawrence said after he signed that he wanted to show he still has plenty left in the tank, and that he also came to Seattle to pursue his first Super Bowl appearance, and he was most definitely two for two on those goals. Lawrence earned a fifth Pro-Bowl selection after recording six sacks, three forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries he returned for touchdowns, 11 tackles for loss and 20 quarterback hits. A player whose work ethic and practice habits earned praise from Macdonald, Lawrence helped set the tone and lead Seattle's defensive front along with Williams and Jarran Reed.

11. April 2025: Seahawks land Grey Zabel in the first round of the draft, then trade up to get another first-round talent in Nick Emmanwori.

As the 18th pick approached in the 2025 draft, the Seahawks had a few players left on their board that they really liked, but only one first-round pick at their disposal. They ended up using that pick on guard Grey Zabel, who had a phenomenal rookie season while helping anchor an improved offensive line.

With the first day of the draft winding down, the Seahawks tried to trade back into the end of the first round, because another player on whom they had a first-round grade, safety Nick Emmanwori, was still available.

That trade didn't work out, but a day later, armed with extra picks from the Smith and Metcalf trades, Schneider was able to move up to the 35th overall pick, landing Emmanwori, who along with Zabel, has been one the best rookies in the league this season, and who will start in the Super Bowl.

"I knew they were trying to come get me, but I thought it was going to be at 18, or maybe try to trade back into the first round," Emmanwori said, noting that he had a good feeling after a draft visit to Seattle. ".. When I left that in-person meeting, I had texted my family group chat and I was like, 'It's definitely the Seahawks.'

"Looking back, I'm glad they ended up picking up Grey at 18. You've got to invest in the trenches, so picking Grey at 18 ended up working out, and then me somehow falling into the second round, it was a great pickup by John and them, just a draft steal that other teams missed out on."

12. October 2025: Seahawks add receiver and returner Rashid Shaheed in a trade with the Saints.

When the Seahawks made a midseason trade with the Saints to acquired receiver and returner Rashid Shaheed, it looked at the time like something of a luxury addition. Rookie Tory Horton had already emerged as a talented No. 3 receiver who could stretch the field, and as a punt returner, he showed his big-play ability with a 95-yard touchdown.

But not long after adding Shaheed, the Seahawks realized that a shin injury suffered by Horton was more significant than initially thought, leading to him being placed on injured reserve. Suddenly, that Shaheed trade was a lot more significant, and he has been a key part of the team's recent success, including three return touchdowns, a punt return that helped spark a Week 16 comeback against the Rams, a kick return touchdown against the Falcons, and a kick return touchdown that set the tone for a blowout win over the 49ers in the playoffs.

"Serendipity, God's work," Schneider said of the timing of the trade. "We had been talking to the Saints, and when I say talking, like begging for a while. It wasn't like a big negotiation. They were kind of like, all right, this is what it's going to take. We were like, all right, we're going to do it. We had planned on having Tory and Rashid as top, top-end take-the-top-off-guys speed threats, and literally that week, Tory was like, man, I'm not feeling real good, something is going on. Sam (Ramsden) and Strick (David Stricklin) and those guys, they seemed pretty worried so then we started doing more scans. But Tory is in a great spot. That guy is going to be an amazing player, and he's a great guy. I don't know how much time we spent with him, but he's an amazing person."