By the time Seahawks players were on the field for organized team activities in May, the defending Super Bowl champs were no longer talking about being the defending Super Bowl champs, nor were they interested in the concept of running it back, even if they were returning 20 of 22 starters from their dominant win over the Patriots in Super Bowl LX.
Instead, the phrase that head coach Mike Macdonald, and later his players, embraced, was “run it forward,” meaning they had to start the process of becoming a team all over again in 2026 to reach their potential. Even so, there was still one more celebration to be had—and a big one at that—when players received their Super Bowl rings in June at the end of the offseason workout program.
Once the team returned in July for training camp, however, they were fully into "run it forward" mode to the point that wearing Super Bowl LX gear around the Virginia Mason Athletic Center was frowned upon.
Of course, talking about leaving the past in the past is one thing, but actually doing it when so much attention and adulation comes with winning a Super Bowl, is another thing all together, and the real test will be how this 2026 version of the Seahawks performs, starting with Wednesday night's opener against the Patriots.
"The buildup to the ring ceremony, it was understood that this was the last hurrah," said safety Julian Love. "We're going to celebrate the hell out of this, getting these rings. After that, that chapter's closed, the book's closed. So starting camp, it was like, guys feel a certain way if somebody's wearing Super Bowl gear around the building. It was that level of, 'No, that's last year, put that s--t in your closet.' From the start of camp, we set the tone of, we're going to be who we want to be this year, and it's going to be a growing process. We're at the bottom of the mountain, adversity is going to hit, things are not always going to go our way."
Leaving a memorable championship season in the rearview mirror isn't easy, and that will be especially true on Wednesday, not just because the Seahawks are playing the Patriots again, but also because they will unveil a banner pregame celebrating the second Super Bowl title in franchise history. And while that will be a nice moment for fans and players alike, the attitude on the team is that they'll enjoy it in the moment then move on to the 2026 season.
"The banner's going to be special," tight end AJ Barner said. "For me, I'm ready to turn the page. The Super Bowl was awesome, definitely a sick moment, but it's over with. It's in the past. I still love it but I'm good, let's go play some new football."
Asked how he turned the page, Barner said, "We've lived it. That first hit, the Patriots don't care about that banner going up. The rest of the 31 other teams, they don't care about that banner going up. So, it's time to go, time to turn the page and the banner will be cool, but it'll be there tomorrow and the day after that as well."
Macdonald has been intentional with his language as far back as March when it comes to how he wants his team to handle everything that comes with a title, but there's always a big difference between saying the right thing and actually doing it, especially when it comes to all the praise and attention and opportunity that comes with winning a title in the most popular sport in the country. But whether it was better-than-expected attendance in the early phases of the offseason workout program—even after Macdonald told veterans there was no need to show up—or the lack of any real drama in training camp, or the focus and intensity he saw from his team in training camp, Macdonald feels good about how his team has handled everything leading up to the opener.
"They've done a great job," Macdonald said. "Trying to put it in perspective too, we're beginning this journey. It's Week 1 and it's exciting and there's context behind it and everything but it's also the first step in this journey as well. Whatever comes out of the game, we're going to have to grow and evolve to become the team that we want to become by the end of the season. It's cool. How many opportunities do you have to start the year off at home, drop the banner, all that stuff? Put that in the bucket of the singular things that happen that you can take and have that moment that you work for. That's why the guys work so hard is to have moments like that so we definitely want to respect that when it happens."
One player in Seattle's locker room with unique perspective on moving on after a Super Bowl title is defensive tackle Leonard Williams, not because he has won a Super Bowl before, but because his father in law, Hall of Fame safety Ronnie Lott, won four Super Bowls with the 49ers, including back-to-back titles in the late 1980s.
"It's definitely a challenge especially coming off of a Super Bowl," Williams said. "People are going to play us differently. Teams are going to see us as the defending champs and they're probably going to play harder against us than they would against other teams. I have a great example in my father-in-law, Ronnie Lott, who's done it before, and he talks about how hard it is, and how much we have to forget about the last season and focus on now. That gives me a lot of hope because I see that in the building. Like I've been saying the whole time I've been up here, everybody's done a good job of handling that success and just looking forward. Nobody's talking about what we were last year. We're all focused on how we can get it done this year."
And like his head coach, Williams likes what he has seen out of his teammates in the buildup to this season.
Williams said that if anything, the Seahawks have handled it, "better than I would've expected. I don't see a single person in the building patting themselves on the back for what we did last year. I think everybody in the building understands that we have to start from the bottom all over again. To get to the top of that mountain, we have to start at the bottom. Every single person has taken it day by day trying to increase and get better as a player. Everybody, regardless of what level you are in this league, has something to grow and get better at as player. I think the team has done a good job of handling that."
Check out photos of the Seahawks 53-man roster for the 2026 season.
This is a 2026 photo of DeMarcus Lawrence of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the roster as of June 8, 2026. (AP Photo)
Seahawks linebacker DeMarcus Lawrence (0)
This is a 2026 photo of Julian Neal of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the roster as of June 8, 2026. (AP Photo)
Seahawks cornerback Julian Neal (1)
This is a 2026 photo of Drew Lock of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the roster as of June 8, 2026. (AP Photo)
Seahawks quarterback Drew Lock (2)
This is a 2026 photo of Nick Emmanwori of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the roster as of June 8, 2026. (AP Photo)
Seahawks safety Nick Emmanwori (3)
This is a 2026 photo of Michael Dickson of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the roster as of June 8, 2026. (AP Photo)
Seahawks punter Michael Dickson (4)
This is a 2026 photo of Jason Myers of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the roster as of June 8, 2026. (AP Photo)
Seahawks kicker Jason Myers (5)
This is a 2026 photo of Jalen Milroe of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the roster as of June 8, 2026. (AP Photo)
Seahawks quarterback Jalen Milroe (6)
This is a 2025 photo of Uchenna Nwosu of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the Seattle Seahawks active roster as of June 9, 2025 when this image was taken. (AP Photo)
Seahawks linebacker Uchenna Nwosu (7)
This is a 2026 photo of Jadarian Price of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the roster as of June 8, 2026. (AP Photo)
Seahawks running back Jadarian Price (8)
This is a 2026 photo of Cooper Kupp of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the roster as of June 8, 2026. (AP Photo)
Seahawks wide receiver Cooper Kupp (10)
This is a 2026 photo of Jaxon Smith-Njigba of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the roster as of June 8, 2026. (AP Photo)
Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba (11)
This is a 2026 photo of Ernest Jones IV of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the roster as of June 8, 2026. (AP Photo)
Seahawks linebacker Ernest Jones IV (13)
This is a 2026 photo of Sam Darnold of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the roster as of June 8, 2026. (AP Photo)
Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold (14)
This is a 2026 photo of Tory Horton of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the roster as of June 8, 2026. (AP Photo)
Seahawks wide receiver Tory Horton (15)
This is a 2026 photo of Elijah Arroyo of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the roster as of June 8, 2026. (AP Photo)
Seahawks tight end Elijah Arroyo (18)
This is a 2026 photo of Julian Love of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the roster as of June 8, 2026. (AP Photo)
Seahawks safety Julian Love (20)
This is a 2026 photo of Devon Witherspoon of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the roster as of June 8, 2026. (AP Photo)
Seahawks cornerback Devon Witherspoon (21)
This is a 2026 photo of Rashid Shaheed of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the roster as of June 8, 2026. (AP Photo)
Seahawks wide receiver Rashid Shaheed (22)
This is a 2026 photo of Emanuel Wilson of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the roster as of June 8, 2026. (AP Photo)
Seahawks running back Emanuel Wilson (23)
Seahawks cornerback Avery Smith (27).
Los Angeles Chargers cornerback Avery Smith (36) runs during an NFL preseason football game against the San Francisco 49ers in Inglewood, Calif., Thursday, Aug. 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Kyusung Gong)
This is a 2026 photo of Nehemiah Pritchett of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the roster as of June 8, 2026. (AP Photo)
Seahawks cornerback Nehemiah Pritchett (28)
This is a 2026 photo of Josh Jobe of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the roster as of June 8, 2026. (AP Photo)
Seahawks cornerback Josh Jobe (29)
This is a 2026 photo of Drake Thomas of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the roster as of June 8, 2026. (AP Photo)
Seahawks linebacker Drake Thomas (32)
This is a 2026 photo of George Holani of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the roster as of June 8, 2026. (AP Photo)
Seahawks running back George Holani (36)
This is a 2026 photo of Brady Russell of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the roster as of June 8, 2026. (AP Photo)
Seahawks fullback Brady Russell (38)
This is a 2026 photo of Ty Okada of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the roster as of June 8, 2026. (AP Photo)
Seahawks safety Ty Okada (39)
This is a 2026 photo of Chris Stoll of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the roster as of June 8, 2026. (AP Photo)
Seahawks long snapper Chris Stoll (41)
This is a 2026 photo of Chazz Surratt of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the roster as of June 8, 2026. (AP Photo)
Seahawks linebacker Chazz Surratt (44)
This is a 2026 photo of Tyrice Knight of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the roster as of June 8, 2026. (AP Photo)
Seahawks linebacker Tyrice Knight (48)
This is a 2026 photo of Patrick OíConnell of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the roster as of June 8, 2026. (AP Photo)
Seahawks linebacker Patrick O'Connell (52)
This is a 2026 photo of Olu Oluwatimi of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the roster as of June 8, 2026. (AP Photo)
Seahawks center Olu Oluwatimi (55)
This is a 2026 photo of Dante Fowler of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the roster as of June 8, 2026. (AP Photo)
Seahawks linebacker Dante Fowler Jr. (56)
This is a 2026 photo of Connor OíToole of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the roster as of June 8, 2026. (AP Photo)
Seahawks linebacker Connor O'Toole (57)
This is a 2026 photo of Derick Hall of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the roster as of June 8, 2026. (AP Photo)
Seahawks linebacker Derick Hall (58)
This is a 2026 photo of Jalen Sundell of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the roster as of June 8, 2026. (AP Photo)
Seahawks center Jalen Sundell (61)
This is a 2026 photo of Christian Haynes of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the roster as of June 8, 2026. (AP Photo)
Seahawks guard Christian Haynes (64)
This is a 2026 photo of Charles Cross of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the roster as of June 8, 2026. (AP Photo)
Seahawks tackle Charles Cross (67)
This is a 2026 photo of Beau Stephens of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the roster as of June 8, 2026. (AP Photo)
Seahawks guard Beau Stephens (70)
This is a 2026 photo of Abraham Lucas of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the roster as of June 8, 2026. (AP Photo)
Seahawks tackle Abraham Lucas (72)
This is a 2026 photo of Josh Jones of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the roster as of June 8, 2026. (AP Photo)
Seahawks tackle Josh Jones (74)
This is a 2026 photo of Anthony Bradford of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the roster as of June 8, 2026. (AP Photo)
Seahawks guard Anthony Bradford (75)
This is a 2026 photo of Grey Zabel of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the roster as of June 8, 2026. (AP Photo)
Seahawks guard Grey Zabel (76)
This is a 2026 photo of Bryce Cabeldue of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the roster as of June 8, 2026. (AP Photo)
Seahawks guard Bryce Cabeldue (77)
This is a 2026 photo of Eric Saubert of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the roster as of June 8, 2026. (AP Photo)
Seahawks tight end Eric Saubert (81)
This is a 2026 photo of Montorie Foster of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the roster as of June 8, 2026. (AP Photo)
Seahawks wide receiver Montorie Foster Jr. (87)
This is a 2026 photo of A.J. Barner of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the roster as of June 8, 2026. (AP Photo)
Seahawks tight end AJ Barner (88)
This is a 2026 photo of Nick Kallerup of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the roster as of June 8, 2026. (AP Photo)
Seahawks tight end Nick Kallerup (89)
This is a 2024 photo of Jarran Reed of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the Seahawks active roster as of June 10, 2024 when this image was taken. (AP Photo)
Seahawks nose tackle Jarran Reed (90)
This is a 2026 photo of Byron Murphy II of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the roster as of June 8, 2026. (AP Photo)
Seahawks defensive tackle Byron Murphy II (91)
This is a 2026 photo of Mike Morris of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the roster as of June 8, 2026. (AP Photo)
Seahawks defensive end Mike Morris (94)
This is a 2026 photo of Brandon Pili of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the roster as of June 8, 2026. (AP Photo)
Seahawks nose tackle Brandon Pili (95)
This is a 2026 photo of Rylie Mills of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the roster as of June 8, 2026. (AP Photo)
Seahawks defensive tackle Rylie Mills (98)
This is a 2024 photo of Leonard Williams of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the Seahawks active roster as of June 10, 2024 when this image was taken. (AP Photo)
Seahawks defensive end Leonard Williams (99)
