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Seahawks Mailbag: Super Bowl Memories, Running It Forward, D-Law & More

You had Seahawks questions; we have answers.

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The Seahawks are in the midst of organized team activities, the next step of their offseason workout program, which will wrap up in mid June with a three-day mandatory minicamp. With football (sort of) back at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center, now is a great time to once again open up the mailbag and answer some questions from you, the fans.

As always, thanks to everyone who asked questions this week, and apologies if I wasn't able to get to yours this time around. And remember, the mailbag is always open for submissions at Seahawks.com/mailbag.

@jwat_56 on Instagram asks, "What is your favorite game from last year?"

A: I mean, the Super Bowl has to be the obvious answer, right? But if we're disqualifying that game because it's too easy of a pick, then I'd have to go with the NFC Championship Game win over the Rams, which almost felt like a Super Bowl given how closely matched the two teams were. No disrespect to the Patriots and Broncos, who met in the AFC Championship, but it really felt going into Championship Weekend like the winner of the third Seahawks vs. Rams matchup had a great chance to win the Super Bowl as well, and sure enough, the Seahawks held on for a close, down-to-the wire win in that game, then won convincingly in Super Bowl LX.

On a related note…

@yallknowkris on Instagram asks, "Favorite play from last season?"

A: There are a lot of ways to go with this. For the celebratory feel that came with it, I would pick Uchenna Nwosu's pick-six in the Super Bowl, which was set up by a Devon Witherspoon hit on Drake Maye. That touchdown put the game completely out of reach and all but clinched a title for the Seahawks. For the significance of the play, I would point to Witherspoon's fourth-down pass breakup in the end zone late in the NFC Championship Game, a play made possible by DeMarcus Lawrence’s “fortuitous bust,” which wasn’t actually a coverage bust but rather an impressive display of veteran savvy in a big moment. For the sheer improbability of it, I'd go with Lawrence's second fumble return touchdown off a Tyrice Knight forced fumble in Seattle's home win over the Cardinals. For two players to both be involved in both plays, and to have it play out so similarly, was pretty absurd to see unfold in real time.

A couple of others that really stand out are the two connections between Sam Darnold and Jaxon Smith-Njigba late in the first half of the NFC Championship game. Those two connected for a 42-yarder over the middle, with Smith-Njigba hanging on despite a hard hit, then a few plays later, Darnold hit JSN for a 14-yard touchdown to cap a 34-second drive that gave the Seahawks a 17-13 halftime lead, and they'd never trail again in an eventual victory. Then, of course, there was Rashid Shaheed's punt return touchdown in the Week 16 win over the Rams that helped spark a comeback from a 16-point fourth-quarter deficit.

206_aid3nn on Instagram asks, "When do we get to see the Super Bowl rings?

A: I can't tell you an exact date yet, but I can tell you that you will get to see them soon. And before anyone asks, no, I have not seen the rings, nor do I know what they look like.

@23_.jxmar on Instagram, and a lot of other folks, ask, "Will you guys go back-to-back?"

A: If the Seahawks are able to pull off the very rare feat of winning back-to-back titles—it has only been done nine times, and only twice this century—it will be because they're not focused on winning back-to-back titles. Instead, if the Seahawks have success again in 2026, it will be because they stay focused on the year-long process that helped them become champions last season. As Mike Macdonald explained earlier this week, the goal is to “run it forward” not run it back despite the continuity the team has from last season to this one.

"We're using the term, we want to run it forward, 'it' meaning our process and who we are," Macdonald said after the first day of voluntary organized team activities. "I think this is going to be a conversation that we're going to talk about consistently. I don't think it's a one-and-done type of conversation. Really, it's just how we talk about, how we operate all the time. It's something that we're having conversations with our team and our units every day about who we want to be and how we want to do things, and this situation is no different. It's really nothing more or less than that."

@sweetapo_08 on Instagram asks, "Where is DeMarcus Lawrence?"

A: This question was asked earlier in the week, but in case you missed it, Lawrence, who was away for the earlier part of the voluntary offseason program, was back with the team for OTAs on Thursday.Lawrence, whose wife, Sasha, delivered the family's sixth child a day after Seattle's Super Bowl win, wanted to be a supportive father and husband, so he has been working out at home in Texas while helping with the kids.

"Shout out to the fans that are concerned about me, just let them know D-Law is doing well," Lawrence said after taking part in Day 2 of Seahawks OTAs. "I'm currently working back in Texas right now. I've got the newborn and a 1-year-old, so I can't leave mom with all those responsibilities. She knows I'll be back here for the season, and the coaching staff knows my game plan. We're still working, I'm just not able to be here on a day-to-day basis."

@bradc.58 on Instagram asked one of many Devon Witherspoon questions, asking, "When is Spoon getting paid?"

A: This has been a logical question ever since fellow 2023 first-round pick Jaxon Smith-Njigba signed his contract extension in late March. And I can't give you an answer on when a deal will get done, but what I can say is that everything we've heard from John Schneider and Mike Macdonald this offseason indicates that it is only a matter of time before Witherspoon is also inked to a long-term deal. Both of them rave about how much Witherspoon means to the team, and it's also noteworthy that Witherspoon has been present throughout voluntary offseason workouts, something a player upset about a contract negotiation might not do. The Seahawks have gotten a number of extensions done when players return for training camp in late July, so that is definitely a possibility, but the fact that the Seahawks exercised the fifth-year option on Witherspoon means a deal doesn't necessarily need to be done before the season starts. That's what happened with 2022 first-round pick Charles Cross, and the two sides eventually got a deal done at the end of the 2025 regular season.

@tavin_rollins22 on Instagram asks, "What are we doing to replace K9?" While @caydenbarcelos asks, "Why would you get rid of K9?"

A: I think Schneider and others would push back against the phrase "get rid of." The Seahawks really liked Kenneth Walker III and for the right price would have loved to have him back, but NFL teams operate under a salary cap and have to make tough decisions with a number of players, and in the end the deal Walker was able to get in Kansas City was more than the Seahawks were comfortable spending, it's as simple as that.

As for replacing him, the big move the Seahawks made at that spot this offseason was to draft Jadarian Price in the first round, so obviously they have high hopes for the former Notre Dame back. Whether Price is the Week 1 starter or not remains to be seen, but he'll have a big role. Other options include George Holani and Kenny McIntosh, as well as free-agent signing Emanuel Wilson. Then, of course, there's Zach Charbonnet, who played a big role in the offense last year, but who tore his ACL in the playoffs, meaning his return might have to wait until well into the season, though there's no timetable yet for his return.

@aidenolmstead on Instagram asks, "Are we getting white throwbacks?"

A: No idea, but I'd be all for it. I've made it clear in this mailbag plenty of times that I love the blue throwbacks, so why not add white to the mix? There was a report/rumor last year that white throwbacks were coming, but that one was untrue, though we still had some fun with it on the socials.

@gavin_g-19 on Instagram says, "I luv JSN."

A: We all do, Gavin. We all do.

@aidencrtv on Instagram asks, "Where did AJ's swag come from and why does he have so much of it?"

A: I have no idea where it came from, but I do feel like tight ends as a position group tend to have a lot of big personalities and plenty of swag. I've asked a few tight ends over the years what that is the case with that group, and have yet to come up with a solid answer, but there's definitely something unique about the personalities at that position, and Barner is no exception.

@spencerrhoss on Instagram asks, "Is Shaheed going to see more playing time outside of special teams?"

A: Mike Macdonald talked about this topic earlier in the offseason, and yes, I'd say it's safe to assume that Rashid Shaheed's role on offense will increase in his first full season with the Seahawks. Receivers and quarterbacks need time to really build timing and chemistry, so while Shaheed was still able to make big contributions on offense last season, having a full offseason and training camp with Sam Darnold should really help him expand his role.

@joaco_rp9 on Instagram asks, "Are we still on MOB?"

A: Yes, I think it's safe to assume MOB ties are here to stay. MOB, which if you missed it last year stands for mission over bullsh*t, is a pretty great explanation of the mindset the team operated with last year, and will continue to chase this season. Plus, it also just looks cool on a T-shirt.

@seasidejoe on X asks, "Which players that spent time on the practice squad in 2025 could be in line to earn 53-man roster spots in 2026?"

A: When media talked to John Schneider and Mike Macdonald at the NFL Annual Meeting in March, both were asked about young players who have a chance to step into bigger roles, and there were a couple of practice 2025 practice squad players mentioned, including outside linebacker Jamie Sheriff and receiver Ricky White III. Both would be facing pretty stiff competition to break through, and are part of a larger group of young players, including some who were on the 53-man roster but didn't play a lot, about whom the Seahawks are excited. A couple of other names brought up by Schneider and Macdonald have been outside linebackers Connor O'Toole and Jared Ivey, tight end Elijah Arroyo and safety AJ Finley.

@walkngirl on X asks, "Is it possible to see the Hawks and Patriots in throwbacks on opening night?"

A: No idea if it's possible, but absolutely love the idea. I do wonder, however, if the Seahawks would prefer to be in their traditional home uniforms while celebrating a title they just won in those same threads.

@segdeha.com on Bluesky asks, "Is there any other team in the NFL that puts this much emphasis on special teams?"

A: I'm not going to pretend to know every team's roster and special teams tendencies well enough to say the Seahawks put the most emphasis on special teams, but I do know they do so more than a lot of teams in the league, and it showed last season. The Seahawks had the NFL's best defense and a great offense, but one reason why they came out on top last season was that, in addition to those two units, they were also among the very best in the NFL on special teams. And it wasn't just the big plays like touchdowns from Rashid Shaheed and Tory Horton, there was also great kick coverage throughout the season that helped field position, standout play from punter Michael Dickson and Jason Myers, and so many other small factors that added up to big, often unseen advantages for the Seahawks.

The Seahawks participated in another practice as part of their OTA program on Thursday, May 28, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.

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