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17 June 2025

• Let’s Chat: Who’s your favorite Seahawk of all-time?

  You can only pick one.

  It’s June, minicamp is over, training camp is a month away, and there’s not a lot going on in the NFL world. Let’s have some discussions centered around the 50th season of Seattle Seahawks football!

  Today’s open thread is all about your favorite Seahawks player of all-time. Notice I said “player” singularly. This is inevitably going to get breached in the comments, but the goal is to single out your number one Seahawk in all of your years of fandom.

  There is no criteria for your rationale. Russell Wilson is the greatest and most accomplished Seahawks quarterback of all-time, but if you love him as your favorite Seahawk because he signed your kid’s jersey at a charity event then I’m all for it. Jordan Babineaux might not have been a Hall of Fame level player but his penchant for big plays at key moments could be reason for you to make him your all-time favorite Seahawks player.

  Several years ago I would’ve said Russ. I must admit that the end of the 2020 season was the start of me souring on Wilson just a bit, but not to the point of actual dislike. Thinking it over my 20 years of Seahawks fandom, I’d go with Doug Baldwin. I can hardly ever recall being upset over much of what Baldwin did on the field, and off the field he remains an upstanding member of the Seattle community.

  It was devastating to see Baldwin’s career cut short due to injuries. He was an underdog story who turned into the Seahawks’ best and most consistent receiver. His footwork in his route-running was smooth as silk and his hands were exemplary. ‘Angry’ Doug played larger than his 5’10 frame, and had an edge to him reminiscent of one of my all-time favorite receivers Steve Smith Sr. His destruction of the Pittsburgh Steelers, capped off by his 80-yard dagger touchdown, is one of my all-time favorite Seahawks performances.

  Now it’s your turn! Chat away in the comments!

  Head to the comments section to leave your answer and join the conversation!You can sign up for a commenting account here and we have full-time moderators to enforce the Community Guidelines.

• Seahawks add Australian offensive lineman to fill roster vacancy

  Luke Felix-Fualalo received a rookie minicamp tryout back in April.

  Even in the least eventful part of the NFL offseason, there’s still news to report!

  The Seattle Seahawks had an open roster spot following the release of rookie tight end Mitch Van Vooren last week. They’ve since filled that void with one of their rookie minicamp invites.

  Offensive lineman Luke Felix-Fualalo has been added to the Seahawks roster. He’s a big fella who stands 6’7 and weighs just under 320 pounds. Felix-Fualalo began his college playing days at Utah before transferring to Hawaii, where he was their starting right tackle. In his 2023 season he allowed only one sack out of 491 pass-blocking snaps, but injuries limited him to just four games started as a sixth-year senior.

  Felix-Fualalo has a fascinating story. He’s born in Australia and didn’t play any football until he was a high-schooler in California. His dad was a former international rugby player for Tonga, while his mom played netball for New Zealand. Oh yes, and he’s named after Luke Skywalker from Star Wars.

  Check out this snippet from his Q&A with the Hawaii Athletics website:

  Q: Growing up in an athletic family from Australia how did you find out about football and how did you start playing football?

  Luke Felix-Fualalo: I found out about football by watching movies, specifically, “The Blind Side.” That’s how I first thought about football, but I had never actually seen it on TV. How I first started playing was I went to try out for basketball. There was an American coach there. After the tryouts happened, he said, ‘I’m sorry you won’t be a good basketball player, but you could be a good football player.’ He took me to a local club and the rest is history.

  Q: What sports did you play other than football?

  LFF: Just rugby and swimming, those were my two main sports. Since I was two, I started swimming by getting chucked into the pool. Just growing up … swimming was in the family. And Australia too, like Hawaii, comes from beaches and so on.”

  Q: Growing up and doing competitive swimming do you think there is another universe where you are a professional swimmer?

  LFF: Maybe, I think that I would have gotten bored of swimming. The reason why I stopped swimming was growing up through rugby I got heavy and started to sink.

  Check out his interview with local television after his initial invite from the Seahawks:

  Selfishly, I’m hoping Luke makes it into at least some preseason playing time. It’s an uphill battle for a tryout to make a regular season roster, but he’s got an irresistible story to follow and he’s doubled the number of Australians on the Seahawks.

• Seahawks 2024 rookie review: Sataoa Laumea shows his value as a sixth-round pick

  Laumea was put into the Seahawks’ starting lineup late in the season as a right guard. How well did the former Utah standout perform?

  One of the Seattle Seahawks’ three sixth-round picks in the 2024 draft, offensive lineman Sataoa Laumea, managed to be the starter for part of the season. Given his status and a seemingly uninspiring training camp, getting the starting job was surprising.

  Sataoa Laumea’s 2024

  Maybe when Laumea took over as the starter due to Anthony Bradford’s injury, the most uninformed fans might not have known who he was. That’s only natural since Laumea was on the third and fourth teams during training camp. There was more chance of him being cut before the regular season than of him getting a snap in his first year.

  Laumea was inactive until Week 13 (Bradford’s injury). I can’t understand how someone who didn’t train well enough to be active in games could be better than Christian Haynes in practice. If that were true, why wasn’t Haynes inactive?

  Anyway…

  The former Utah player took over as a starter and was responsible for Seattle’s best moments in the running game in this final stretch (Weeks 13-17). In fact, former offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb could have explored the runs to the right side of the OL much more.

  However, Laumea had a lot of problems in pass protection. He had the worst grade among the rookies: 17.8, the second worst was 41.9, just for comparison. He conceded 23 pressures, of which 17 happened in just two games, against the Packers (10) and Vikings (7). He conceded 2 against the Jets, 1 against the Cardinals, 0 against the Bears and 3 against the Rams.

  Sataoa Laumea in the running game

  This is a problem that happens in the pass pro and in the running game as well. He needs to use his leverage better to sustain the blocks for longer.

  Excellent double-team execution and goes up to the second level to make a key block for the RB.

  Good mobility to execute the long trap.

  I believe that one of the main reasons Seattle’s running game was so poor was the lack of physicality from the OL and Laumea brought that element to the games he started.

  In addition to his physicality, he can do a good job in open space.

  Good athletic ability.

  Another good double-team execution, creates the gap for Kenny McIntosh’s run.

  A creative call from Ryan Grubb. Two RBs and a running threat from Ken Walker, but the one who advances is Zach Charbonnet. Laumea creates the gap for the run that allows the TD in a crucial moment of that game against the Jets that was full of twists and turns.

  Sataoa Laumea in pass pro

  He takes a while to identify the stunt, focusing only on the crasher and allowing the looper to infiltrate this stunt.

  Even though he is the “alert” for the center, he comes out late from the snap and cannot stay in front of the defender.

  He sweats the “two-hand strike” for the contact. With the defender’s spin, he cannot recover.

  After giving in to pressure on the previous play, he commits the holding by again making a technical error in the positioning of his hands.

  Third snap in which he makes the same mistake. This needs to be a priority for his second year.

  If he can make a minimally decent contact, he has the mobility to mirror and recover later.

  Final Thoughts

  So far, the RG position is open. Bradford and Haynes alternated in OTAs and minicamp and Laumea was the backup LG, but the team will likely consider him given his work in the final stretch of last season.

  With the changes in the offensive coaching staff, the team should run the ball more and that could be an important factor, considering he performed better in the run game than in pass protection. His biggest mistakes were in the technical department and working with an experienced OL coach like John Benton could help a lot.

• Can you guess this Seahawks receiver in today’s in-5 trivia game?

  Think you can figure out which Seahawks player we’re talking about? You’ll get five clues to figure him out in our new guessing game!

  Hey, Seahawks fans! We’re back for another day of the Field Gulls in-5 daily trivia game. Game instructions are at the bottom if you’re new to the game! Feel free to share your results in the comments and feedback in the Google Form.

  Today’s Field Gulls in-5 game

  If you can’t see the game due to Apple News or another service, click this game article.

  Previous games

  Sunday, June 15, 2025
  Saturday, June 14, 2025
  Friday, June 13, 2025

  Play more SB Nation in-5 trivia games

  NFL in-5
  MLB in-5
  MMA in-5

  Field Gulls in-5 instructions

  The goal of the game is to guess the correct Seattle Seahawks player with the help of up to five clues. We’ll mix in BOTH ACTIVE AND RETIRED PLAYERS. It won’t be easy to figure it out in one or two guesses, but some of you might be able to nail it.

  After you correctly guess the player, you can click “Share Results” to share how you did down in the comments and on social media. We won’t go into other details about the game as we’d like your feedback on it. How it plays, what you think of it, the difficulty level, and anything else you can think of that will help us improve this game. You can provide feedback in the comments of this article, or you can fill out this Google Form.

  Enjoy!

• Pre-Snap Reads 6/16: Charles Cross nearing resolution with contract extension

  Extend him or let him play out his 5th year?

  In Today’s Links: more takeaways from Seattle Seahawks mini-camp, position battles, how is our new QB1 looking?... all that and more! It’s another day here at Field Gulls and we appreciate your support. Thank you very much.

  #np Planet Nine by ATA Records

  Seahawks News

  Where have all the QowBoys gone? - Seaside Joe
  Have we lost confidence in predicting future QB stars?

  What Charles Cross said about future with Seattle Seahawks - Seattle Sports
  Left tackle Charles Cross spoke to the media this past week for the first time since the Seattle Seahawks picked up the fifth-year option on his rookie deal.

  5 takeaways from Seattle Seahawks' spring practices - Seattle Sports
  With the Seattle Seahawks' offseason program now complete, here are five things that stood out from their recent OTA and minicamp practices.

  Seahawks minicamp: Sam Darnold progress, Nick Emmanwori use | Tacoma News Tribune
  Seahawks minicamp ends. Assessing Sam Darnold, Klint Kubiak new offense, Kenneth Walker, Uchenna Nwosu injuries, Nick Emmanwori use.

  Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald sets expectations for deciding key positional battles - Sports Illustrated Seahawks News, Analysis, and More
  General manager John Schneider addressed the offensive ball heavily this offseason. However, the Seattle Seahawks still have some questions to answer up front.

  NFC West News

  Calais Campbell - Again - Emerging as Leader for Arizona Cardinals - Sports Illustrated Cardinals News, Analysis, and More
  The Arizona Cardinals have seen some stellar things from Calais Campbell.

  The Cardinals’ Rabbit running with “big ole wooly mammoths” - Revenge of the Birds
  Safety Dadrion Taylor-Demerson had this to say about the Cardinals’ new look defensive line

  49ers: George Kittle highlights crucial change on 2025 roster - Niners Nation
  The 49ers have experienced of great change, creating more position battles than they have had in previous years.

  49ers Rookie Upton Stout is Making a Strong Impression this Offseason - Sports Illustrated 49ers News, Analysis, and More
  The 49ers hope that lots of rookies will be ready to start for their defense as early as Week 1

  Do the Rams Have Best Tight End Room in NFL? - Sports Illustrated Rams News, Analysis, and More
  The Los Angeles Rams have a scary 1-2 combo with Tyler Higbee and Terrance Ferguson

  Who is most important to the Rams: McVay, Stafford, or Snead? - Turf Show Times
  Between these 3 key figures on the Rams, who is the most important?

  Around The NFL

  Predicting contracts, trades for Cowboys' Micah Parsons, six other major NFL players in minicamp situations - CBSSports.com
  What's next for some of the big-name holdouts and free agents?

  Zach Wilson: After my New York experience, I want to enjoy the game in Miami - NBC Sports
  Wilson said a focus with the Dolphins is "not getting too hard on yourself when you make a mistake, just trying to learn and do my best and get better."

  Karen Guregian: 5 reasons to be encouraged by Patriots after early camps; 5 reasons to worry - Yahoo Sports
  Looking back at OTAs and minicamp and providing a few reasons to get pumped about the Patriots, and a few reasons to give pause.

  NFC North QB with most to prove, top rookie and rising coach - ESPN
  There's a new QB in Minnesota, new coach in Chicago and new OC in Detroit. What does it all mean? Here are the answers.

  Falcons' Jessie Bates taking leadership to another level - ESPN
  Atlanta's defensive rookies are looking up to Bates, whose work ethic and advice are paying dividends.

  2025 NFL Offseason Rankings: Every position ranked - PFF
  Ranking season is underway at PFF, and we’re going position by position to evaluate every unit across the league ahead of the 2025 NFL season. These rankings are grounded in PFF’s full offseason roster evaluations and reflect how every starting group stacks up heading into training camp.

  Fantasy football 2025 dynasty running back rankings, from Bijan Robinson to Ty Chandler - The Athletic
  Jeff Haverlack goes deep with his dynasty running back rankings, breaking 86 players into seven tiers, starting with Bijan Robinson.

  Bills WR Keon Coleman gives harsh self-assessment of rookie season: 'When that (expletive) trash, you got to be better' - NFL.com
  Although the Buffalo Bills enjoyed much offensive success last season, there’s one player who admitted he was not at all satisfied with his individual performance: wide receiver Keon Coleman, who described his first year in the league as "trash."

• Pre-Snap Reads 6/15: How is Sam Darnold doing in Seahawks offense?

  Minicamp and OTAs are done for the first season of the Sam Darnold era.

  In Today’s Links: A Seattle Seahawks Seaside Joe survey, an early Sam Darnold assessment, a former Seahawks receiver on rookie Elijah Arroyo, and a Rams cornerback gets released.

  Enjoy these links! Happy Father’s Day!

  Seahawks News

  Fan survey for Seahawks fans who are fans of fan surveys - Seaside Joe
  How many training camp days will you attend and are we living in a simulation?

  Ex-Seattle Seahawks WR: TE Elijah Arroyo 'just blew me away' - Seattle Sports
  Bryan Walters thought it was a big rookie wide receiver that caught his attention at Seattle Seahawks practice. It was actually tight end Elijah Arroyo.

  Mike Macdonald Seahawks cornerback Jaire Alexander available | Tacoma News Tribune
  Coach Mike Macdonald Seahawks cornerbacks entering training camp behind Devon Witherspoon, Riq Woolen, Josh Jobe. Jaire Alexander a free agent.

  Mike Macdonald on how Sam Darnold is settling in with Seattle Seahawks offense - Sports Illustrated Seahawks News, Analysis, and More
  Prized free agent signing Sam Darnold seems to be settling in well with the Seattle Seahawks.

  Top 50 Seahawks Games of All-Time: 41-50 — Emerald City Spectrum
  Looking back at 49 years as a franchise, which games stand out as the best for the Seahawks? Kicking off the top-50 countdown, Kam Chancellor and Jaxon Smith-Njigba headline several noteworthy wins and Jack Patera picks up the team’s first ever victory.

  NFC West News

  49ers special teams: Can Jake Moody’s retooled leg beat out Greg Joseph? - Niners Nation
  Kicker Kombat returns with Jake Moody and Greg Joseph squaring off. Moody has 49ers special teams coordinator Brant Boyer’s support, but Joseph has been slightly more efficient. 49ers fans—what would you do?

  49ers Expected to Return to the Playoffs Despite Modest Offseason - Sports Illustrated 49ers News, Analysis, and More
  As long as the 49ers can win at least three games in their division, they should make it to the playoffs.

  Cardinals minicamp reactions: Takeaways, Will Johnson, Isaiah Adams at RG, and more - Revenge of the Birds
  Discussing the Arizona Cardinals 2025 minicamp.

  Kyler Murray Leads Top 5 Most Expensive Arizona Cardinals in 2025 - Sports Illustrated Cardinals News, Analysis, and More
  These players have the most money in terms of cap hits for the Arizona Cardinals.

  Excitement Building Around the Rams as Training Camp Nears - Sports Illustrated Rams News, Analysis, and More
  There is plenty of reason to be excited about the Los Angeles Rams.

  Rams waive corner Derion Kendrick amidst Jalen Ramsey trade rumors - Turf Show Times
  Rams move on from former sixth-round pick Derion Kendrick

  Around The NFL

  Travis Hunter, Shedeur Sanders among rookies with most to prove at mandatory minicamps - CBSSports.com
  Organized team activities are underway ahead of the 2025 NFL season

  NFL mandatory minicamps: Chiefs, Rams, Ravens among teams still to gather - Yahoo Sports
  Here's your guide to the biggest storylines of the past week, as well as the five teams holding their camps this coming week.

  Is he a WR or CB? Packers' Bo Melton could answer yes to both - ESPN
  While he may not be Travis Hunter, Melton is getting a legit look at receiver and cornerback at minicamp.

  Highest-graded receivers by route type from the 2024 NFL season - PFF
  We dive into the NFL's top wide receivers on various routes from this past season, including George Pickens and Brian Thomas Jr.

  Another Chiefs O-line overhaul? Kansas City vows to be better after Super Bowl trampling - The Athletic
  The Chiefs could have three new O-line starters, including first-round pick Josh Simmons as Patrick Mahomes' new blindside protector.

  Chargers LB Daiyan Henley determined to build on breakout year: ‘There’s so much more for me’ - NFL.com
  In his first year as a full-time starter, Chargers linebacker Daiyan Henley asserted dominance in the middle of Los Angeles' defense, racking up a team-leading 147 tackles. As far as he's concerned, he's just getting started.

• The PFF disrespect of Ernest Jones IV has been noted

  Ernest Jones helped revitalize the Seattle defense, while also...struggling mightily?

  Another day, another reason to go “did I just not watch the same football game as you?”

  June and July are Ranking Season here in the quiet days of the NFL calendar, and Pro Football Focus recently did some math to rank the top 32 starting linebackers from last season.

  Naturally, Ernest Jones IV, whose arrival helped transform the Seattle Seahawks defense into an upper-echelon group, came in almost last.

  Interesting placement for Ernest Jones IV https://t.co/J7n58AG5ZA pic.twitter.com/6GblLOV15T

  — Dugar, Michael-Shawn (@MikeDugar) June 8, 2025

  Hey wait a minute - who’s that guy one spot ahead of him? That would be Tyrel Dodson, who’s uninspired play got himself axed by Mike Macdonald halfway through 2024.

  Anyway, PFF is always maddening not only because a numerical third-party post-game grading system is bonkers, but because they’re consistently inconsistent in their own evaluation.

  From the above article: “understandably made it difficult for Jones to get acclimated to a system, resulting in his lowest PFF grade” reads like someone who either didn’t watch him play at all or did bother to read PFF’s earlier evaluations.

  Top Seahawks Defense PFF Grades vs LAR
  
  Ernest Jones 83.4
  Mafe 73.4
  Witherspoon 73.3
  Bryant 72.7
  Wallace 70.4
  Williams 69.9

  — Brian Nemhauser (@hawkblogger) November 4, 2024

  Ernest Jones among LBs in Week 9:
  
  83.4 PFF grade (5th)
  85.7 run defense grade (3rd)
  3 run stops (T-5th) pic.twitter.com/IozMbZg0sC

  — PFF SEA Seahawks (@PFF_Seahawks) November 5, 2024

  Regardless, it actually would be fantastic news for Seattle if last year was indeed a ‘down year’ for Jones. I don’t feel it was, but also see how he’s exactly the type of player who can flourish with a year of continuity with Mike Macdonald.

  Still - 30th? You’re kidding right?

• Happy birthday, Mike Holmgren! Legendary Seahawks coach turns 77

  Holmgren served as Seattle’s head coach from 1999-2008, helping the Seahawks to Super Bowl XL during the 2005 season.

  Another Seattle Seahawks birthday is upon us: long-time Seattle head coach Mike Holmgren is 77.

  Holmgren first arrived in the Pacific Northwest ahead of the 1999 season, being brought in by owner Paul Allen to turn things around after several years in the AFC West basement. From 1989-1998, the Seahawks finished at or under .500 nine times, placing no higher than third in their division during this period.

  Around this time, Holmgren was rising through the coaching ranks, serving on the 49ers’ coaching staff between 1986 and 1991, initially working as the quarterbacks coach before being promoted to offensive coordinator. There, Holmgren worked under the likes of Bill Walsh and George Seifert, winning back-to-back Super Bowls along the way.

  In 1992, Holmgren was hired as the head coach of the Green Bay Packers, working with Brett Favre to bring the Packers back to the playoffs for the first time since the strike-shortened 1982 season. After a series of early exits, Holmgren brought the Lombardi Trophy back to Green Bay, winning Super Bowl XXXI during the 1996 season. The Packers defended their NFC Championship the next year, ultimately losing to John Elway and the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XXXII. Over seven seasons in Green Bay, Holmgren went 75-37 during the regular season and 9-5 in the postseason.

  Following the 1998 season, Holmgren resigned from his position with the Packers, accepting an eight-year contract with Seattle. In addition to being named the sixth head coach in Seahawks history, Holmgren was also named as the executive vice president and general manager.

  Year one under Holmgren was a success, as Seattle won the AFC West division title for the first time in 11 years. The Seahawks lost to the Dolphins in the wild card round, but the fact that Holmgren was able to snap Seattle’s postseason appearance drought was impressive in its own right. A new era of Seahawks football was on the horizon.

  The next three years were rather turbulent, as Seattle started 2-7 in 2000 and 2-6 in 2002 while hovering around the .500 mark for much of ‘01. The ‘Hawks were in need of improvements on both sides of the ball, with the offense managing no more than 23 points per game as the defense gave up over 20 points/game. By 2002, things were looking a bit dicey, as Holmgren’s future in Seattle appeared uncertain.

  In Holmgren’s fourth season as head coach, the Seahawks began the year 2-6, a less than ideal start to their return to the NFC. Though the team went 5-3 the rest of the way, the season’s disastrous beginning put a damper on any future progress that was made under Holmgren. During the ensuing off-season, management removed Holmgren from his posts as executive VP and general manager, while keeping him on as head coach heading into 2003.

  The ‘03 season saw Seattle go 10-6 during the regular season, the team’s best showing since 1986. Quarterback Matt Hasselbeck, then in his third year with the Seahawks, achieved new career highs in passing yards (3,841) and touchdown passes (26), earning Pro Bowl honors for the first time in his career.

  In the second season of what is now Lumen Field, Seattle went a perfect 8-0 at home, going undefeated on their home turf for the first time ever. Finishing second in the NFC West behind the 12-4 St. Louis Rams, the Seahawks earned a wild card berth as the fifth seed in the playoffs. The wild card round saw Seattle face Holmgren’s old squad in Green Bay, who defeated the Seahawks 33-27 in overtime on a 52-yard interception return by Packers cornerback Al Harris. We don’t need to address the famous coin toss words from Matt Hasselbeck.

  2004 saw Seattle win the NFC West for the first time, the first of four consecutive division titles under Holmgren. At 9-7, the Seahawks earned the NFC’s fourth playoff seed, hosting the 8-8 Rams (who went 2-0 vs. Seattle during the regular season) in the wild card round. The Seahawks fell behind 14-3, but came back to take a 20-17 lead over St. Louis in the fourth quarter. Alas, it was not meant to be, as the Rams scored 10 unanswered points to win by a score of 27-20.

  Several key players were re-signed by Seattle during the 2004-05 off-season, namely Hasselbeck, Shaun Alexander, and Walter Jones. Everything came together in 2005, as the Seahawks won 11 consecutive games en route to a franchise-best 13-3 finish in the regular season. Alexander won Offensive Player of the Year and NFL MVP honors, leading the league in rushing yards (1,880), touchdowns (27), and attempts (370). Hasselbeck had another solid year as well, posting his best completion percentage over a full season (65.5) and throwing for over 3,000 yards for the fourth consecutive year.

  Seattle earned the NFC’s top seed, hosting the team now known as the Washington Commanders in the Divisional round. In the Divisional round, the Seahawks defeated Washington, 20-10, snapping a 21-year playoff win drought in the process. Alexander played a vital role in helping Seattle defeat the Carolina Panthers in the NFC Championship Game, rushing for two touchdowns as the Seahawks prevailed by a score of 34-14. With the victory, Holmgren became just the fifth head coach in NFL history to take two different teams to the Super Bowl, and remains one of only seven to do so overall.

  The Pittsburgh Steelers ended Holmgren’s best shot at a Lombardi Trophy with Seattle, defeating the Seahawks 21-10 with some help from a bit of questionable officiating. Despite the loss, however, Holmgren and his group still came closer to a Super Bowl championship than any team in franchise history up to that point.

  Seattle’s NFC title defense started out strong, with the team going 6-3 through the first 10 weeks of the 2006 campaign. The Seahawks followed that up by losing four of their next six games, dropping three in a row in December. Nevertheless, Seattle won in the regular season finale to finish 9-7, claiming the NFC West division title for the third straight year. The Seahawks obtained the NFC’s fourth seed, hosting the Dallas Cowboys in the wild card round.

  Both teams traded scores through the first two-plus quarters, with Seattle leading 13-10 in the third. Dallas then tallied 10 consecutive points, thanks in part to a 93-yard kickoff return TD by Miles Austin. The Seahawks responded with a safety before Hasselbeck threw what wound up being the game-winning touchdown pass to Jerramy Stevens to take a 21-20 lead. Martin Gramatica went for a routine field goal attempt, but Tony Romo botched the hold and the Cowboys failed to score on the drive. Seattle held on to win, advancing to face the 13-3 Chicago Bears in the Divisional round.

  The Seahawks held their own against the eventual NFC champions, matching the Bears on each of their first two touchdown drives. Chicago got one more touchdown before halftime, but Seattle went ahead in the third quarter with 10 straight points, leading 24-21 heading into the fourth. Robbie Gould tied the game for the Bears with a field goal in the fourth quarter and got another in overtime, sending Chicago to the conference title game for the first time in 18 years.

  The 2007 season started a little shaky, with the Seahawks beginning the year at 4-4, but a 6-2 finish rocketed the team to the top of the division. Nine years into Holmgren’s tenure, Seattle was 82-62 and had qualified for the postseason six times. Finishing year nine at 10-6, the Seahawks earned the NFC’s third seed, hosting Washington in the playoffs for the second time in three seasons.

  Seattle dominated at home, leading 13-0 in the third quarter. Despite two touchdowns from the opposition, the Seahawks answered with three TDs of their own to win by a score of 35-14. Seattle moved on to face Green Bay in the Divisional round for the teams’ second playoff meeting since Holmgren’s initial departure from his former club.

  The Seahawks jumped out to a 14-0 lead, reaching the end zone on each of their first two drives of the contest. However, the Packers fired back with three touchdowns over their next three possessions, taking a 21-14 lead in the second quarter. Josh Brown got a field goal to cut the deficit to four, but Seattle would not regain the lead in this one. Green Bay got three more touchdowns over the remainder of the game, limiting the Seahawks to just a field goal in the second half. The Packers prevailed over their old coach once more, this time by a much more lopsided score of 42-20.

  Holmgren’s final season with Seattle was nothing to write home about, as the Seahawks went a measly 4-12 in 2008. Ending the final year of his contract with the franchise’s worst record in 16 years, Holmgren exited with a cumulative regular season record of 86-74 and a playoff record of 4-6. Holmgren capped off his tenure in Seattle in December of 2008 by earning the Steve Largent Award, becoming the team’s first coach to receive the honor.

  In the years since his departure from the Seahawks organization, Holmgren has been favorably remembered as a central figure in bringing football in Seattle to heights that had never been seen before. In 2021, Holmgren joined Chuck Knox as the only coaches to be inducted into the team’s Ring of Honor, and he has twice been named as a finalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Though he still has yet to be inducted into Canton, Holmgren’s time is sure to come soon.

  Happy Birthday, Coach! What are some of your favorite memories from Coach Holmgren’s tenure in Seattle? Tell us in the comments below!