At their peak the Seattle Seahawks not only defined defensive excellence in the NFL, they influenced the way half the defenses around the league approached the game. The competition at this level never stops evolving, though. By the end of Pete Carroll's run as head coach they'd had multiple seasons where they ranked somewhere between well-below average and one of the league's worst defensive teams.
Mike Macdonald was hired a year and a half ago to turn that dynamic around and make Seattle a defensive powerhouse once again. While it turned out alright in the end, his first season on the job was a study in how difficult it is to maintain a high level of performance defensively during the twists and turns that each campaign brings.
To start things out the Seahawks looked positively dominant to begin the season, as they started the year 3-0 on the strength of some really, really easy matchups. Reality hit brutally hard in Week 4 when they started facing contenders, beginning with the Detroit Lions - who humiliated them at the line of scrimmage and everywhere else in a 42-29 Monday night romp.
That loss set the Seahawks defense into a tailspin, especially against the run. That coincided with four losses in their next five games. The bleeding finally stopped when they brought in middle linebacker Ernest Jones in a trade with the Tennessee Titans - which was the turning point in a season that ended with the Seahawks playing at a top-five level.
Of course there was more to it than that. Here's outside linebacker Boye Mafe explaining how the change went down after the bye week.
As for Mafe, he should project as the third edge rusher on the depth chart behind starters DeMarcus Lawrence and Uchenna Nwosu.
Mafe is entering the final year of his rookie contract, but of the five potential contract renewals in his 2022 class Mafe is the easiest case to make for a new deal. If the front office does sign Mafe to an extension, it will likely be with an eye on him replacing Nwosu in the starting lineup in 2026.
Then again, the Seahawks are deep at this position and they have another high-potential young edge rusher coming up behind him. If they don't feel like paying Mafe, Derick Hall appears plenty ready to take his spot.
