The Seattle Seahawks are going to look very different in 2025, and 12s have general manager John Schneider to thank for that. Or blame for that. We have to wait until the season turns out to know which way to turn.
One thing is certain, however. Schneider made an even bigger imprint on his direction of the team this year than last. Last offseason was the first time Schneider had full roster control. Before that, it was former head coach and Vice President of Football Operations Pete Carroll.
There are some who seemingly still confuse the change of roles for Schneider. When Carroll was with the Seahawks, he made the final roster decisions. Now, Schneider does, so when the team makes a move or reshapes its roster, it is Schneider's doing and not head coach Mike Macdonald's. The roles of GM and head coach are more traditionally defined for Seattle now.
Seattle Seahawks' John Schneider's gambles might pay off big in a different way than most think
And what incredible gambles Schneider took this offseason, and almost all of them offensively. After trade requests from quarterback Geno Smith and wide receiver DK Metcalf, he dealt both of them. Smith went to the Las Vegas Raiders (rejoining Carroll), and Metcalf went to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
To replace them, Schneider and the Seahawks signed quarterback Sam Darnold and wide receivers Cooper Kupp and Marquez Valdes-Scantling. Darnold is the biggest risk in the group. He plays the most important position on the team and is getting paid the most money.
Schneider could be on the proverbial hot seat if his daring moves, which include the team releasing fan-favorite Tyler Lockett, don't pay off, but the "pay" part might be important. Schneider did not make his moves blindly, and he likely did so with one eye on the future.
Schneider has the benefit, if one can call it that, of having every presumed starter on the offensive line still on their rookie contracts, but Kupp and Darnold's contracts aren't cheap. Still, after all of Seattle's offseason moves, the team will have the least expensive offensive group in the league at $99,868,569, $3.5 million less than the New York Jets.
This implies that Schneider understood the risks he was taking, but wasn't willing to destroy the salary cap in order to gamble further. If Darnold doesn't work out and Kupp gets hurt again and can't play much, the team can move on from them after one season, as neither has any guaranteed money in years two and three of their deals.
The Seahawks might have to start over again in 2026. Or will they? Schneider also drafted quarterback Jalen Milroe, and Schneider knows the makeup of a good quarterback as he was part of the Green Bay Packers when they chose Aaron Rodgers, and was with Seattle when the Seahawks took Russell Wilson.
Milroe might be the steal of the draft for the Seahawks. Another one might be wide receiver Tory Horton, who Seattle took in the fifth round. Horton and Milroe have both impressed in minicamp and OTAs, and yet, they won't be counted on to play huge roles in 2025.
By 2026, they might be and should be more prepared. If that happens and they are good, the Seahawks will have even more money to spend on building the team. John Schneider's risky 2025 offseason moves might not be gambles after all, but brilliant decisions on how the future will look for the team.
