The Seattle Seahawks are going to look a little different during the upcoming 2024 NFL season. Mainly, not seeing Pete Carroll on the sidelines is going to be strange. In his place, Mike Macdonald is ready to help lead the franchise back to serious contention in the NFC.
A lot of their success will depend on the arm of Geno Smith. Can Smith prove that he can still be the quarterback for the Seahawks both this season and into the future? He’s facing a bit of a hot seat situation.
Looking past the quarterback position, the Seahawks are loaded with talent on both sides of the football. On paper, they look like a team that should be competing for the NFC West and a spot in the playoffs.
One former NFL executive certainly thinks Seattle will perform above expectations during the 2024 season.
Seattle Seahawks Receive Bold Prediction From Former NFL Executive
Former NFL executive Mike Lombardi, while talking on Seattle Sports’ Bump and Stacy, did not hold back at all. He thinks that the Seahawks are going to be a “sleeper team” this season.
Here’s what Lombardi had to say about the Seahawks heading into the 2024 campaign:
“I really think Seattle is going to be a sleeper team. I think it’s going to be a tough out for people. I think their talent is better than they performed last year. Defense was the problem. Injuries were the problem. … And yet, (former coach Pete Carroll) still won nine games. And if they beat Pittsburgh (in Week 17), it’s a playoff team. But they didn’t, and so now Mike comes in with his scheme and (new offensive coordinator) Ryan Grubb gets to run the offense. And I think that if they play complementary football and (Macdonald) coaches the team not as a defensive coordinator but as a head coach, they’ll have a chance to really improve.”
Needless to say, this sets a very high bar for the Seahawks to reach for this year. If the roster plays up to its full potential, there is no question that they can be a sleeper contender.
The only unfortunate thing for the Seahawks this season is the fact that they play in the same division as the San Francisco 49ers. Brock Purdy and company are favored to win every single game on their schedule. San Francisco is an early favorite to get back to the Super Bowl after losing to the Kansas City Chiefs in the big game last year.
Even though the Seahawks moved on from Carroll, they are expected to have the same blue collar team that they had under him. Macdonald is a very aggressive coach and had a lot of success with the Baltimore Ravens.
It will be interesting to see what the Seahawks are able to accomplish this season. They have built the roster well on both sides of the ball. If Smith can put together another big year, the playoffs should be a reality.
All of that being said, the games have to be played and the Seahawks have to prove that they can put it all together.
