Grok simulates the Seattle Seahawks’ 2026 season, including game-by-game results, playoff predictions, and more
The Seattle Seahawks have made their return to camp in an effort to defend their Super Bowl title. But before the pads get popping and the action gets real, we’re going to simulate to see what the 2026 season might look like for the Hawks.
Somehow, despite being the reigning Super Bowl champions, the Seattle Seahawks are flying under the radar. There seems to be more talk about the teams in their own division, i.e., the Rams after the Myles Garrett trade or everything going on with the 49ers, than there is hype around the Seahawks.
But with camp here and practice underway, what better time than now to run an unbiased simulation of the Seahawks’ 2026 season. Let’s dive in.
Key Seahawks offseason transactions
Seattle Seahawks 2026 Season Simulation
Team Snapshot
- Head coach: Mike Macdonald (Year 3)
- Offensive coordinator: Brian Fleury (first year calling plays; former 49ers assistant)
- Defensive coordinator: Aden Durde
- QB: Sam Darnold (with Drew Lock and second-year Jalen Milroe behind him)
- Key weapons: Jaxon Smith-Njigba (coming off Offensive Player of the Year / franchise-record 1,793 receiving yards), Cooper Kupp, Rashid Shaheed, AJ Barner
- Backfield: Zach Charbonnet (ACL recovery, on PUP at camp start), 2026 first-round RB Jadarian Price, George Holani, Emanuel Wilson
- Defense: Still elite under Macdonald — Devon Witherspoon, Ernest Jones, Leonard Williams, Julian Love, and a deep edge group
- Context: Title defense after a franchise-best 14-3 regular season and Super Bowl win over the Patriots. Lost OC Klint Kubiak (to Raiders HC job) and RB Kenneth Walker III in free agency. Roster largely intact otherwise. On Hard Knocks.
Preseason: 2-1 (typical Macdonald emphasis on evaluation and avoiding major injuries).
Regular Season Results (Simulated)
Seattle finishes 12-5, wins the NFC West, and earns the No. 2 seed in the NFC.
| Week | Opponent | Result | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 (Wed) | vs New England | W | 27-20 | Super Bowl rematch. Darnold efficient (no turnovers). JSN 8/112. Defense forces 3 turnovers. |
| 2 | @ Arizona | W | 31-17 | Price breaks out with 98 rush yards + TD. Shaheed big-play day. |
| 3 | @ Washington | W | 24-13 | Road grind. Defense dominates. Charbonnet limited return. |
| 4 | vs L.A. Chargers | L | 23-28 | Darnold two late INTs. Chargers edge them in a shootout. |
| 5 | vs San Francisco | W | 30-24 | Division win. JSN 9/141/2. Witherspoon INT return TD. |
| 6 (Thu) | @ Denver | L | 17-21 | Short week + altitude. Offense stalls in second half. |
| 7 | vs Kansas City | W | 34-27 | Primetime statement. Darnold 312 yards, 3 TD. Pass rush overwhelms. |
| 8 (Mon) | vs Chicago | W | 28-16 | Balanced attack. Price and Holani combine for 140 rush yards. |
| 9 | vs Arizona | W | 38-14 | Blowout. JSN continues historic pace. |
| 10 | @ Las Vegas | W | 27-20 | Kubiak reunion. Seattle’s defense holds former OC in check. |
| 11 | BYE | — | — | — |
| 12 | @ San Francisco | L | 20-23 | Tough road loss. Late field goal decides it. |
| 13 (Mon) | vs Dallas | W | 31-24 | Darnold manages game well. Secondary locks down. |
| 14 | vs N.Y. Giants | W | 35-10 | Easy home win. Depth shines. |
| 15 | @ Philadelphia | L | 21-28 | Physical battle. Eagles’ front wins the line. |
| 16 (Fri) | vs L.A. Rams | W | 29-26 (OT) | Christmas thriller. Jason Myers walk-off FG. |
| 17 | @ Carolina | W | 24-13 | Clinch division. Rest key starters late. |
| 18 | @ L.A. Rams | L | 17-20 | Meaningless for seeding; rest Darnold/JSN early. |
Final record: 12-5 (NFC West champions, No. 2 seed). Division: SEA 12-5, LAR ~11-6, SF ~10-7, ARI ~5-12.
Key Individual Stats (Simulated)
- Sam Darnold: 3,950 pass yards, 28 TD, 14 INT (improved ball security from 2025’s high-turnover year).
- Jaxon Smith-Njigba: 112 receptions, 1,620 yards, 11 TD (still elite).
- Jadarian Price: 1,050 rush yards, 9 TD (strong rookie campaign filling Walker void).
- Zach Charbonnet: ~650 rush yards after midseason ramp-up.
- Cooper Kupp / Rashid Shaheed: Combined ~1,400 receiving yards; productive complementary roles.
- Defense: Top-5 in points allowed and takeaways. Ernest Jones and Witherspoon All-Pro level.
Playoffs
- Wild Card: Bye (No. 2 seed).
- Divisional: vs. (No. 7) Green Bay — W 27-17. Controlled game; defense forces three turnovers.
- NFC Championship: vs. (No. 1) Philadelphia — L 20-24. Close, physical battle. Eagles’ home crowd and trench play edge a one-possession game. Seattle’s title defense ends one step short of a Super Bowl repeat.
Season Summary
The Seahawks remain a legitimate contender thanks to Macdonald’s coaching, a still-elite defense, and JSN’s brilliance. The new offense under Fleury shows continuity with Kubiak’s scheme but experiences growing pains (a few more early turnovers and inconsistency in the run game while Charbonnet recovers). Price provides a spark, and the secondary stays lockdown.
A 12-5 campaign and NFC Championship appearance is a strong title defense, even if the Super Bowl repeat falls short. The young core (JSN, Witherspoon, Price, etc.) keeps the window open for 2027 and beyond. Ownership transition (pending sale) stays in the background as the focus remains on the field.