For the first time in the Mike Macdonald era, the Seattle Seahawks are headed to the playoffs.
By virtue of the Seahawks’ 38-37 overtime win against the Los Angeles Rams, Seattle clinched a playoff berth for the first time since the 2022 season.
Down 16 points in the fourth quarter, the Seahawks started a chaotic rally that was sparked by a 58-yard touchdown return by Rashid Shaheed. Seattle then tied the game with a Sam Darnold touchdown pass and a crazy two-point pass where Zach Charbonnet caught a reverse pass to tie the game at 30. In overtime, the Seahawks countered with a Rams touchdown on a Darnold pass to Jaxon Smith-Njigba TD and a two-point conversion by Barner that followed.
This is the first Seahawks team to advance to the playoffs without Pete Carroll as head coach since Mike Holmgren led Seattle to the postseason in 2007 – the last of five straight appearances under the coach.
Carroll and the Seahawks parted ways following a 9-8 season in 2023, paving the way for Macdonald to join the club after a successful stint as the Baltimore Ravens’ defensive coordinator from 2022-23. Baltimore (7-7) is currently clinging to its playoff hopes in an unprecedented season, but Carroll’s return to the NFL with the Las Vegas Raiders has seen the team go 2-12 in a dismal campaign.
Along with making the playoffs, the Seahawks (12-3) have won five straight, split the season with the Rams (11-4) and now have first place in the NFC West and the top seed in the NFC. The Seahawks haven’t won the division since 2020, which was also the last time they won 12 games in a season.
2025 is also now the second year in a row that quarterback Sam Darnold has led a team to the playoffs. Darnold, the No. 3 pick of the New York Jets in the 2018 NFL draft, never made the postseason as a starter in three seasons with the Gang Green or two with the Carolina Panthers. In 2023 as a backup for the San Francisco 49ers, Darnold made his first playoff appearance and has now started as a starter for the Minnesota Vikings in 2024 and the Seahawks.
Along with Darnold, Seattle has been bolstered by outstanding wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba and a top-scoring offense, along with a top-five defense.
Aiming for a division title and top seed in the conference, Seattle will close out its regular season with big games at the Carolina Panthers and at the San Francisco 49ers.