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The original was posted on /r/nfl by /u/The_Throwback_King on 2025-07-31 18:16:58+00:00.
Seattle Seahawks
Division: NFC West
A Staff Divided Will Not Stand
2024 was a year of flux for Seattle. Pete Carroll, the franchise’s greatest coach by every stretch, was shown the door in basically the most amicable manner possible. While Seattle never bottomed out under Carroll, had definitely seen their best days pass them. The rosters were unbalanced and inconsistent, and Pete proved too loyal to his guys, at the cost of the team’s success. In a hyper-competitive NFC West, it simply didn’t cut the mustard.
John Schneider would stay, with full control of the rosters now, but the rest of the staff needed to be completely overhauled. A clean slate. How does one break from the old? By getting really young. Jumping from the oldest coach in the league to the youngest. Baltimore’s defensive coordinator, Mike Macdonald, rising up to the ranks at just 37 years of age.
That focus extended to the rest of the staff as well. First timers across the board.
University of Washington OC, Ryan Grubb, would keep his city and his role as Seahawks Offensive Coordinator.
Cowboys D-Line Coach, Aden Durde, would join as Seattle’s DC (although the steering wheel was still in the hands of Macdonald).
And Seattle’s Special Teams would be helmed by Jay Harbaugh, arriving from the Michigan Wolverines.
The only remaining member of Pete Carroll’s staff was Karl Scott, who would remain as Seattle’s DB Coach and Passing Game Coordinator.
Seattle and its fans hoped that this influx of youth would help better match the young talented minds of their division.
One Year Later, How They’d Do?..
…Well, to be honest, it’s kinda complicated.
In some ways, the team was a lot better than expected. In spite of a myriad of turnover and a season full of adversity, Seattle still found its way to double-digit wins and was one late-season Sean McVay surge away from making the playoffs.
The defense finally galvanized under the strong leadership of Coach Mike and Aden Durde. Overall, that was a major improvement from the late-stage Pete Carroll squads.
But the rest? Well…they certainly looked like first-time NFL Coaches.
After Carroll was let go, their old ST-Coordinator, Larry Izzo, went to join Dan Quinn on the Commanders. Izzo was, by all accounts, a fantastic STC. Izzo’s tenure saw Jason Myers, Nick Bellore, and Tyler Ott all make the Pro Bowl, while Michael Dickson ascended to one of the best punters in the game
Jay’s year…was not that. Not abysmal but one full of misfortune and error. Case in point being Seattle’s return game, struggling to keep composure and consistency the whole way. The woes of Laviska Shenault and Dee Williams were so bad that they nearly cost Seattle games. It took a late season signing of Jaelon Darden to steady the ship.
Special Teams units are at their best when the average fan doesn’t even notice their presence. Worry should be the last thing on a fans mind. Larry Izzo’s squads were always like that. Jay Harbaugh, in his first year, was not.
But at least Jay still has his job…
Here’s the Rub with Ryan Grubb
I had such high hopes for Grubb entering 2024. As a fan of UW football, I was over the moon with the hire. He helped revive the Huskies after the tenure of Jimmy Lake left them in ruin. He was Kalen DeBoer’s right-hand man.
He saw them rise into primo contenders. He saw them go on a miracle run all the way to the Championship game. He led an offense with quality NFL players like Michael Penix Jr, Rome Odunze, Jalen McMillan, and Troy Fautanu… (and Ja’Lynn Polk, who also got drafted).
But even after Kalen DeBoer broke the hearts of every Husky fan; cutting loose with eyes towards Tuscaloosa. Grubb chose to STAY. He was gonna help Seattle’s offense and turn DK Metcalf, Tyler Lockett, and Jaxon Smith-Njigba into a LETHAL offensive force.
It was gonna be amazing!
[One Season Later]
It was not amazing.
The pathos of the Grubb hire made a lot of sense, as laid out in the previous section. The logos of the Grubb hire REEKED of risky business.
Grubb’s hire had countless red flags from the jump. He was hired VERY late in the process; because Mike Macdonald was hired very late in the process. John Schneider and Mike Macdonald didn’t have the time to really survey the field and pick a guy that worked with their team. Mike had limited time at his disposal and a team that was already immersed in the pre-draft process. He needed to make a move and fast.
Ryan Grubb was also a risky move because he was a first timer in the NFL. Even Jay Harbaugh had a few years as an assistant for the Ravens. Grubb was right alongside Kalen DeBoer for his rapid rise to stardom. Never breaking from collegiate side UNTIL he was hired as Seattle’s OC
There’s a very good reason why so many coaches fail to transition from the college level to the NFL. It’s a very different ballgame. The things that work in one, may not work in another. Success stories like Pete Carroll are a rarity
THAT was Grubb’s main flaw. He simply wasn’t ready for the NFL level. At the very least, not ready for an offense as flawed as Seattle. Seattle’s O-line, outside of LT Charles Cross, was absolutely putrid. A revolving door of injuries and just plain bad play. There wasn’t enough time for any chemistry or consistency to take place.
Grubb simply couldn’t overcome it on his own. He could never get the run game started consistently and, as such, constantly abandoned the run-game. But this made Seattle’s offense predictable and defenses hounded Geno Smith all year long in the pass game. Outside of an easy out with JSN, in his breakout season, every player regressed significantly in 2024.
It was just a bad fit, straight up. For the team Mike and John were building, for the team that Seattle currently had, and for the struggles that he faced in the season. Grubb looked as green as Seattle’s Color Rush kit and he was the only major coach to lose his job.
His replacement for 2025? Klint Kubiak
A safe, albeit unremarkable, choice, who helmed some quality offenses in the past, but was dealt a really bad hand in New Orleans last year.
Unlike Grubb, Kubiak has the NFL experience and was hired specifically for the offense Seattle is running. He brings a West Coast offense that presumptive starter Sam Darnold thrived under and, as seen last year, is able to weather an awful situation.
Seattle’s offense still has major question marks, in regards to whether Darnold is the real deal, with WR depth, and the O-Line. But I still expect the unit to see far better fortunes this year compared to the last.
Free Agency
Players Retained
| Player | Position | Seahawks Tenure | Contract |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ernest Jones IV | ILB | 2024-* | 3Yr, $28.5M - $15M GTD |
| Jarran Reed | NT | 2016-2020, 2023-* | 3 Yr, $22M - $10M GTD |
| Johnathan Hankins | NT | 2024-* | 1 Yr, $2.12M - $350K GTD |
| Josh Jobe | CB | 2024-* | 1 Yr, $2M - $300K GTD |
| Cody White | WR | 2024-* | 1 Yr, $1.03M |
Ernest Jones - Seattle’s FA acquisitions last year at ILB completely blew up in their face. Jerome Baker couldn’t stay healthy and both him, and Tyrel Dodson, proved ill-fit for the defense Macdonald was running. They had to pivot. In came Ernest Jones on a midseason trade. He immediately stabilized what has been a very volatile position for Seattle over the past couple years.
Jarran Reed - One of four Seahawks who’ve been on the team pre-2020. Reed’s been a solid rock on the D-line ever since they drafted him back in 2016 (save for a two year departure in 2021-2022). Bringing him back, along with Jones, was one of the few musts of our 2025 FA class.
Johnathan Hankins - Seattle exited the 2025 Draft with a haul of assets to their name. Regrettably, none were Nose Tackles, which was definitely a need for the team. Luckily Hankins number was still available at the time, so we brought him back. He was a solid veteran voice with the team, so he’ll likely help round out our rock solid D-line
Josh Jobe - Josh Jobe broke through out of nowhere in 2024, amidst rookies and journeymen. The exact thing you want in CB3. Dependable and Dynamic when called upon.
Cody White - Just your traditional Special Teams WR
Player Departures
| Player | Position | Seahawks Tenure | New Team | Contract |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tyler Lockett | WR | 2015-2024 | TEN | 1Yr, $4M - $3.49M GTD |
| DK Metcalf | WR | 2019-2024 | PIT | Traded - Assets became [Nick Emmanwori & Damien Martinez] |
| Geno Smith | QB | 2019-2024 | LV | Traded - Assets became [Jalen Milroe] |
| Tre Brown | CB | 2021-2024 | SF | 1 Yr, $1.7M - $500K GTD |
| Stone Forsythe | OT | 2021-2024 | 1 Yr, $1.34M - $140K GTD | |
| Noah Fant | TE | 2022-2024 | CIN | TBD |
| Artie Burns | CB | 2022-2024 | MIA | 1Yr, $1.36M - $0 GTD |
| Dre’Mont Jones | DE | 2023-2024 | TEN | 1Yr, $8.5M - $7.99M GTD |
| Rayshawn Jenkins | SS | 2024 | CLE | 1 Yr, $1.42M - $1.17M GTD |
| Roy Robertson-Harris | iDL | 2024 | NYG | 2 Yr, $9M - $5.3M GTD |
| Laken Tomlinson | OG | 2024 | HOU | 1 Yr, $4.25M - $2.5M GTD |
| Pharaoh Brown | TE | 2024 | MIA | 1 Yr, $1.36M - $20K GTD |
Tyler Lockett - My heart breaks in two. The second-best Seahawks receiver born on September 28th in Tulsa Oklahoma, is gone.
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