While is this period before the Super Bowl everything seems to be fun and colorful, it is important to keep paying attention to the aftermovie.

The Seattle Seahawks and head coach Mike Macdonald must keep working. Behind the scenes of their 2025-26 success, as asobering reality is looming: the franchise is at risk of losing eleven key players the moment the clock hits zero on the season.

With Sam Darnold leading a young offense and Macdonald’s defensive vision taking hold, the Seahawks have found their identity. Yet, as the team prepares for the ultimate game, the other of football is putting the locker room on notice.

Who is at risk?

The list of players potentially heading toward the exit ramp includes a mix of veterans and role players who have been vital to this season’s chemistry, divided by lines.

• The Offensive line: Players like Josh Jones and Laken Tomlinson have provided the protection Darnold needed to thrive. With their contracts expiring, their departure could leave massive gaps in the trenches.
• The Defensive core: Defensive tackle Jarran Reed, enters free agency. While Reed has been performing great, Macdonald’s emphasis on a younger, faster defensive front makes his return a question mark.
• Secondary depth: Cornerbacks like Tre Brown and Artie Burns have been under the rain this season, but both are at risk as the team looks to optimize its salary cap for a post-Super Bowl era.
• The Wideout room: Even with the addition of Cooper Kupp earlier in the season, players like Marquez Valdes-Scantling and River Cracraft are on one-year deals. Their futures in Seattle may depend on how Macdonald and General Manager John Schneider prioritize “continuity vs. cost.”

The tricks of the NFL’s salary cap era is that Super Bowl success often hides this common situation. For the Seahawks, a team that has already made big bets on stars like Darnold and Kupp, saying goodbye to eleven players is not just a strategy, it is a necessity.