After defeating the San Francisco 49ers on Saturday night in the NFC Divisional Round, the Seattle Seahawks are one win away from their fourth Super Bowl appearance in franchise history.

Now, there's no guarantee they get it, as the Los Angeles Rams are a formidable opponent, but this much is certain: The Seahawks have real momentum within the city of Seattle.

And my question is: How, if at all, does this impact the Seattle Mariners?

It's something we talked about on the most recent edition of the 'Refuse to Lose' podcast:

"Okay. I felt in 2025 that the Mariners claimed Seattle. If the Seahawks come out and get to the Super Bowl or win the Super Bowl, have they reclaimed it again? And if so, what does that do to the Mariners. Again, I hope it spurs them into action.

It's a big if if the Seahawks beat the Rams on Sunday, it's a big if if they get to the Super Bowl, it's a big if if they win it. But I hope that if they do, you see the Mariners start to address things that we know need addressing here before we get to spring training.

Maybe it's Brendan Donovan, maybe it's Nico Hoerner, maybe it's a reliever. Maybe it's something we're not planning yet. But I hope that it is something, because I promise you, because I've lived it and I've done it.

If the Patriots get to and win the Super Bowl the question in Boston is about, 'are the Red Sox falling into irrelevance again? The problem - or the question - in Boston is if the Patriots win the Super Bowl, is this a football town once more? And how long does it take the Red Sox to get back in the conversation?'

If they win the title in Los Angeles, for the Rams, the conversation is, 'okay, well, we've got the Dodgers, who are great, we've got the Rams, who are champs, and, man, the Lakers are really fallen into irrelevance. What happens to LeBron now?' Like, those are the conversations that will happen in those cities, and those conversations should be happening here also."

I believe both of these things with every fiber of my being. The Mariners and Seahawks root for each other and want each other to have success. That said, they do also compete for the same fan base's attention and dollars, and the same advertising dollars and business revenue. The Mariners have unbelievable momentum coming off 2025, and they can't afford to forfeit it right back to a Seahawks team that is ascending again into national prominence. 

The Mariners need to strike in order to keep their position in the market. That doesn't mean spending unnecessarily, and it doesn't mean trading away top prospects left and right, it means doing the necessary things to get this team over the goal line.

If that means sending a prospect out, or taking on another $3 or $5 or $7 million more than you want to, then so be it, but the 2025 Mariners worked hard to capture the hearts of Seattle sports fans. The 2026 version deserves the chance to stay at the top of their minds.

I hope this Seahawks run forces a necessary sense of urgency within the organization.

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