The Seahawks will be up against the odds to retain their Super Bowl crown, but did they get help to start it well?
Winning a Super Bowl is hard enough, and winning two in two years is nearly impossible, but that is what Mike Macdonald's Seattle Seahawks will be aiming for in 2026.
Since the 1998-1999 season, just two teams have won back-to-back Super Bowls: the New England Patriots (2003-2004) and the Kansas City Chiefs (2022-2023).
So, history isn't exactly on Seattle's side.
But that doesn't mean the franchise can't give it a good go, right?
With the Seahawks now knowing who they will face and when, we can get a good idea of what we can expect throughout the year. Yes, it can change, but we can project.
The Seahawks' start to the season isn't horrible, but it isn't good either, with a handful of playoff teams on the agenda.
And for Bleacher Report's Gary Davenport, he has Seattle's start to the year as "mild."
"It shouldn't be all that surprising that no NFC West team has an easy road to roaring out of the gate—the division sent three teams to the postseason a year ago," Davenport wrote.
"Seattle begins their title defense at home in a Super Bowl rematch with the New England Patriots before a less-than-daunting two-game road trip to Arizona and Washington. Then things get real—four games in five weeks against playoff teams from 2025, with the other contest a home tilt with the Chiefs."
The start isn't that bad, with the Patriots, Cardinals, and Commanders. If things go well, Seattle should be 3-0. That's a good start.
But after Washington, the Seahawks will face a gauntlet that could easily determine the outlook of their season.
Games against the Los Angeles Chargers, the San Francisco 49ers, the Denver Broncos, the Kansas City Chiefs, and the Chicago Bears will tell us a lot about the validity of Seattle's ability to defend its title.
The good thing is, just one of those games is on the road.
So, Seattle starting hot in their "mild" beginning to the season feels like a must, given the gauntlet of games that follow.
The Seahawks might not be able to win the Super Bowl by Week 8, but they could certainly lose it if things go south in a hurry.
