Witherspoon’s teammate from the 2023 first round draft and close friend Jaxon Smith-Njigba will be heading to the Pro Bowl for the second straight year after the best receiving season in franchise history. After 15 games, JSN is the league’s leading receiver with 1,637 receiving yards. This value represents a single-season franchise record and is more than 300 yards higher than the previous best. His 104 catches are also a franchise record, while his ten receiving touchdowns are the third-highest in the league. He was also named NFC Offensive Player of the Month in October.
These trades were a success
Leonard Williamswho made his second career Pro Bowl and first as a Seahawk last year, has been a dominant force in the center of the defensive line since his trade to Seattle in October 2023 and a key contributor to one of the best defenses in the league. Alongside Byron Murphy II, he leads the team with 7.0 sacks. Additionally, Williams is a team leader with 22 quarterback hits, and his nine tackles for loss are the second-highest on the squad.
Rashid Shaheedwho was signed by the Saints via trade during the 2025 season, is the only player in the league with touchdowns on both kickoff and punt returns this season – all within a period of just three weeks. He is also only the third player in franchise history to achieve this feat in a season, joining Nate Burleson and Tyler Lockett. On Game Day 14, Shaheed returned a kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown and was named NFC Special Teams Player of the Week. In the Seahawks’ Week 16 win over the Rams, he also returned a punt 58 yards for a touchdown, starting the comeback from a 16-point deficit in the fourth quarter. Shaheed also made an impact on offense, including two catches that set up a game-winning field goal in the win against Indianapolis and a 31-yard run that set up a touchdown in the comeback against the Rams.
Two summer newcomers particularly shine
Sam Darnoldwho joined the Seahawks in March shortly after the team traded Geno Smith to Las Vegas, is a Pro Bowler for the second straight year after doing so last year in a breakout season with the Vikings. In his first season in Seattle, he completed 67.2 percent of his passes – a career high – for 3,703 yards, 24 touchdowns and 13 interceptions, giving him a passer rating of 100.6. His 8.7 yards per throw and 13.0 yards per completion lead the league. He also has four game-winning drives in the fourth quarter or overtime, which is the second-highest in the league, including the touchdown drive and two-point conversion in the Week 16 win against the Rams. With a 12-3 record this season – after going 14-3 with the Vikings last year – Darnold is the first quarterback to win 12 or more games in back-to-back seasons with two different teams.
