Are the Seahawks underrated defending champions for the 2026-27 NFL season?

The Seahawks have not gotten the hype that most champs get. Are they underrated? The Seattle Seahawks enter the 2026-27 NFL season with the biggest target possible on their backs: defending Super Bowl champions. After a spectacular 14-3 regular season and a dominant postseason run that ended with a Super Bowl LX victory, Seattle now faces the difficult challenge of proving last year was the beginning of a championship window rather than a one-year breakthrough. Sam Darnold returns under center after throwing for 4,048 yards and 25 touchdowns in his first season with Seattle, giving the Seahawks stability at the most important position. The defense should once again be the team’s calling card under head coach Mike Macdonald, with veterans such as Leonard Williams and Ernest Jones leading a physical unit that helped fuel last season’s championship run. Offensively, Seattle will have a new coordinator in Brian Fleury, while rookie running back Jadarian Price is expected to help fill the void left by Kenneth Walker III. The biggest obstacle could be the NFC West, where the Los Angeles Rams are viewed as a serious threat, making every divisional matchup crucial. If Darnold takes another step forward and Seattle’s defense remains among the league’s best, the Seahawks have a legitimate chance to make another deep playoff run—and potentially become the NFL’s first back-to-back champion since the 2004-05 Patriots.