Seahawks Open Title Defense vs Patriots Wednesday Night — SkimNews
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- Mike Macdonald's viral 2024 first team meeting speech forecast an NFC Championship run that materialized 21 months later when Seattle beat the LA Rams to reach Super Bowl LX.
- The Seattle Seahawks defeated the New England Patriots at Levi's Stadium in February to claim Super Bowl LX, then opened the 2026 season Wednesday night against the same opponent (live on Sky Sports from 1.20am Thursday UK).
- Jaxon Smith-Njigba led the NFL with 1,793 receiving yards last season, won Offensive Player of the Year, and signed a four-year, $168 million extension — the richest contract ever for a wide receiver.
- Sam Darnold signed with Seattle during the 2025 offseason after reviving his career with the Minnesota Vikings; Smith-Njigba said their championship run "shut up the doubters and naysayers" — "the proof is in the pudding."
- Macdonald's current team ethos traces back to Phil Jackson's 1991 Chicago Bulls and the book Sacred Hoops, read on his 2021 honeymoon — the "grassroots or origin story" of the '12 is One' unity message.
- Offseason turnover on offense saw RB Kenneth Walker III sign with Kansas City and OC Klint Kubiak hired as Las Vegas Raiders head coach, with ex-49ers run game coordinator Brian Fleury stepping in as the new play-caller.
Why it matters: The Seahawks defend their title with rare continuity at head coach and quarterback but real turnover at offensive coordinator and running back. Brian Fleury inherits an offense now anchored by the richest receiver in NFL history on a $168M deal, with Darnold's revival validated by the championship itself. The schedule offers no grace period — New England, the team they beat in February, is the very first opponent.
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