I never criticize a player for accepting generational wealth when the opportunity comes. The Rangers offered A-Rod 5 times what the Mariners did and he left. Many criticized him, but I would have done the same in my profession, given the chance. Brady had Giselle’s enormous salary for their family so his paycheck was not their sole income. Having said that, $30+ million/year is already generational wealth in my opinion, so maybe Sam will accept a discount for the chance for more rings in the future. That probably still means a hefty raise, but maybe $50 million/year and not $60.
Sam was just the perfect ingredient to complete the recipe for winning. There are many ingredients, but he was a key one without question. And a lot of JS's offseason moves were about getting the recipe right. Would other ingredients have turned out better or worse, we'll never know. But he and Mike Macdonald made their choices, and they baked a Super Bowl Champion. They should be congratulated.
There were some former Seahawks that just didn't make the transition from Pete's style to Mike's. And that's fine. Everyone likes to be managed and coached a certain way. Tyler was a Pete guy. Geno was a Pete guy. DK is a bit of an idiot. If it doesn't fit, move on.....and they did. No harm, no foul. I wish them well. In a way, they were part of how the Seahawks got to where they got to. Butterfly wings and all. Go perhaps we should be grateful for them.
Geno did not flip off Seahawks fans, in general, he flipped off a specific fan who was holding an offensive sign, I believe, according to my memory of the incident. Now, many here and elsewhere are saying Geno flipped off (all) Seahawk fans. No one ever explains why Geno would do that. Did he just flip off the fans for no reason? No, the whole thing is built on internet myth.
One of the main reasons why the Hawks won is because they have a team full of players with huge chips on their shoulders! Traded, cut, low draft pick , never given a real chance to show etc.Be ware of the pissed off players!
* The guy made a ton of money—career earnings of over $330M. And his former wife made even more than he did
* The idea that a QB can routinely take less money for the good of the team works only if (a) the QB trusts the GM to build a great team around him and (b) the GM follows through. Had Bill Belichek failed to put the “savings” to good use, Brady would never have settled for anything less than market rate
Brady is selling Pizza, and insurance, and God knows what else. Those contracts make his football salary look small in comparison. Giving yourself more rings brings more credibility. Add in, fair hair and blue eyes, with a clean cut look and you've got a marketing dept. and the equivalent of a printing press churning out hundred dollar bills.
Most don't reach those levels, but Sam fits the bill. Red haired and green eyes probably works, too.
I seem to remember either here or on Fieldgulls someone mentioning we have spent less on the QB position than any other franchise.
In the history of this franchise we have spent very little draft capital on the quarterback position. Sam was a wonderful find, just like Russ. Geno was a bridge that burnt down on the way out of town.
I am happy for Sam finally getting the win he needed to shut everyone up. The hate for that kid is unreal and I don’t know why? Is he worse than Mayfield or Goff or just about anyone else in the league? I think at this point he just proved he’s better than all of those mid level guys. His Championship says that loud and clear.
A "five-year" deal only means he'll be paid for five years. I'm sure things will work out well for KK, but Mark Davis is a nut job and KK might be unemployed in a year or two.
Yes, unemployed, but unemployed while collecting 3-4yrs of a contract owed, most likely. Possibly even getting paid by Davis and a new team (or maybe by JS in a reunion here later). Anything is possible!
Here are some takeaways around what pundits including Coach Shanahan said during the super bowl pregame shows:
NFC Power Shift: What Seattle’s Performance Really Reveals - The conversation around Seattle this season has been louder, sharper, and more justified than many expected. When you zoom out, a few themes define why their run and the NFC landscape around them felt so different.
Seattle Did What No One Else Could - Kyle Shanahan’s offense has been one of the NFL’s most consistently difficult puzzles. Yet Seattle solved it twice. No other team has managed that in Shanahan’s entire San Francisco tenure. That alone puts Seattle in rare company and reframes how we evaluate their ceiling.
The NFC Played a Different Brand of Football - While the AFC postseason lacked peak versions of Lamar Jackson and Patrick Mahomes, the NFC bracket was loaded with heavyweight coaching and quarterback talent. Chicago, Green Bay, Detroit, Philadelphia, Seattle, San Francisco, Los Angeles - every matchup felt like a chess match between elite minds and rosters. The contrast was hard to ignore.
Seattle and the Rams Quietly Dominated the AFC - Against AFC opponents, Seattle and the Rams combined for double‑digit average margins of victory. That’s not a fluke—it’s a sign of a conference whose physicality and scheme diversity created matchup problems the AFC wasn’t built to handle.
Turnovers Were the Real Story - Kyle Shanahan said something in the pregame you almost never hear from a head coach: if Seattle protected the football, the game could get out of hand. That level of blunt honesty is rare, and it underscored the central theme of the matchup.
In big games, the team that avoids the catastrophic mistake usually controls the script - Winning Isn’t Always About Flashy Numbers
Tom Brady’s first and last Super Bowls both featured modest passing totals. The point: championships often hinge on discipline, not fireworks. Shanahan echoed that idea—when you have a great roster and a great coach, the quarterback’s job becomes simple. Don’t lose the game. Don’t give the opponent life. Sam Darnold fit that assignment perfectly.
The Bottom Line - Seattle’s season wasn’t just about talent - it was about identity. They played clean, physical, disciplined football in a conference where that style still wins. And when a coach like Shanahan openly warns that turnovers will decide the game, you know you’re watching two teams operating at a high level of honesty and preparation.
WHOA ! " Seattle Did What No One Else Could - Kyle Shanahan’s offense has been one of the NFL’s most consistently difficult puzzles. Yet Seattle solved it twice. No other team has managed that in Shanahan’s entire San Francisco tenure."
... after reading this i started to take my soup 'n rice to the microwave, but had taken my computer there instead. Forunately my computer is too big to fit in, and i did finally notice what i was doing. THIS is thought provoking ! Thanks, AKBear !
At some point, you want your savings working to generate income, relieving you as time goes on. That's the theory: either you work or your money works. Both is best. I heard Joe Montana put his MBA degree to work to create an investment fund which manages the money saved among former NFL Players. Many rude stories out there of guys retiring and spending themselves into oblivion. No doubt the Player's Union educates away from this now. Our guys will be set for life. My bet is Schneider has worked hard to prove himself trustworthy in securing their wellbeing. We have already watched a former player go out and grab the Wild Money when offered, returning when retirement looms, some for one day. Hell yes! Take it! No hard feelings. Just do not demand obscene amounts, defined by what will cut into the welfare of fellow players. John and Jody will budget to be as generous as they can up and to that point. As we are seeing, let the bonuses ride on making it to the Super Bowl. No mystery to it. This brutal game will make you rich, just not filthy rich. Wisdom. Good Order. May Brotherly Love prevail.
I thought you were exaggerating about how much the nickname doesn’t stick until you win the Super Bowl but you’re right. It’s insane how “The Darkside” went from feeling like “stop trying to make fetch happen” to The Official Nickname Every Sports Writer Uses overnight. Weird!
Sorry to go all-caps, but GENUINELY GREAT article, Ken! I'm so impressed with Sam's humility and down to earthness. And I enjoy that so many like Skip Brainless are *still* downplaying his accomplishments. And rival fan bases (and Puca Nacua) too, even though he showed out against them and made them watch the Super Bowl from their couches.
Since the Super Bowl I've been asked my favorite player on the team many times and it's hard to answer. I like so many of the guys very much. I ordered a knock off E Bay jersey after the NFCCG and after much consternation went with Leonard Williams. I narrowed it down to him, JSN, Darnold or K9 since I already have a #3 jersey and tape. If it turns out to be decent quality, I might double dip for a #14. This article reminded me why.
Deciding a number on a jersey is definitely personal preference. My 1st one was #37 Alexander, which happened to age well. That said, I went with #12 Fan on my most recent one so my investment would hold value and that I wouldn't have to change it. I do feel a special pride in the feeling of belonging to a credited part of the team while wearing it.
Nice poetic ending!
Starting to read more and more Pats apologists saying "no excuses of course, but Maye's shoulder....and Will Campbell's knee..."
What about Darnold's oblique and Emmanwori's ankle and Cross's foot and Love's shoulder and EJ's chest...
I never criticize a player for accepting generational wealth when the opportunity comes. The Rangers offered A-Rod 5 times what the Mariners did and he left. Many criticized him, but I would have done the same in my profession, given the chance. Brady had Giselle’s enormous salary for their family so his paycheck was not their sole income. Having said that, $30+ million/year is already generational wealth in my opinion, so maybe Sam will accept a discount for the chance for more rings in the future. That probably still means a hefty raise, but maybe $50 million/year and not $60.
Sam was just the perfect ingredient to complete the recipe for winning. There are many ingredients, but he was a key one without question. And a lot of JS's offseason moves were about getting the recipe right. Would other ingredients have turned out better or worse, we'll never know. But he and Mike Macdonald made their choices, and they baked a Super Bowl Champion. They should be congratulated.
There were some former Seahawks that just didn't make the transition from Pete's style to Mike's. And that's fine. Everyone likes to be managed and coached a certain way. Tyler was a Pete guy. Geno was a Pete guy. DK is a bit of an idiot. If it doesn't fit, move on.....and they did. No harm, no foul. I wish them well. In a way, they were part of how the Seahawks got to where they got to. Butterfly wings and all. Go perhaps we should be grateful for them.
Geno did not flip off Seahawks fans, in general, he flipped off a specific fan who was holding an offensive sign, I believe, according to my memory of the incident. Now, many here and elsewhere are saying Geno flipped off (all) Seahawk fans. No one ever explains why Geno would do that. Did he just flip off the fans for no reason? No, the whole thing is built on internet myth.
One of the main reasons why the Hawks won is because they have a team full of players with huge chips on their shoulders! Traded, cut, low draft pick , never given a real chance to show etc.Be ware of the pissed off players!
Madden's Raiders hired such veterans. Fans loved it and it became a hallmark of a team with a pirate logo.
Re Brady—
* The guy made a ton of money—career earnings of over $330M. And his former wife made even more than he did
* The idea that a QB can routinely take less money for the good of the team works only if (a) the QB trusts the GM to build a great team around him and (b) the GM follows through. Had Bill Belichek failed to put the “savings” to good use, Brady would never have settled for anything less than market rate
Brady is selling Pizza, and insurance, and God knows what else. Those contracts make his football salary look small in comparison. Giving yourself more rings brings more credibility. Add in, fair hair and blue eyes, with a clean cut look and you've got a marketing dept. and the equivalent of a printing press churning out hundred dollar bills.
Most don't reach those levels, but Sam fits the bill. Red haired and green eyes probably works, too.
Yeah, the qb would have to have a minimum o-line salary clause.
I seem to remember either here or on Fieldgulls someone mentioning we have spent less on the QB position than any other franchise.
In the history of this franchise we have spent very little draft capital on the quarterback position. Sam was a wonderful find, just like Russ. Geno was a bridge that burnt down on the way out of town.
I am happy for Sam finally getting the win he needed to shut everyone up. The hate for that kid is unreal and I don’t know why? Is he worse than Mayfield or Goff or just about anyone else in the league? I think at this point he just proved he’s better than all of those mid level guys. His Championship says that loud and clear.
"After Klint Kubiak's Seahawks won it all, he confirmed he's headed to the Las Vegas Raiders, reportedly on a five-year deal."
No Way was Mr. Kubiak gonna be a One 'n Done coach !
A "five-year" deal only means he'll be paid for five years. I'm sure things will work out well for KK, but Mark Davis is a nut job and KK might be unemployed in a year or two.
Yes, unemployed, but unemployed while collecting 3-4yrs of a contract owed, most likely. Possibly even getting paid by Davis and a new team (or maybe by JS in a reunion here later). Anything is possible!
Here are some takeaways around what pundits including Coach Shanahan said during the super bowl pregame shows:
NFC Power Shift: What Seattle’s Performance Really Reveals - The conversation around Seattle this season has been louder, sharper, and more justified than many expected. When you zoom out, a few themes define why their run and the NFC landscape around them felt so different.
Seattle Did What No One Else Could - Kyle Shanahan’s offense has been one of the NFL’s most consistently difficult puzzles. Yet Seattle solved it twice. No other team has managed that in Shanahan’s entire San Francisco tenure. That alone puts Seattle in rare company and reframes how we evaluate their ceiling.
The NFC Played a Different Brand of Football - While the AFC postseason lacked peak versions of Lamar Jackson and Patrick Mahomes, the NFC bracket was loaded with heavyweight coaching and quarterback talent. Chicago, Green Bay, Detroit, Philadelphia, Seattle, San Francisco, Los Angeles - every matchup felt like a chess match between elite minds and rosters. The contrast was hard to ignore.
Seattle and the Rams Quietly Dominated the AFC - Against AFC opponents, Seattle and the Rams combined for double‑digit average margins of victory. That’s not a fluke—it’s a sign of a conference whose physicality and scheme diversity created matchup problems the AFC wasn’t built to handle.
Turnovers Were the Real Story - Kyle Shanahan said something in the pregame you almost never hear from a head coach: if Seattle protected the football, the game could get out of hand. That level of blunt honesty is rare, and it underscored the central theme of the matchup.
In big games, the team that avoids the catastrophic mistake usually controls the script - Winning Isn’t Always About Flashy Numbers
Tom Brady’s first and last Super Bowls both featured modest passing totals. The point: championships often hinge on discipline, not fireworks. Shanahan echoed that idea—when you have a great roster and a great coach, the quarterback’s job becomes simple. Don’t lose the game. Don’t give the opponent life. Sam Darnold fit that assignment perfectly.
The Bottom Line - Seattle’s season wasn’t just about talent - it was about identity. They played clean, physical, disciplined football in a conference where that style still wins. And when a coach like Shanahan openly warns that turnovers will decide the game, you know you’re watching two teams operating at a high level of honesty and preparation.
WHOA ! " Seattle Did What No One Else Could - Kyle Shanahan’s offense has been one of the NFL’s most consistently difficult puzzles. Yet Seattle solved it twice. No other team has managed that in Shanahan’s entire San Francisco tenure."
... after reading this i started to take my soup 'n rice to the microwave, but had taken my computer there instead. Forunately my computer is too big to fit in, and i did finally notice what i was doing. THIS is thought provoking ! Thanks, AKBear !
At some point, you want your savings working to generate income, relieving you as time goes on. That's the theory: either you work or your money works. Both is best. I heard Joe Montana put his MBA degree to work to create an investment fund which manages the money saved among former NFL Players. Many rude stories out there of guys retiring and spending themselves into oblivion. No doubt the Player's Union educates away from this now. Our guys will be set for life. My bet is Schneider has worked hard to prove himself trustworthy in securing their wellbeing. We have already watched a former player go out and grab the Wild Money when offered, returning when retirement looms, some for one day. Hell yes! Take it! No hard feelings. Just do not demand obscene amounts, defined by what will cut into the welfare of fellow players. John and Jody will budget to be as generous as they can up and to that point. As we are seeing, let the bonuses ride on making it to the Super Bowl. No mystery to it. This brutal game will make you rich, just not filthy rich. Wisdom. Good Order. May Brotherly Love prevail.
The Quarterback School has an analysis of Darnold and Maye's Superbowl performance. Here are the links.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nk6ER_y1NAQ&t
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ioNbp1y1yrM
I'm almost tempted to buy this. Almost.
https://printerval.com/rams-2026-super-bowl-lx-logo-team-design-classic-cap-p2425169033?spid=3418511106&utm_source=bing&utm_medium=paid&utm_campaign=Printerval.com_US_L3_BingAds_Pmax_All%20Products_06%2F08&campaign_name=Printerval.com_US_L3_BingAds_Pmax_All%20Products_06%2F08&campaign_id=698134631&msclkid=ca88aae52e9710e6662bc36e9d23744c&utm_term=2330140017825519&utm_content=US%20All%20Products%20New
🤣
Ha!
Nice🤩
Perty!
I thought you were exaggerating about how much the nickname doesn’t stick until you win the Super Bowl but you’re right. It’s insane how “The Darkside” went from feeling like “stop trying to make fetch happen” to The Official Nickname Every Sports Writer Uses overnight. Weird!
"Playing Fetch". I like it!
There is a play that I think epitomized the 2025 Seahawks team and that is the Rylie Mills sack. He sees a guard between himself and Maye and....
He.Did.Not.Care.
Different players stepped up throughout the year and exerted their will one play at a time. MOB.
Darnold fit this team well contrary to the doubt from the negative media. He did not care and brought his lunchbox to every game.
Mills gave me my Highlight Of The Game! Brute power taking down not one, but two, huge powerful Men. I'm thinking our D-line is secure! WoofWoof!
Sorry to go all-caps, but GENUINELY GREAT article, Ken! I'm so impressed with Sam's humility and down to earthness. And I enjoy that so many like Skip Brainless are *still* downplaying his accomplishments. And rival fan bases (and Puca Nacua) too, even though he showed out against them and made them watch the Super Bowl from their couches.
Since the Super Bowl I've been asked my favorite player on the team many times and it's hard to answer. I like so many of the guys very much. I ordered a knock off E Bay jersey after the NFCCG and after much consternation went with Leonard Williams. I narrowed it down to him, JSN, Darnold or K9 since I already have a #3 jersey and tape. If it turns out to be decent quality, I might double dip for a #14. This article reminded me why.
You could also turn the #3 into EJ #13 pretty easily, even if off-centered. I liked that K9 idea. Could also go with Coby Bryant (#8).
Deciding a number on a jersey is definitely personal preference. My 1st one was #37 Alexander, which happened to age well. That said, I went with #12 Fan on my most recent one so my investment would hold value and that I wouldn't have to change it. I do feel a special pride in the feeling of belonging to a credited part of the team while wearing it.
Go all caps all you want. I don’t get people who get all worked up about it. As long as it’s in English or French, I’m good with it ;)
How about Hungarian?
Sorry, no can do, but I did spend some time in Hungary a long time ago.