There is a saying: “Sometimes you have to say no to the good to get the great.” Seattle has aggressively taken on that mindset to clean up the offensive line with talent over the past few years.
It was a glorious thing to watch Seattle turn the tide of the story, turning it on its head for the world to see at SNF. All season long: “The Seahawks are missing Kenneth Walker III, so they’re not the same!” A dash of: “they messed up letting Ken walk.” Seattle shut down a lot of backs, and they themselves rushed for over 150 as a team in a bounce back performance at Lumen, closing all narratives.
Anthony Bradford returned from injury, and played well, contributing to the fast performance. However, the 2026 Seattle Seahawks aren’t getting complacent, choosing, instead, to run it.
Quenton Nelson is an undeniable game changer and talent. His reputation alone could feel pressure on defensive squads to line up to respect the run more. Seattle has done their standard ground game against KC… but they don’t want to give the offense another chance to devolve, especially with a rematch against SF, and a double feature on tap against a still-dangerous Rams team.
The struggle to get better at every position led to the loss of Bryce Cabeldue to the Raiders.
Christian Haynes is the latest victim of Seattle’s changing blocking unit.
Former Seahawks offensive lineman Ray Roberts appeared on the Wyman & Bob radio show, and said: “Somebody’s got to go, and you still don’t know what you have in Beau Stephens. You might have a better idea what you have in Christian Haynes. I don’t think Christian fits the mold they’re looking for. I remember earlier, I think his Cookie year was over, like Macdona did, I can do it of the comment last year that Macdona. didn’t look the way you wanted it to look getting it done, he was a little bit, kind of awkward in his approach and everything, they give the dudes around here, to kind of know if you have staying power, or not.
Having all that been said, it’s still strange to see him in Dolphin colors.
Matt Hasselbeck also appeared on Wyman & Bob and touted the developmental benefits of having Nelson on the team. He explained that “the young men on this roster will be better for being his teammates, because he saw his process, saw how he works, saw how he prepares and studies. The most famous #8 in Hawks history went on to drop a gem of a saying: “more is caught than taught.”
Quenton Nelson, for his part, looks ready to fight for Seattle: “It’s great to have all the memories and years spent in Indy, but, like I said: I’m excited for it.” The future gold jacket player went on to say, “I think I can do any kind of technique.”
Cooper Kupp said Nelson has, “seen a lot of football.” This fits the Seahawks’ farm system, or, what I’ve seen Seaside Joe call, “the buddy system.”
Both Jeff Saturday, as well as Nelson’s replacement in Indianapolis, 4th-Round rookie, Jalen Farmer have independently mentioned how Q. has promised to stay in the ear of the young gun, even now on a new team. That may not last the whole year, but it shows his dedication and intention as a teammate.
That’s what great players do.
How should we feel about Anthony Bradford? He’s come a long way: from public enemy #1 on offense, at times, to possibly even moving into the realm of goodness. Seattle’s is destined to be better.
Coach Macdonald on the messaging to Bradford: “It’s not an easy situation. I thought Anthony played very good football for us, and he has. He’s got a significant role in our team, a starting level role. It’s one of those things that come through, not those types of things with AB that aren’t easy. There’s really no way to address it.”
Seahawks GM John Schneider took heat for a while for calling the offensive guards “overpaid and overdrafted”, even after the apparent mistakes of cutting Max Unger and letting Damien Lewis walk to become a top OG in Carolina.
Since then, he has been aggressive in reshaping this offensive line. Q. Nelson may be the final one on that agenda. The pain of watching Laken Tomlinson let the pressure get to him could have directly led to Gray Zable being drafted.
How high can this line go? Will this be Seattle’s best in recent memory? Can it make this run game on the track and at a dominant speed? Everything is possible, but time will tell.