INGLEWOOD, Calif. — And just like that, it’s over.
After 17 NFL games, the 2024 Seattle Seahawks ended up being about what many thought — a 10-7 football team.
They picked up their final win of the season against the Rams at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, 30-25, against a large number of backups. LA, already in the postseason, rested starting quarterback Matthew Stafford and others.
In case you missed a lot of math lessons over the past 10 days after the Seahawks beat the Bears 6-3 the day after Christmas, the Seahawks lost a postseason berth due to the fifth tiebreaker — strength of victory. So, it’ll be the 10-7 Rams moving on to face one of the greatest No. 5 seeds of all time. That opponent will be decided tonight as a pair of 14-win teams — Detroit and Minnesota — fight for the NFC North and the No. 1 seed.
The Seahawks, who finished second in the NFC West, will be well into vacation mode by the time the Rams play again, however. The season ended earlier than hoped, and the offseason began when the clock showed zeroes on Sunday.
“There are so many lessons learned from this season,” Seahawks 37-year-old rookie head coach Mike Macdonald said. “We’re going to grow from this. I really believe this is the beginning of something special.”
10-7 is both good and bad
Finishing 10-7 usually means a solid year. It’s most often a playoff season, and in the NFL, any team that gets in has a chance to do some damage. But this year, it means the season’s over. It means there’s not a high-end draft pick. But, mostly it means sitting at home as a player or a fan, watching as 14 other teams prepare for the postseason.
“Winning was always going to be the most important thing,” said Smith, who completed 20 of 27 passes for 223 yards and a career-high four touchdown passes. “Any time — shoot, man — any time you don’t have a chance to control your own destiny, it’s always going to suck. For us, as a team, we wanted to close the season on a right note, in the right way.”
The offseason begins now
What will become of Geno Smith? The 34-year-old quarterback had a middling season. While he ranks up with the best in yards and completions percentage, he entered the Rams game with 17 touchdowns and 15 interceptions. He’s got one year left on his contract. The Seahawks and Smith could let that play out. But, there seems to be no strong succession plan. Sam Howell? Draft a guy? Trade for a guy? Sign a guy? None of those are certain to lead to improvement in arguably the most important position in sports.
“I’m telling you, this team is headed in the right direction,” Smith said. “This team is on its way — that’s with or without me.”
“I’m just focused on winning. I look forward to the future. I look forward to getting my body right, getting stronger, getting faster — coming back a better player.”
What about Ernest Jones IV? Though Jones and the team decided to take a break from negotiations, both sides sound very open to an extension for the free agent to be. Look for a three-year deal in the $10 million per year range. The Seahawks like Jones, and he likes it in Seattle. He’s indicated he’d rather not move his wife and young child again. But, an offer significantly above what Seattle is willing to pay can change anyone’s mind.
What about Tyler Lockett? The franchise’s second-all-time leading receiver in several categories has likely played his last game for the Seahawks. Though there’s always a chance of a team-friendly deal, it seems unlikely for a team looking to continue a youth movement. Lockett caught one pass for 17 yards on Sunday. Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who’s taken a lot of targets that were once Lockett’s, caught four passes Sunday to tie Lockett’s single-season franchise record of 100.
“That’s an agent question,” said Lockett when asked about his future after the Rams game. “I think there’s going to be a lot of conversations. … It’s easy to say ‘we want you back,’ but you’ve still got to be able to have those conversations — figure out what’s going to work, what’s not going to work, what the role is going to be.”
What about offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb? That one was answered on Monday morning when he was fired. There’s no question that the offense — including the offensive line in particular — held the team back this season. Macdonald seemed displeased at times.
Stay tuned. This does seem like a team that is moving in the right direction. The moves they make this offseason will dictate whether they play at least an 18th game for the 2025 season.
“I believe we have a bright future,” Smith said. “I believe we’re getting better.”
“…These guys in this locker room, these coaches, this organization. … I believe the best is going to happen for this team, and I just want to continue to fight with these guys.”
This story originally appeared in seattlesportsnow.com, of which Aaron Coe is a co-founder.
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