Mike Vorel: Did Seahawks swing and miss on their offseason moves?

SEATTLE — After throwing two more interceptions in the Seattle Seahawks’ second straight loss, Sam Darnold was asked Thursday to identify the biggest difference between this season and last. Understandably, the 29-year-old quarterback side-stepped the question, offering only that “I’m not going to compare last year and this year. It’s the 2026 Seahawks. There are a lot of things that we need to get better at, and I’ll just leave it at that.”

When it comes to comparing last year and this year, he won’t.

I will.

Because, while the 2026 Seahawks have time and opportunities to find their footing, this is not the same team that won a Super Bowl. From a roster and salary-cap standpoint, “running it back” was unrealistic. But general manager John Schneider was tasked last offseason with making moves that maintained this team’s momentum.

Many of those moves have yet to pay off.

Rather than placing a franchise tag on reigning Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker III, Schneider and Co. drafted first-round running back Jadarian Price and signed free agent veteran Emanuel Wilson. I’ve written that it’s too early, both considering Walker’s extreme usage in Kansas City and Price’s minimal sample size, to make permanent conclusions on the Seahawks’ swap. If Walker caves under an unsustainable avalanche of carries, or Price develops into the player Seattle projected, the conversation shifts. These are marathons, not six-game sprints.

But early, at least, it doesn’t look good. While Walker leads the NFL in yards per carry (6.2) and rushing yards per game (134.3), the Seahawks’ running game has yet to get going. After fumbling twice in his first three games, Price was placed on IR with a chest injury. Wilson, George Holani and Velus Jones Jr. have averaged a combined 3.4 yards per carry. Schneider also signed running-back reinforcements Robert Henry Jr. and Dontae McMillan, who have yet to see the field.

It’s possible the eventual returns of Price and Zach Charbonnet help stabilize a beleaguered backfield. It’s possible there are home runs waiting to happen.

It’s also possible this is a problem one or two returns won’t fix.

“We talk about 12 as one together, the synergy of the team,” Macdonald said Thursday, after Seattle tailbacks rushed for 92 yards and a touchdown in the 17-14 overtime loss at Denver. “Right now, we’re not creating that run game.”

They’ve tried to create it with wide receiver Rashid Shaheed as well. Though Seattle re-signed him to a three-year, $51 million deal last offseason, it remains bafflingly difficult to incorporate Shaheed consistently in the offense. He contributed five catches for 66 yards against the Broncos, including a 42-yard deep ball, and added 116 significant return yards.

Shaheed showed up consistently, which is something we can’t often say. Given his contract, which is more than Walker received in Kansas City, the onus is on offensive coordinator Brian Fleury to spotlight the speedy receiver. It’s also on Shaheed to maximize his opportunities. Outside of special teams, that hasn’t happened often enough.

These are not the same Seahawks in many more ways. After free agent defensive end Boye Mafe signed with the Cincinnati Bengals last offseason, Seattle added veteran Dante Fowler Jr. to provide a pass rush. While Moye has impressed with five tackles for loss and three sacks in Cincinnati, the 32-year-old Fowler has a whopping one tackle so far in six games.

And after Riq Woolen signed a one-year contract with Philadelphia, Seattle added a chaotic array of cornerbacks. They re-signed Josh Jobe to a three-year deal, signed Terrion Arnold and Trevon Diggs and traded for undrafted rookie Avery Smith.

The early returns are mixed. Though Jobe’s end-zone interception sealed a Week 1 win, he was repeatedly beat by six-time Pro Bowler Mike Evans in a punishing home loss to San Francisco. Given Arnold’s legal troubles, it looks unlikely he ever plays here. Diggs and Smith have combined for five tackles and played sparingly, while third-year corner Nehemiah Pritchett has ascended in a steadier role.

Largely, though, Seattle’s offseason chess moves have provided little punch. The Seahawks lost core special teamers Cody White and Dareke Young to Las Vegas, and traded for return-coverage ace Irv Charles. White has exploded for three receiving touchdowns (tied for the team lead) under Raiders coach and former Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak, and Young has contributed as a kick returner. Charles, meanwhile, made his Seahawks debut Thursday after missing the first five games with a torn ACL.

Consider, too, Seattle’s 2026 draft class — Price; safety Bud Clark; cornerbacks Julian Neal, Andre Fuller and Michael Dansby; guard Beau Stephens; wide receiver Emmanuel Henderson Jr.; and defensive tackle Deven Eastern. Price and Clark’s rookie seasons have been bucked by injuries, and Stephens has rotated at right guard. Neal has made two tackles on special teams. But in terms of tangible impact, that’s basically it.

Granted, the Seahawks’ riskiest replacement isn’t on the active roster. After Kubiak left for Las Vegas, Macdonald and Schneider made an unheralded hire in Fleury, who had never served as offensive coordinator or called plays on any level. Six games later, the Seahawks sit 11th in scoring (24.7 points per game), 16th in yards per play (5.3) and 28th in third-down conversions (32.4%). Their 12 turnovers are second-most in the NFL as well.

At 3-3, with a home clash against undefeated Kansas City on deck, Fleury must show he can right the ship.

This is still a talented and capable team. But if you assess the offseason with a six-game sample size, it looks like the Seahawks got a little bit worse. For a team that has lost three games by eight total points, the little bits make a big difference.

The question is how much can be corrected, whether via internal improvement or acquisitions. Schneider, the reigning NFL Executive of the Year, has earned faith in his ability to evaluate and act. He and Macdonald have displayed a willingness to make difficult decisions as well.

Remember Macdonald’s debut season — when Seattle traded linebacker Jerome Baker for Ernest Jones IV in late October, waived leading tackler Tyrel Dodson and elevated rookie Tyrice Knight to fix their run defense on the fly?

At 4-5, they made swift moves to correct offseason misses, then won six of their next eight games.

More such moves may not be necessary. But the Seahawks have to evaluate all options.

“We’re not questioning people,” Macdonald said Thursday. “We’re evaluating. We’re finding solutions. I’m responsible for the performance of the team, so we have to do a great job of that. I believe in our guys. I believe in all of our guys.”

They’re not the same guys as a season ago. They’re the 2026 Seahawks, for better or worse.

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