5 Storylines to Watch in Seahawks' Week 18 Game vs. Rams

Despite being eliminated from the playoffs, the Seattle Seahawks have plenty to play for against the Los Angeles Rams in Week 18.

Connor Benintendi | Jan 4, 2025

Nov 3, 2024; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Seahawks cornerback Coby Bryant (8) breaks up a pass intended for Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Demarcus Robinson (15) during the fourth quarter at Lumen Field. Seattle Seahawks cornerback Devon Witherspoon (21) follows the play at right. / Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images

In this story:

Seattle Seahawks

The Seattle Seahawks won’t be playing for a playoff spot in Week 18, but they have one more opportunity to reach 10 wins in 2024 when they face the Los Angeles Rams.

LA will hardly be the team Seattle faced back in Week 9, with the Rams already announcing many starters will stay on the bench for this game. Still, the Seahawks have goals they are trying to reach — for both the players and the team as a whole.

Seattle (9-7) is trying to end its season on a high note in head coach Mike Macdonald’s first season leading the team. LA (10-6) has already earned the division title and is now just trying to determine whether it’ll be the third or fourth seed in the NFC.

The Seahawks and Rams kick off at 1:25 p.m. on Sunday at SoFi Stadium. Here are five storylines to watch in Seattle’s Week 18 season finale.

1. Will Seattle’s starters play the whole game?

The Rams have already announced nearly their entire starting lineup on offense will stay on the bench in this game. The defensive starters also are not likely to play the whole game. Seattle has an opportunity to get some more snaps for its younger players in a contest that doesn’t affect anything except the Seahawks’ draft position and pride.

Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald has to balance developing players, financial incentives for players, injury risk and trying to win a football game. Macdonald has made it clear they are playing to win and not just trotting onto the field for one final time this season for a meaningless game.

Right tackle Abraham Lucas and cornerback Josh Jobe have been ruled out to ensure they don’t aggravate existing injuries. Don’t be surprised if more of the Seahawks’ starters are pulled late in the game if Seattle has a decent lead.

2. Will Geno Smith earn his contract incentives?

Seattle’s starting quarterback can earn some extra cash on Sunday. If he throws for at least 186 yards and hits a completion percentage mark, Smith can earn an additional $4 million. If the Seahawks win and reach 10 wins, he can pick up another $2 million.

Those numbers do leave some wiggle room for Smith to be pulled early, allowing Macdonald and offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb to potentially assess Sam Howell and quarterback. Howell only played significant time once this season and struggled mightily. Seattle has to see if he’s worth keeping around moving forward.

The Seahawks may throw the ball early and often to try and allow Smith to earn his money quickly before putting Howell in.

3. Two rookies have a chance to close out the season strong.

The starters that will replace Lucas and Jobe haven’t been announced, but Macdonald and the coaching staff should consider letting rookies Michael Jerrell (right tackle) and Nehemiah Pritchett (cornerback) play the entire game.

Pritchett has been a healthy scratch for two straight weeks as Tre Brown has resurfaced in the cornerback rotation. Jerrell has also been a scratch in the last two games and hasn’t played more than 15 offensive snaps since Week 11. Lucas’ return ended the early-season carousel at right tackle for the Seahawks that saw them start three different players at the position.

If the coaching staff wants to see what Pritchett and Jerrell may be capable of next season and beyond, regular-season reps will be key. Why not let them play, especially since they already know what they have in Brown at cornerback and Stone Forsythe at right tackle — both of whom have been disappointing when receiving significant playing time.

4. Is this Tyler Lockett’s last game as a Seahawk?

November 17, 2024; Santa Clara, California, USA; Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Tyler Lockett (16) runs the football against San Francisco 49ers cornerback Isaac Yiadom (22) during the first quarter at Levi's Stadium. / Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

Statistically, Lockett is the second-most prolific Seahawks receiver in team history. He’s second in catches (659), receiving yards (8,566) and receiving touchdowns (61) and holds the single-season reception record at 100, set in 2020. Drafted in 2015, Lockett is the team’s longest-tenured player currently on the roster.

Unfortunately, he’ll turn 33 next season, carries a $30.9 million cap hit in 2025 and is having his worst statistical season since 2017. Lockett is commanding just a 13.5 percent target share this season and has 47 catches for 572 yards and two touchdowns this season with Jaxon Smith-Njigba and DK Metcalf receiving most of Smith’s passes.

Lockett plans to play next year, he said, but it might not be in Seattle. With his new role in the offense as the third receiver, it wouldn’t make much sense for the Seahawks to carry his contract into 2025.

5. Reaching 10 wins in his first season as head coach would be huge for Mike Macdonald.

This season may be viewed as a failure by many, particularly because they removed Pete Carroll from the helm after 14 seasons when the Seahawks missed the playoffs for the second time in three seasons. Then they didn’t make the playoffs again with Macdonald leading the team, and they may finish with the exact same record as last season.

That’s why 10 wins matters for this team. It would show progress, regardless of whether Seattle is in the playoffs or not. Macdonald has made it clear it’s a priority, and that’s why most or all of the starters will be playing on Sunday.

“You’re always trying to win your next game. This is the next game. That’s number one,” Macdonald said on Wednesday. “There is broader implications: getting to 10 wins; trying to be 4-2 in our division; trying to play our brand of football the way we know how; building upon our foundation for years to come. There is a lot at stake for us this weekend. It’s not the stakes that we wanted, but those are always in play.”