Seattle Seahawks Predicted To Finish Last in NFC West

Are the Seattle Seahawks doomed to fall to the NFC West basement in 2024 with an all-new coaching staff?

Dec 31, 2023; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Ravens defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald on the sidelines during the third quarter against the Miami Dolphins at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mitch Stringer-USA TODAY Sports / Mitch Stringer-USA TODAY Sports

The 2024 season marks the dawn of a new era for the Seattle Seahawks, with Mike Macdonald now leading the way as head coach.

As such, it's fair to expect some potential growing pains along the way. After all, Pete Carroll was at the helm for the past 14 seasons, so it will take some time to adjust even if Macdonald proves to be a home-run hire. There's also been some turnover on both sides of the ball; not a complete overhaul, but enough to make a noticeable difference.

That begs the question: How many growing pains should fans expect in year one under Macdonald? USA Today's Nate Davis expects there to be quite a bit, as he predicted the Seahawks to go 5-12 and finish last in the NFC West in his annual NFL record projections.

"New coaches, new playbooks, new culture … and hardly any guarantee that this roster currently fits the philosophies of Mike Macdonald, 37, now the youngest HC in the league. Hard to believe a group that’s been ineffective defensively while struggling to run the ball in recent years will suddenly do an about-face in 2024 – and having just three home games in the season’s second half certainly won’t help."

To be fair, the NFC West is one of the toughest divisions in football, and the Arizona Cardinals taking a step forward like many expect them to would only make things even tougher for Seattle.

On the other hand, this prediction feels like way too much of an overreaction. There's too much talent on this roster to reasonably expect a five-win season, and Macdonald is arguably the first-year coach with the most optimism surrounding him.

The Seahawks have finished last in the NFC West just once since the turn of the century, and that was in 2021. Even then, they dealt with Russell Wilson missing three games due to injury and still finished a respectable 7-10 despite playing in a division with three playoff teams.

Davis also hasn't had the best track record with predicting the Seahawks' records. He (along with many others) projected them to go just 5-12 in 2022, and they wound up going 9-8 and making the playoffs. The Seahawks may not be a Super Bowl contender, but they're far from a bottom-feeder.