NFL-Profile of the NFC champion Seattle Seahawks

Feb 5 (Reuters) - Profile of the Seattle Seahawks, who face New England Patriots in the Super Bowl on Sunday in Santa Clara, California.

• Founded in 1976 as an NFL expansion franchise, the Seattle Seahawks began playing under head coach Jack Patera. They had a long spell in the AFC West (1977–2001) before returning to the NFC West in 2002.

• Chuck Knox became head coach in 1983 and led Seattle to the 1983 AFC Championship Game in his first season.

• The Seahawks' modern peak came in 2013–14 when Pete Carroll's team were built around a dominant defense and efficient offense led by quarterback Russell Wilson. They reached back-to-back Super Bowls, winning their first championship by routing the Denver Broncos 43–8 in the 2013 season before falling to New England 28–24 the next year.

• NFC Titles (season): 4 (2005, 2013, 2014, 2025)

• Super Bowl titles (season): 1 (2013)

Head coach: Mike Macdonald

Macdonald, hired in January 2024 to replace Pete Carroll, came to Seattle after serving as Baltimore Ravens' defensive coordinator from 2022–23 and quickly established a defense-first identity. In his second season, the 38-year-old led the Seahawks to a franchise-record 14–3 regular season, the NFC West title, and No. 1 seed in the NFC.

Starting quarterback: Sam Darnold

Darnold, who played for the New York Jets, Carolina Panthers, San Francisco 49ers and Minnesota Vikings, signed for Seattle in March last year on a three-year contract.

The 28-year-old powered the Seahawks' rise to the top of the NFC in his first season, authoring a signature moment in Week 9 at Washington with a perfect passer rating after throwing four touchdown passes without an incompletion in the first half. During the regular season, he threw for 4,048 yards and 25 touchdowns, with only 14 interceptions.

Seahawks 2025 regular season record: 14-3, won NFC West division

Week 1 - v San Francisco, lost 17-13

Week 2 - v Pittsburgh, won 31-17

Week 3 - v New Orleans, won 44-13

Week 4 - at Arizona, won 23-20

Week 5 - v Tampa Bay, lost 38-35

Week 6 - at Jacksonville, won 20-12

Week 7 - v Houston, won 27-19

Week 8 - Bye Week

Week 9 - at Washington, won 38-14

Week 10 - v Arizona, won 44-22

Week 11 - at Los Angeles Rams, lost 21-19

Week 12 - at Tennessee, won 30-24

Week 13 - v Minnesota, won 26-0

Week 14 - at Atlanta, won 37-9

Week 15 - v Indianapolis, won 18-16

Week 16 - v Los Angeles Rams, won 38-37

Week 17 - at Carolina, won 27-10

Week 18 - at San Francisco, won 13-3

NFC playoff seeding: 1

Path to the Super Bowl: Beat San Francisco 49ers 41-6 in the divisional playoffs and Los Angeles Rams 31-27 for NFC Championship.