The Seattle Seahawks are the defending champions following a fantastic run in 2025 which resulted in the second Lombardi Trophy in franchise history. Despite this, they’re not the favorites to win their division in 2026.

Instead, the Los Angeles Rams are the hot team, thanks in large part to the addition of Myles Garrett. The two-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year does give them a huge boost, but the Seahawks know they can still win their division once again.

Here we dive into three reasons to believe that will be the case for Mike Macdonald and his team.

3. Passing attack will be improved

With Klint Kubiak leaving to take the head coaching job with the Las Vegas Raiders, Brian Fleury is set to take over as the offensive coordinator in Seattle. Fleury spent the past seven years with the San Francisco 49ers and was most recently their run game coordinator and tight ends coach.

He’s expected to feature a run-heavy offense once again, but that doesn’t mean the Seahawks aerial attack won’t be a problem for opposing teams. With Sam Darnold entering his second season with the team, he’s going to have far more comfort with his teammates. As Seahawks On SI’s Russell Baxter wrote, he’s also unsatisfied with his performance in the Super Bowl and wants to improve in 2026.

His motivation, along with the presence of Jaxson Smith-Njigba is enough for the offense to be as dangerous as they were last year. Rashid Shaheed having a full offseason with the team is a reason to believe they can be even better.

2. The run game will be a strength once again

Losing Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker III in free agency was a blow, but the Seahawks made sure to enter the new season with just as much firepower in the ground game. Even with Zach Charbonnet still recovering from a torn ACL, the Seahawks have a strong unit.

Led by rookie Jadarian Price, Seattle also has Emanuel Wilson and George Holani. There might not be many proven options, but as Seahawks On SI’s Michael Hanich writes, the coaching staff trusts this unit.

Offensive coordinator Brian Fleury had success leading the rushing attack in San Francisco last year and his defensive background has him favoring a more violent and punishing rushing attack. That will allow the Seahawks to wear teams down with the ground game, even without Walker.

1. Mike Macdonald continues to build the defense to fit his vision

During his first season as head coach, Mike Macdonald led Seattle to the 11th best scoring defense, which was a massive jump from 25th the prior year. They shot up the leaderboard again in 2025, finishing with the No. 1 scoring defense, which is what led the way during their title run.

Macdonald made those improvements by building the defense to his preference. They have trusted veterans on the defensive line and have built a strong nickel defense with defensive back Nick Emmanwori as one of his key pieces.

This offseason, he added another versatile defensive back in Bud Clark, a speedy pass-rusher in Dante Fowler Jr., and a big-bodied cornerback in Julian Neal. Macdonald also allowed Boye Mafe to leave while putting Derick Hall in position to take on a larger load. All these moves have given them a defense that Macdonald can turn into an even better one than we saw last year.

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A man with the same name and party affiliation as Alaska Republican U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan is eligible to challenge the senator in the August primary, a judge ruled Friday.

Superior Court Judge Thomas Matthews’ ruling overturns a June 15 decision by Division of Elections Director Carol Beecher to disqualify the challenger and keep him off the primary ballot. Matthews’ ruling can be appealed to the state Supreme Court.

Attorneys for the state have said Tuesday is the deadline for a final ruling so that ballots for the Aug. 18 primary can be printed.

The judge ruled that the division’s decision to exclude Dan J. Sullivan because his candidacy was not “in good faith” was not based on the Constitution, Alaska law or the division’s own regulations. The retired teacher from the small fishing community of Petersburg filed to challenge the incumbent.

“Instead, the decision was based upon a new, previously unstated, ‘good faith’ criteria,” the judge wrote.

The division is appealing the decision, Sam Curtis, a spokesperson with the state Department of Law, said by email Saturday. Jeffrey Robinson, an attorney for Dan J. Sullivan, said in an email he expected the division to appeal and couldn’t comment until the Alaska Supreme Court rules on the case.

The controversy over the two Dan Sullivans has underscored the stakes involved in the incumbent’s reelection campaign. The Alaska race is one of about half a dozen U.S. Senate races expected to be highly competitive in the fall, and the seat is one Democrats are trying to flip in their efforts to try to regain the majority. But it’s expected to be an uphill battle in a state that President Trump won by 13 points in 2024.

The senator and allies, including the National Republican Senatorial Committee, have condemned the challenger’s efforts to join the race, arguing his presence could confuse voters. Republican Lt. Gov. Nancy Dahlstrom earlier this month opened an investigation into the non-Senator Sullivan’s candidacy.

Under Alaska’s election system, the top four candidates from the primary, regardless of party, move on to the ranked-choice November general election.

The senator has accused the challenger Sullivan of working with Democrats and the campaign of Democratic former U.S. Rep. Mary Peltola — who is considered the senator’s main opponent — to cause confusion and boost Peltola’s chances. The sitting senator brought the situation to reporters’ attention at the Capitol earlier this month, accusing Democrats of being “complicit in trying to trick Alaskans” to “rig an election in their favor.” 

Peltola’s campaign and state Democrats have denied the allegation, as has the challenger.

Sen. Sullivan and Peltola are the highest-profile candidates in the crowded race and the only ones to report raising any money.

Beecher has said she determined the challenger Sullivan is not eligible to run because his candidacy was not filed in good faith and instead was done with an intent to confuse voters. She said he had registered to vote as Daniel J. Sullivan Jr. and, in conjunction with his candidacy, changed his party affiliation to Republican. She also cited similarities between his campaign website and the senator’s, and his work with a consultant whose clients have included some Democrats. She did not mention finding any evidence of alleged coordination.

In arguing to keep the challenger disqualified, attorneys for the state pushed back on suggestions the ballot could be designed in a way to reduce voter confusion over two candidates with the same name and party running for the same office.

“The Constitution does not require States to place a sham candidate on the ballot and then attempt to mitigate the damage through design choices,” attorney Rachel Witty, with the Alaska Department of Law, and outside attorneys Christopher Murray and Michael Francisco wrote in court filings.

Attorneys for the challenger Sullivan argued that the Constitution lays out three exclusive qualifications for the Senate, addressing only age, citizenship and residency. They said Beecher lacked the legal authority to boot their client off the ballot.

The challenger Sullivan has said that sharing a name and party affiliation with the incumbent gave him “an instant megaphone.” But the 69-year-old retired teacher and former U.S. Forest Service employee said he had considered a run for some time and had grown frustrated with the senator.

He initially was certified on the state’s candidate list as Dan J. Sullivan, with the senator listed as Dan S. Sullivan and identified as the incumbent.

Arizona’s growth is landing hardest where there is still land to build, road to widen, and a job within commuting distance. The state added about 97,000 residents between mid-2024 and mid-2025, with Maricopa and Pinal counties taking the largest share. The pressure keeps pushing out from Phoenix into the West Valley and Pinal County while southern and rural Arizona stay flat or shrink. Housing supply and commuter access and big new master-planned communities are deciding where people land. The result is a growth map led by Buckeye and Queen Creek and the fast-rising cities of Pinal County.

Buckeye

Buckeye is one of Arizona’s biggest growth stories because it still has open desert to fill west of Phoenix. The city jumped about 37% since 2020 to roughly 125,400 residents, one of the largest numeric gains in the state. The pattern is housing first, access second. There is more room here than in the older Phoenix suburbs, and I-10 keeps it tied to jobs across the West Valley and central Phoenix. The city has projected more than 2,900 new homes for 2025 alone, which is most of the story. Verrado, Sundance, Tartesso, and the corridors along Watson and Yuma roads are where the change shows on the ground. Buckeye grows because West Valley demand keeps moving farther out.

Queen Creek

Few Arizona towns have changed as fast as Queen Creek. It grew more than 50% since 2020 to about 89,800 residents, one of the steepest rates among the state’s larger places. The town sits where Maricopa and Pinal County growth meet, part bedroom community, part job corridor, part family-housing magnet. New subdivisions, retail, schools, and road work have all chased the population up. The town is planning for a build-out near 150,000, so this is not a short-term bump. The change is loudest around Queen Creek Marketplace, Ellsworth Loop Road, the town center, and the neighborhoods spreading toward San Tan Valley.

Maricopa

Maricopa shows how much of Arizona’s growth is now spilling into Pinal County. The city climbed about 35% since 2020 to roughly 76,700 residents, ranking among the state’s largest city-level gainers year over year. Housing is the draw, but the commute defines daily life. Most residents rely on State Route 347 to reach jobs in Chandler, Tempe, Phoenix, and the wider Valley, which is exactly why the SR 347 widening has become such a fight. Copper Sky, the city center, and the commercial growth along John Wayne Parkway give Maricopa more services than it had in earlier boom years. The city keeps growing because families keep finding homes there, even as the roads work to catch up.

Goodyear

Goodyear has become one of the West Valley’s major growth centers. The city rose about 30% since 2020 to roughly 118,200 residents, again among the state’s largest numeric gainers. Its growth runs on a mix of housing, jobs, healthcare, logistics, and freeway access. Goodyear sits along I-10 with newer neighborhoods spreading south and west while employers cluster around the business parks, industrial areas, and the airport. It ranks among the country’s fastest-growing cities above 50,000, with more than 20,000 acres of parks and trails feeding a family-and-retirement appeal. Estrella, Palm Valley, Goodyear Civic Square, and the Loop 303 area give the city several growth points instead of one.

Surprise

Surprise keeps gaining as the northwest Valley builds out. The city reached about 167,600 residents in 2025, up roughly 22% since 2020, and it added more people year over year than any Arizona city except Phoenix. The growth is housing and retail finally catching up to each other. Newer subdivisions, retirement communities, spring-training crowds, and expanding shopping mean fewer trips deeper into Phoenix for everyday errands. Surprise City Center is filling in while the Prasada area has become one of the northwest Valley’s busiest retail zones. The Surprise Stadium area, Bell Road, Asante, and the northern neighborhoods each show a different side of the build-out.

Casa Grande

Casa Grande is at the center of the Pinal County shift between Phoenix and Tucson. The city grew about 30% since 2020 to roughly 69,800 residents, one of Arizona’s fastest gainers. What sets it apart is that it is not only a commuter town. Casa Grande has turned into a manufacturing and logistics hub, with Lucid Motors, Kohler, Frito-Lay, and Abbott Nutrition tied to the I-10 and I-8 corridors. Lucid alone has put about $2 billion into the city and created some 2,500 jobs. Downtown, the Promenade, the industrial parks, and the new subdivisions show jobs and housing climbing together, which makes Casa Grande a regional center rather than a midpoint.

Coolidge

Coolidge is smaller than most of this list, but its growth rate stands out. The city grew roughly 48% since 2020 to just under 20,000 residents, among the fastest in the state. The reasons are location and cheap land. Coolidge sits in central Pinal County, close to Casa Grande, Florence, Queen Creek, and the wider Phoenix-Tucson corridor, right in the path of the industrial and logistics growth spreading across the county. New housing and job access are turning a former farm town into a connected piece of central Arizona’s map. The land around Arizona Boulevard and Coolidge Avenue gives the city room for both homes and employers.

Marana

Marana is southern Arizona’s clearest entry here, the only Pima County city among the state’s ten fastest-growing since 2020. The town grew about 26% over those five years to roughly 65,500 residents. The push comes from Tucson’s northward spread. Marana has I-10 access, master-planned communities, schools, and new development along Tangerine, Cortaro, and Twin Peaks roads. A planned downtown is in the works on about 60 acres near the Ed Honea Marana Municipal Complex. Marana adds residents because it offers Tucson-area households newer housing and desert scenery without pulling them far from the metro economy.

Where Arizona’s Growth Is Heading

Arizona’s growth is still anchored in the Phoenix region, but the pressure is spreading outward rather than filling the old urban core. Maricopa County still adds the most people by number, while Pinal County has become the state’s fastest-growing county by rate. That puts housing, roads, schools, water, and local services at the center of the next decade in places like Buckeye, Queen Creek, and Casa Grande. The cities that do well will be the ones that add homes and jobs together, so daily life does not turn into a long commute between subdivisions and services.