Seattle, WA

Richard Sherman right about what Seattle Seahawks need – kinda

Published

1 year ago

October 30, 2024

Richard Sherman right about what Seattle Seahawks need – kinda

We are eight weeks into this Seattle Seahawks season and it’s clear that they are missing something. Maybe a couple of somethings.

What happened to Seahawks’ homefield advantage at Lumen Field?

After racing out to that fast start (mostly against teams and quarterbacks not going much of anywhere this season), they have lost four of five games. And for the second time in three weeks, they find themselves in desperate need of a win to avoid going into meltdown mode.

While the Seahawks aren’t the most talented team in the league, they have enough on their roster to expect them to be competitive every week. Head coach Mike Macdonald isn’t questioning their effort level, and he said that there isn’t a problem with the scheme. But the team can’t run the ball and they can’t stop the run. So what is it?

It’s with that question in mind that Richard Sherman enters the chat.

“The Seattle Seahawks look like they need leadership on defense,” he said on his podcast this week in a moment of lucidity. “They need a veteran presence to stabilize this defense. Maybe a Pro Bowler, maybe an All-Pro linebacker who’s just played a lot of football. Just somebody that’s been there, that knows the team, that knows the city … Don’t get me started on the idiocracy that it is to watch Bobby Wagner walk away for the second time. Not the first time – second time!”

Oh well. What started as actual analysis turned out to be just a pitch for his old teammate.

Wagner was not necessarily the solution for what ails these Seahawks, but the comment does bring up one of the problems that hasn’t been discussed: they do need leadership.

That isn’t to say the team doesn’t have veterans. They do. Geno Smith and Tyler Lockett are both in their 30s and should be resources for younger players on the team. Same with Jarran Reed, Leonard Williams and others on the defensive side of the ball. But one thing those four have in common (along with every other player on the roster until the arrival of special teamer Josh Ross) is that they have never played for Mike Macdonald.

When Macdonald first arrived, we all wondered which coaches and players he would bring along with him. When he eschewed the tradition of hiring coaches from his previous locale, it came with an understandable rationale: he was looking for the best teachers rather than the ones with the most familiarity with his system.

It’s compelling logic, and proof that he isn’t beholden to the good ol’ boy culture that is too pervasive in the NFL. But maybe having someone else who “speaks his language” could have helped ease the transition and lessened the strain on the head coach himself. How much easier would it be to have others on staff with an understanding of the concepts that predate this past offseason?

While a coach with familiarity might have helped with the installation, the last few weeks make a case for Sherman’s observation that they needed more veteran leadership – though not necessarily for the reasons he may think.

Is the old Russell Wilson back? Brock Huard shares what he sees

Sherm is (as always) clouded by his dismissal from Seattle. He believes the team should have kept the entire band together forever. It’s a revisionist version of history that conveniently forgets the injuries, the decline, the salary cap, and the behavior that ultimately led to his exit and some of the others around him.

“There’s a standard set,” Sherm said of Wagner. “But people are so quick to move on. They’re quick to say, ‘Oh, the new thing’s the better thing.’ It’s not.”

Maybe he’s talking about his former teammate, but it sure sounds like he’s just talking about himself. Shocker.

And yet I do believe Macdonald would have been served to have more veteran leadership on his team, though not necessarily for the same reasons as Sherm. Just as coaches familiar with Macdonald’s system would be helpful to explain it to others in the building, so too would a player or two familiar with his culture. Sure, they could be a useful voice on the field to make sure the communication is on point, but even more importantly, they could testify as to the success of the scheme and culture. That might have been helpful at the start, but I would think it is even more important now, when things aren’t going as smoothly as possible and doubt could start to creep in.

While Wagner could certainly have provided leadership both on and off the field, he is also a direct link to the past. And with a new coach coming in trying to set his own culture, those constant reminders of the previous regime can lead to mixed messaging. Remember, this is the head coach that removed the basketball hoop from the meeting room and set about redecorating the halls to reinforce his philosophies rather than those of his predecessor.

Yes, Macdonald could have used a veteran presence. But that presence should have had familiarity with his system and culture. Someone who could translate the coaches’ words and reinforce the validity of his culture. Someone who could, for lack of a better word, proselytize his vision from a place of experience. Maybe the addition of Ross was a (small) step in that direction.

Macdonald said after Sunday’s loss to Buffalo that he would be trimming the playbook.

“I think you gotta start making some decisions on where to narrow it down. You can’t focus on everything,” he said. “So taking out the stuff that we feel like is kind of sunk costs at this point, maybe trying to trim that and then really focusing on and honing in on the stuff that we want to go excel at.”

Maybe less is more? Certainly that is the hope and it makes sense. But why is it necessary?

According to Macdonald, they haven’t “executed the things well enough and created the situations where we want to be able to get to everything. You have some things that would help schematically, but the answer at the end of the day isn’t the X’s and O’s. It’s really not.”

More: Macdonald on where Seahawks are at with schemes

While my initial read on that was to suggest that he was blaming the talent rather than the coaching, perhaps a clearer interpretation is that he needs players with more experience in the system to be able to everyone get deeper into the playbook.

Macdonald could use some help. He could use more veteran experience in the locker room and on the field. And he could use more familiarity with his system. I’m curious to see if and when that occurs.

Thanks, Sherm!

More on the Seattle Seahawks

• Seattle Seahawks appear to have a new position battle brewing
• How much is Geno Smith at fault for Seattle Seahawks’ woes?
• Huard: A troubling Seahawks stat sticks out after loss to Bills
• Check-In: Mike Macdonald’s 4-4 Seahawks hard to pin down
• Disastrous goal-line gaffes doom Seattle Seahawks in ugly loss

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Seattle, WA

Where Seattle Seahawks’ No. 1 seed odds stand after Week 16

Published

1 hour ago

December 23, 2025

Press Room

Where Seattle Seahawks’ No. 1 seed odds stand after Week 16

The NFC West is a crowded mess, with three of the NFL’s best teams vying for both the division crown and the NFC’s No. 1 seed.

And it just got messier.

The 49ers’ win over the Colts on Monday night improves their record to 11-4, tying them with the Rams and putting both teams one game behind the 12-3 Seahawks.

Are Seahawks now the NFC favorite? Sheil Kapadia’s take

What does it mean for Seattle? I’ll be using The Athletic’s 2025 Playoff Simulator to navigate through the next two weeks…

First, the basics. What’s next for these three teams?

The 49ers have two at home. They host the 11-4 Chicago Bears (the league’s leader in takeaways and coming off back-to-back wins) for Sunday Night Football and then host the Seahawks. The date and time on that one is TBD, usually settled late Week 17, but it’s a favorite to be another primetime matchup.

The current NFL playoff picture

The Seahawks have two on the road. They head to Carolina to take on a hungry 8-7 Panthers team, also coming off a win, that can clinch the NFC South for the first time in a decade with a victory and a Bucs’ loss to the Dolphins. Then the Seahawks head to Santa Clara to face the 49ers.

The Rams have the easiest slate, facing two teams already eliminated from the postseason. They head to play the 6-9 Falcons and then host the 3-12 Cardinals in the regular-season finale.

What are the Seahawks’ current odds of clinching the No. 1 seed?

The Seahawks entered Monday with 53% odds to clinch the No. 1 seed. There’s not a big hit from the 49ers’ win: Seattle’s odds dip to 48%, but are still the highest of the three (49ers at 27% and the Rams at 11% before games are played this upcoming Sunday).

The only thing eliminated by virtue of the 49ers’ win was the Seahawks’ ability to clinch the top seed this Sunday.

If all three NFC West teams win in Week 17, the Seahawks’ odds are right where they were: 53%. That’s how monumental Week 18’s game against the 49ers is.

Best-case scenario in Week 17: Easy. The Seahawks are the only team of the three to win this Sunday. Their odds would jump to 74%. They get the No. 1 seed one of two ways after that: beat the 49ers, or lose to the 49ers + a Lions win over the Bears.

Worst-case scenario in Week 17: The Seahawks lose, while the Rams and 49ers win. Seattle’s odds would drop to 7%. But they’re not done; in this scenario, they could still get the top seed with a win over the 49ers + a Cardinals win over the Rams.

How would the Rams clinch? The Rams’ loss to the Seahawks last Thursday night took L.A. out of the driver’s seat. The Rams’ simplest path is to: win out + the Seahawks and 49ers lose one game each + the Lions beat the Bears. The Rams need the Seahawks to lose to make up for the one-game lead, and need the Bears to lose to win a tiebreaker (conference record).

What else should we know?

Oh, that’s right, the Bears.

There’s another team here still fighting for the top seed. Chicago’s Saturday night comeback win over the Packers wasn’t just a thriller; it also added some new playoff implications.

The Bears are currently the No. 2 seed. But they have a better conference record than both the Rams and the Seahawks, so keeping a game ahead is massive.

Again, all Seattle has to do is win out. It doesn’t matter what any other team does if that happens. But things become tricky if Seattle drops a game.

In that case, if the Seahawks lose to the Panthers, root for the Lions and Cardinals. And always root against your NFC West foes.

More on the Seattle Seahawks

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• NFL upholds 1-game suspension for Seahawks’ Derick Hall
• Walker’s big night an encouraging sign for Seattle Seahawks
• Seattle Seahawks Injury Updates: Status of trio of DBs
• Huard: The reason Darnold was able to lead Seahawks over Rams

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Seattle, WA

Seattle Mariners sign free agent OF/1B Rob Refsnyder

Published

13 hours ago

December 22, 2025

Press Room

Seattle Mariners sign free agent OF/1B Rob Refsnyder

The Seattle Mariners have signed veteran Rob Refsnyder to add depth both in the outfield and at first base.

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The team announced a one-year contract with the free agent on Monday afternoon. The contract is worth $6.25 million with a potential extra $250,000 in incentives, according to Boston Red Sox reporter Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com.

Refsnyder, 34, played 70 games in 2025 for Boston, finishing with 1.2 fWAR. At the plate, he hit .269 with a strong .354 on-base percentage and .838 OPS. He had nine home runs, 12 doubles, 30 RBIs and three stolen bases.

“Rob has been one of the most productive hitters against left-handed pitching over the last four seasons and provides balance and impact offensively to our lineup,” Mariners general manager Justin Hollander said in a press release. “We are excited to welcome Rob and his family to the Mariners.”

Refsnyder hit .302 against lefties with a .399 on-base and .560 slugging last season. Seven of his nine homers and nine of his 12 doubles came against lefties, which he faced 138 times as opposed to 71 plate appearances against right-handed pitching.

Born in South Korea, Refsnyder attended Laguna Hills High School in California and played in college at Arizona. He was a fifth-round pick in the 2012 MLB Draft by the New York Yankees.

The 6-foot, 215-pound Refsnyder is a 10-year MLB veteran, having spent time with the Yankees, Toronto Blue Jays, Tampa Bay Rays, Texas Rangers, Minnesota Twins and Red Sox. He had been with the Red Sox for each of the past four seasons.

Refsnyder has never played more than 93 games in a single MLB season but has solid offensive numbers with a career .255/.343/.387 slash line for a .730 OPS.

While the Mariners listed Refsnyder as an outfielder/first baseman, he has just 29 career appearances at first, and he last played the position in an MLB game in 2020. Refsnyder has 356 career appearances in the outfield, as well as 43 career appearances at second base.

Jorge Polanco embracing new position after leaving Mariners

Refsnyder, who hits right-handed, gives the Mariners a backup option behind one-time All-Star first baseman Josh Naylor, who Seattle re-signed to a five-year contract early this offseason.

The Mariners add Refsnyder to a list of additions in free agency that includes Naylor and backup catcher Andrew Knizner. Seattle also added left-handed reliever Jose Ferrer in a trade with the Washington Nationals.

Seattle Mariners offseason coverage

• Mariners slugger Cal Raleigh receives another award
• What would a Brendan Donovan trade cost the Mariners?
• Two 2025 Mariners pitchers reportedly join new teams
• Jorge Polanco sends impassioned message to Mariners fans
• Seattle Mariners sign backup catcher to one-year deal

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Seattle, WA

Rick Steves steps in to save Seattle-area hygiene center serving homeless residents

Published

1 day ago

December 22, 2025

Press Room

Rick Steves taking a selfie with community members outside the Lynnwood Hygiene Center near Seattle. He says his purchase of the property secures the future of the center, which provides hot meals and hot showers.

Rick Steves

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Rick Steves

An anonymous donor stepped in last month to save a Seattle-area community center that was slated to close.

Last week, community members learned that the new owner was travel writer and TV host Rick Steves, who pledged to keep it open and free for people needing hot showers and hot meals.

“I vividly remember what it’s like as a kid backpacking around the world to need a shower, to need a place to wash your clothes,” Steves told a crowd who gathered on Wednesday to celebrate the purchase over cake and with words fait accompli written in red icing.

Many homeless people had come to depend on the Lynnwood Hygiene Center, which had operated rent-free on the property since 2020.

But the center said in November that it would close after the property was sold to a developer.

Steves said he learned about the hygiene center’s impending closure by reading about it in a local online newspaper — just weeks before it was set to shut down.

Despite living nearby, he said he hadn’t even known the center existed.

In fact, Steves told NPR he didn’t even know what a hygiene center was until he read about the closure — a place where people can shower, wash clothes, grab a hot meal and spend a few hours indoors.

“I realized, oh my goodness, there’s an invisible community with an invisible center helping invisible people. And it’s not right. It needs to be kept alive,” Steves said.

In a series of posts on Bluesky, Steves said was struck by how difficult it would be to replace.

Steves said he bought the property for $2.25 million.

Members of the community pitched in another $400,000 in donations, which the center says will go toward renovations and expanding services.

“It’s huge,” said Sandra Mears, executive director of the Jean Kim Foundation, which runs the hygiene center.

Rick Steves Gets Uncomfortable In 'Travel As A Political Act'

Mears says before Steves came in, she had been told to plan a goodbye party.

“I didn’t want a goodbye party,” she said.

Thanks to the donations, Mears says the Lynnwood Hygiene Center will continue serving around 700 people in the community, providing upwards of 16,000 hot meals and 10,000 showers a year.

Steves called the purchase the best $2.25 million he could imagine spending.

But he says private donations are also not a substitute for public investment — and shouldn’t determine whether essential services survive.

He describes his decision as a response to what he sees as a failure of public priorities, not a model to be relied upon.

“If we don’t have [$2.25 million] for a whole county to give homeless people a shower and a place to get out of the rain and a place to wash their clothes, what kind of society are we?” Steves said.

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