Richard Sherman declares the 2024 Seahawks are 'going to be a dark horse' team

If you're feeling more confident about this current Seattle Seahawks team than you have in years, you certainly aren't alone. While a lot can happen between now and the end of the season, everything we've seen and read over the offseason - including some heavy helpings of gushing praise for new head coach Mike Macdonald from NFL analysts - makes us believe this group is stronger now than it has been at any point since the 2015 season.

It's not just homer-happy fans who are bullish about the Seahawks this year, though. Former Seattle All-Pro cornerback Richard Sherman now works as an NFL analyst, both on Thursday Night Football and on his podcast. Sherman sees this as an obvious playoff team, and believes they are a real dark horse team. Here's what he shared on his latest pod .

"No question about it. They are poised to have a really good season. Obviously, they will make the playoffs. They were built well to begin with. They have the receiving core that is explosive. They have the explosive back in Kenneth Walker... Geno looks as good as he's ever been. If you can keep him upright and protected, he's as good as anybody right now. The biggest leap is going to be defense. They are stockpiling on a lot of defensive lines. Jarren Reed, Leonard Williams. Byron Murphy and Boye Mafe at the EDGE... Chenna. Byron Murphy is going to fit into this system very well. Such tremendous depth. Riq and Witherspoon are going to have great years. The team is going to be a dark horse."

Why Richard Sherman is right

Sherman might be slightly biased towards his old team, but remember how supportive he's been of the NFC West rival San Francisco 49ers, who he also played for from 2018-2020. Aside from one inexcusable Brock Purdy for MVP pick , Sherman's analysis has been pretty sharp as far as the overall league is concerned.

He's right about these Seahawks, in any case. As Sherman alluded to, this was already a talented team to begin with. Aside from their offensive line , they're loaded at all the positions that matter in the modern game. The only piece of the puzzle they've been missing is forward-thinking coaches on both sides of the ball. Pete Carroll and Shane Waldron were not that in either case and were in fact behind the times in many ways.

Meanwhile, new head coach Mike Macdonald and offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb are exactly that. Macdonald is considered one of the top defensive minds in the NFL, while Grubb was regarded as one of the best offensive playcallers in college football. Assuming both carry their Xs and Os acumen over into their new jobs, this team may soon prove that Carroll was the one holding them back.