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Seattle Seahawks
Current season
Established June 4, 1974; 44 years ago (1974-06-04)[1] First season: 1976 Play in CenturyLink Field Seattle, Washington Headquartered in the Virginia Mason Athletic Center Renton, Washington
Logo Wordmark
League/conference affiliations
National Football League (1976–present) American Football Conference (1977–2001) AFC West (1977–2001) National Football Conference (1976, 2002–present) NFC West (1976, 2002–present)
Current uniform
Team colors	College navy, Action green, Wolf grey[2][3][4]
Mascot	Blitz, Boom, Taima the Hawk (live Augur hawk)
Personnel
Owner(s)	Estate of Paul Allen (Jody Allen, executor)
Chairman	Vacant
President	Chuck Arnold[5]
General manager	John Schneider
Head coach	Pete Carroll
Team history
Seattle Seahawks (1976–present)
Team nicknames
The 'Hawks The Blue Wave (1984–1986)[6] The Legion of Boom (secondary, 2011–2017)
Championships
League championships (1) Super Bowl championships (1) 2013 (XLVIII)
Conference championships (3) NFC: 2005, 2013, 2014
Division championships (10) AFC West: 1988, 1999 NFC West: 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2010, 2013, 2014, 2016
Playoff appearances (17)
NFL: 1983, 1984, 1987, 1988, 1999, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2018
Home fields
Kingdome (1976–1999)[A] Husky Stadium (2000–2001)[A] CenturyLink Field (2002–present)

The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football franchise based in Seattle, Washington. The Seahawks compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) West division. They joined the NFL in 1976 as an expansion team. The Seahawks are coached by Pete Carroll. Since 2002, they have played their home games at CenturyLink Field (formerly Qwest Field), located south of downtown Seattle. They previously played home games in the Kingdome (1976–1999) and Husky Stadium (1994, 2000–2001).

Seahawks fans have been referred to collectively as the "12th Man",^[8][9][10] "12th Fan",^[11][12] or "12s".^[13][14][15] The Seahawks' fans have twice set the Guinness World Record for the loudest crowd noise at a sporting event, first registering 136.6 decibels during a game against the San Francisco 49ers in September 2013,^[16] and later during a Monday Night Football game against the New Orleans Saints a few months later, with a then record-setting 137.6 dB.^[17][18] The Seahawks are the only NFL franchise based in the Pacific Northwest region of North America, and thus attract support from a wide geographical area, including some parts of Oregon, Montana, Idaho, and Alaska, as well as Canadian fans in British Columbia, Alberta and Saskatchewan.^[19]

Steve Largent, Cortez Kennedy, Walter Jones, and Kenny Easley have been voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame primarily or wholly for their accomplishments as Seahawks. In addition to them, Dave Brown, Jacob Green, Dave Krieg, Curt Warner, and Jim Zorn have been inducted into the Seahawks Ring of Honor along with Pete Gross (radio announcer) and Chuck Knox (head coach). The Seahawks have won 10 division titles and three conference championships. They are the only team to have played in both the AFC and NFC Championship Games. They have appeared in three Super Bowls: losing 21–10 to the Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowl XL, defeating the Denver Broncos 43–8 for their first championship in Super Bowl XLVIII, and losing 28–24 to the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLIX.

Franchise history

1976–1982: Expansion era

As per one of the agreed parts of the 1970 AFL–NFL merger, the NFL began planning to expand from 26 to 28 teams.^[20] In June 1972, Seattle Professional Football Inc., a group of Seattle business and community leaders, announced its intention to acquire an NFL franchise for the city of Seattle.^[21] In June 1974, the NFL gave the city an expansion franchise. That December, NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle announced the official signing of the franchise agreement by Lloyd W. Nordstrom, representing the Nordstrom family as majority partners for the consortium.^[22]

In March 1975, John Thompson, former Executive Director of the NFL Management Council and a former Washington Huskies executive, was hired as the general manager of the new team. The name Seattle Seahawks ("Seahawk" is another name for Osprey) was selected on June 17, 1975 after a public naming contest which drew more than 20,000 entries and over 1,700 names.^{[citation needed]}

Thompson recruited and hired Jack Patera, a Minnesota Vikings assistant coach, to be the first head coach of the Seahawks; the hiring was announced on January 3, 1976. The expansion draft was held March 30–31, 1976, with Seattle and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers alternating picks for rounds selecting unprotected players from the other 26 teams in the league.^[23] The Seahawks were awarded the 2nd overall pick in the 1976 draft, a pick they used on defensive tackle Steve Niehaus. The team took the field for the first time on August 1, 1976 in a pre-season game against the San Francisco 49ers in the then newly opened Kingdome.

Hall of Fame safety Kenny Easley, a defensive unit leader for Seattle in the 1980s,^[24] was a top defensive player in the NFL^[25] and one of the Seahawks' all-time greatest players.^[26]

The Seahawks are the only NFL team to switch conferences twice in the post-merger era.^{[citation needed]} The franchise began play in 1976 in the aforementioned NFC West but switched conferences with the Buccaneers after one season and joined the AFC West. This realignment was dictated by the league as part of the 1976 expansion plan, so that both expansion teams could play each other twice and every other NFL franchise once (the ones in their conference at the time) during their first two seasons. The Seahawks won both matchups against the Buccaneers in their first two seasons, the former of which was the Seahawks' first regular season victory.^{[citation needed]}

1983–1991: Chuck Knox era

In 1983, the Seahawks hired Chuck Knox as head coach. Finishing with a 9–7 record, the Seahawks made their first post-season appearance, defeating the Denver Broncos in the Wild Card Round, and then the Miami Dolphins, before losing in the AFC Championship to the eventual Super Bowl champion Los Angeles Raiders. The following season, the Seahawks had their best season before 2005, finishing 12–4.^[27] Knox won the NFL Coach of the Year Award.^{[citation needed]}

In 1988, Ken Behring and partner Ken Hofmann purchased the team for $79 million or $99 million (both numbers have been reported).^{[citation needed]} The Seahawks won their first division title in 1988, but from 1989 to 1998 had poor records; their best record in that span came in 1990, when the team finished 9–7, and the lowest point came in 1992 when the team finished with its worst record in team history, 2–14.

1990s era

In 1996, Behring and Hoffman transferred the team's operations to Anaheim, California, a widely criticized move, although the team continued to play in Seattle. The team almost relocated, and was in bankruptcy for a short period. The NFL threatened Behring with fining him $500,000 a day if he didn't move the team's operations back to Seattle;^[28] with this, Behring and Hoffman sold the team to Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen in 1997, for $200 million, and in 1999 Mike Holmgren was hired as head coach. He would coach for 10 seasons. The Seahawks won their second division title, as well as a wild card berth in the playoffs.

1999–2008: Mike Holmgren era

In 2002, the Seahawks returned to the NFC West^{[citation needed]} as part of an NFL realignment plan that gave each conference four balanced divisions of four teams each. This realignment restored the AFC West to its initial post-merger roster of original AFL teams Denver, San Diego, Kansas City, and Oakland. That same year, the team opened its new home stadium, Seahawks Stadium, after spending the last two seasons at Husky Stadium after the Kingdome's implosion in 2000.

Matt Hasselbeck played as the Seahawks quarterback from 2001–2010 and led the team to six postseason appearances and a Super Bowl appearance.

In the 2005 season, the Seahawks had their best season in franchise history (a feat that would later be matched in 2013) with a record of 13–3, which included a 42-0 rout of the Philadelphia Eagles on December 5, a game since referred to as the Monday Night Massacre^{[citation needed]}. The 13-3 record earned them the number one seed in the NFC. They won the NFC Championship Game in 2005, but lost in Super Bowl XL against the Pittsburgh Steelers. The loss was controversial; NFL Films has Super Bowl XL at number 8 on its top ten list of games with controversial referee calls.^[29] Referee Bill Leavy later admitted that he missed calls that altered the game.^[30] Before 2005, Seattle had the longest drought of playoff victories of any NFL team, dating back to the 1984 season. That drought was ended with a 20–10 win over the Washington Redskins in the 2005 playoffs.

2009: Jim Mora's single season

In the 2009 NFL season, the Seahawks finished 3rd in the NFC West with a 5-11 record. Shortly after his first full season with the Seahawks, head coach Jim L. Mora was fired on January 8, 2010.^[31] Mora was replaced by former USC Trojans football head coach, Pete Carroll. Shortly thereafter, Mora became the head coach for the UCLA Bruins football team.^{[citation needed]}

2010–present: Pete Carroll era

In the 2010 NFL season, the Seahawks made history by making it into the playoffs despite having a 7–9 record. They had the best record in a division full of teams with losing seasons (Seahawks 7–9, Rams 7–9, 49ers 6–10, Cardinals 5–11) and won the decisive season finale against the Rams (not only by overall record, but by division record, as both teams coming into the game had a 3–2 division record). In the playoffs, the Seahawks won in their first game against the defending Super Bowl XLIV champs, the New Orleans Saints, 41–36. The Seahawks made even more history during the game with Marshawn Lynch's 67-yard run, breaking 9 tackles, to clinch the victory. After the run, the fans reacted so loudly that a small earthquake (a bit above 2 on the Richter Scale) was recorded by seismic equipment around Seattle^[32] and was nicknamed the "Beast Quake". The Seahawks lost to the Bears in their second game, 35–24.

Marshawn Lynch scored on a 67-yard touchdown run in the NFC Wild-Card Playoff Game against the New Orleans Saints in 2011.

The 2012 NFL season started with doubt, as the Seahawks lost their season opener against the Arizona Cardinals, after the highly touted Seattle defense gave up a go-ahead score late in the fourth quarter, and rookie quarterback Russell Wilson failed to throw the game-winning touchdown after multiple attempts in the red-zone. However, Russell Wilson and the Seahawks went 4–1 in their next five games en route to an 11–5 overall record (their first winning record since 2007). Their 2012 campaign included big wins over the Green Bay Packers, New England Patriots, and San Francisco 49ers. The Seahawks went into the playoffs as the #5 seed and the only team that season to go undefeated at home. In the Wild Card Round, the Seahawks overcame a 14-point deficit to defeat the Washington Redskins. This was the first time since the 1983 Divisional Round that the Seahawks won a playoff game on the road. However, in the 2012 Divisional Round, overcoming a 20-point, fourth quarter deficit wouldn't be enough to defeat the #1 seed Atlanta Falcons. An ill-advised timeout and a defensive breakdown late in the game cost the Seahawks their season, as they lost, 30–28. QB Russell Wilson won the 2012 Pepsi Max Rookie of the Year award.

2013: First Super Bowl championship

In the 2013 NFL season, the Seahawks continued their momentum from the previous season, finishing tied with the Denver Broncos for an NFL-best regular season record of 13–3, while earning the NFC's #1 playoff seed. Their 2013 campaign included big wins over the Carolina Panthers, New Orleans Saints, and the San Francisco 49ers. Six Seahawks players were named to the Pro Bowl: Quarterback Russell Wilson, center Max Unger, running back Marshawn Lynch, cornerback Richard Sherman, free safety Earl Thomas, and strong safety Kam Chancellor. However, none of them was able to play in the Pro Bowl, as the Seahawks defeated the New Orleans Saints 23–15 and the San Francisco 49ers 23–17, in the playoffs to advance to Super Bowl XLVIII against the Denver Broncos. On February 2, 2014, the Seahawks won the franchise's only Super Bowl Championship, defeating Denver 43–8.^[33] The Seahawks' defense performance in 2013 was acclaimed as one of the best in the Super Bowl era.^[34]

The following season, Seattle advanced to Super Bowl XLIX, their second consecutive Super Bowl, but they were dethroned of their title by the New England Patriots by a score of 28–24.

They got off to a slow start the next year starting 0-2 and 2-4 through 6 games but finished 10-6 on the year clinching a wild card berth. They beat the Minnesota Vikings 10-9 to advance to the divisional round. Against Carolina, they were down 31-0 at halftime before scoring 24 unanswered points. Their comeback attempt fell short and they failed to make the Super Bowl.

2014: Second Consecutive Super Bowl

For the first time in franchise history, the Seahawks started a season as the defending Super Bowl champions. As such, they earned the right to host the NFL Kickoff Game, where they defeated the Green Bay Packers 36-16. Then in Week 2, they traveled to San Diego, where the Chargers defeated them by a score of 30-21. This was Seattle's worst defeat since a 23-13 loss to the Dallas Cowboys in Week 9 of the 2011 season. Then in Week 3, they returned home to face the Denver Broncos in a rematch of Super Bowl XLVIII. Seattle took a 17-3 lead going into halftime, but the Broncos rallied in the fourth quarter to tie the game at 20-20. The game went into overtime, where Seattle scored a touchdown to win 26-20. The Seahawks ended the season with a record of 12-4, tied with the Packers and Cowboys for best in the NFC. Due to tiebreakers (Seattle had the best record in inter-conference games out of the three), Seattle clinched the #1 seed in the NFC playoffs for the 2nd consecutive season.

The Seahawks earned a first-round bye and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. After their first-round bye, they defeated the Carolina Panthers. They then faced the Green Bay Packers in the NFC Championship Game. The Seahawks were shut out in the first half 16-0 and, with five minutes to go in regulation, trailed 19-7. However, the Seahawks rallied to tie the game 22-22 at the end of regulation, and won 28-22 in overtime. With that, they faced the New England Patriots for their second consecutive Super Bowl and the third one in franchise history. After a scoreless first quarter, both teams scored two touchdowns in the second quarter, and the game was tied 14-14 at halftime. In the third quarter, the Seahawks scored a field goal and a touchdown to take a ten-point lead, which they held going into the fourth quarter. However, Seattle became the first team in NFL history to blow a 10-point fourth quarter lead in a Super Bowl, as New England scored two touchdowns to take the lead, 28-24 with 2:02 remaining. On their final possession, Seattle managed to drive to New England's 1-yard line and run the clock down to 26 seconds. Then Seattle decided to call a passing play rather than a running play. Unfortunately, Russell Wilson's throw was intercepted by New England's rookie cornerback Malcolm Butler, which gave New England possession on their own one-yard line with 20 seconds remaining. After defensive lineman Michael Bennett was flagged for encroachment, linebacker Bruce Irvin threw a closed hand punch at New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski, starting a brawl involving players from both teams that resulted in an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for Seattle.

2015: The Quest For A 4th Super Bowl Appearance

The 2015 season marked the 40th season of play for the Seahawks.

Prior to the 2015 draft, the Seahawks made a blockbuster trade with the New Orleans Saints, trading Seattle's first-round pick for All-Pro Saints tight end Jimmy Graham. Although the Seahawks did not have a first-round pick, they still had a total of eight picks in the draft. Some notable picks included defensive end Frank Clark in the second round and wide receiver and return specialist Tyler Lockett in the third round.

The season began with two consecutive road losses. In a game against the Rams, they fell 34-31 in overtime. The following week, the Seahawks traveled to Green Bay to face the Packers, and lost 27-17. However, the team righted the ship with two straight wins against the hapless Chicago Bears and the Detroit Lions on Monday Night.

The Seahawks struggled for much of the year. They lost their next two games against the Cincinnati Bengals and the Carolina Panthers, blowing leads of 17 and 9 points against each opponent. Two straight wins against the 49ers and the Dallas Cowboys followed, although the Cowboys game was marred by a serious and eventually career-ending neck injury to Seahawks receiver Ricardo Lockette. A loss to the division-leading Cardinals followed, after which was another win against the 49ers which was highlighted by rookie running back Thomas Rawls piling up 209 rushing yards in relief for an ailing Marshawn Lynch, who was sidelined for several games with a back injury.

In week 12, the Seahawks faced the Pittsburgh Steelers for the third time since losing to them in Super Bowl XL. The game ended up being an offensive shootout, and a late touchdown by Doug Baldwin sealed a 39-30 victory, getting them over .500 for the first time in 2015. It was their first win against the Steelers since SB XL (and indeed their first time not being shut out since then). However, the team suffered another devastating injury as Jimmy Graham suffered a broken patella early in the game, and was lost for the year.

They began to regained their stride during the homestretch, finish the year 4-1 - the one loss being in Week 16 against the Rams, who swept the Seahawks in the regular season for the first time since 2004. They finished the year 10-6, good enough for second place in the division (Arizona won the NFC West with a 13-3 record, earning the #2 seed.) and earning the #6 seed in the NFC Playoffs. Also worth noting was that the Seahawks overall team record rose above .500 for the first time in franchise history; their Week 14 win against the Baltimore Ravens brought the record to 313-312-0.

The Seahawks began their postseason run by traveling to Minneapolis to face the Vikings in the wild card round, in one of the coldest games in NFL history, as the temperature on the field at game time was -6 °F. Minnesota held the Seahawks scoreless until the fourth quarter, but could not reach the end zone themselves and had to settle for field goals the whole game. The Seahawks managed to score a touchdown and a field goal deep in the fourth quarter to take a 10-9 lead, but the Vikings seemed poised to score a fourth field goal and win until Vikings kicker Blair Walsh missed a 27-yard chip shot, allowing the Seahawks to escape with the victory. However, the Seahawks' luck ran out in the divisional round, against the #1 seed Carolina Panthers. In one of the most disastrous first halves in team history, the Panthers ran the Seahawks off the field to the tune of a 31-0 halftime lead. The Seahawks made it a game in the second half, bringing the score all the way back to 31-24, but failed to recover an onside kick in the final two minutes of play to seal their fate. Still, the Seahawks enjoyed their fifth consecutive year of ten or more wins, their longest streak in franchise history. The Seahawks also sent seven players to the Pro Bowl, including Russell Wilson, Michael Bennett, Earl Thomas, and Tyler Lockett.

2016

The Seahawks began the 2016 season 4-1. In their next game against the Arizona Cardinals, they ended the game 6-6, the first tie in franchise history. The Seahawks had some impressive victories, including the complete dismantling of the Carolina Panthers 40-7. In week 15, they beat the Los Angeles Rams 24-3 to clinch their third NFC West title in the last four years. The Seahawks finished the season as the third seed in the NFC at 10-5-1. They went on to dominate the Detroit Lions in the Wild Card Round 26-6, but lost in the Divisional Round to the Atlanta Falcons 36-20.

2017: Missing the Playoffs

The 2017 season was the final season of the original Legion of Boom playing together, as well as the 21st and last full season under the ownership of Paul Allen, who died during the 2018 season. The Seahawks were hoping to improve their 10–5–1 record from 2016. However, it didn't happen because of a lack of consistency in the running game, special teams, and the offensive line combined with numerous injuries. The Seahawks started the season well at 8-4, having held the eventual Super Bowl LII champions, the Philadelphia Eagles, to just 10 points in their 24-10 victory. However, they lost 3 of their next 4 games, including a blowout loss at the hands of the Los Angeles Rams, with a score of 42-7. They finished the season 9-7, marking the first time since 2011 that the Seahawks failed to achieve double-digit wins. It was also the first time since that same year that they did not qualify for the playoffs. Russell Wilson finished as the league's leader in touchdown passes with 34, and finished as the team's leading rusher with 586 yards.

2018: Return to the Playoffs

There were low expectations for the Seahawks in the 2018 season. Many key players left the team. Cornerback Richard Sherman, defensive lineman Cliff Avril, and punter Jon Ryan were all released. Tight ends Jimmy Graham and Luke Willson, wide receiver Paul Richardson, and running back Thomas Rawls all departed in the free agency. Kam Chancellor announced his retirement on July 1, 2018, due to the neck injury he sustained in week 10 of the previous season. In week 4 against the Arizona Cardinals, free safety Earl Thomas broke a bone in his left leg and missed the remainder of the season. Some of the players they picked up in the 2018 NFL Draft was running back Rashaad Penny, eventual Pro Bowler punter Michael Dickson, and the first one-handed player in NFL history, Shaquem Griffin.

Paul Allen, owner of the Seahawks since 1997, died of cancer on October 15, 2018, at the age of 65.

The Seahawks started the season on the wrong foot, starting 0-2 and having given up 12 sacks and averaging 68 yards rushing a game. They won their next two games narrowly, but the Seahawks completely turned around the season in week 5. Although they lost to the Los Angeles Rams 33-31, they put up an impressive 190 rushing yards and won the turnover battle 2-0. The Seahawks preceded to win their next two, including against the Oakland Raiders in their first NFL International Series game in London, England. They then fell to both of the Los Angeles teams, the Rams and the Chargers, but then went on a rampage, winning 6 of their next 7. Some notable wins, were against the 6-2 Carolina Panthers and against the eventual MVP Patrick Mahomes and the 11-3 Kansas City Chiefs. With that win, they clinched the a playoff berth and eventually finished the season as the 5th seed in the NFC at 10-6.

In the Wild Card game, they dueled with the also 10-6 4th seed Dallas Cowboys. The Seahawks, however, could never get there run game going and, combined with kicker Sebastian Janikowski's injury at the end of the first half, led to them being down 10 with 2:14 remaining, the score being 24-14. The Seahawks rallied for a touchdown and subsequent two point conversion to cut the deficit to 2, but failed to recover Michael Dickson's drop kick onside kick, ending the game with a final score of 22-24.

Rivalries

San Francisco 49ers

This section is too long. Consider splitting it into new pages, adding subheadings, or condensing it. (September 2016)

Most recently, the Seahawks and the San Francisco 49ers have begun to develop a rivalry, starting with the 49ers hiring of coach Jim Harbaugh for the 2011 NFL season. Harbaugh had coached against Seahawks coach Pete Carroll before in college at Stanford and Southern California, respectively. The 49ers won the first contest between the coaches at the NFL level, then proceeded to win a close game at CenturyLink Field to eliminate the Seahawks from playoff contention. 2012 brought a new season and another Seahawks loss, week 7 on NFL Network's Thursday Night Football at Candlestick Park in San Francisco, as they dropped a 13–6 game where the offense failed to score a touchdown and 49ers quarterback Alex Smith did just enough to survive. Week 16 brought a fever anxiety as the Seahawks and 49ers prepared to face off in primetime on NBC Sunday Night Football. The Seahawks entered the game at 9–5, with back-to-back blowouts in which the team scored more than 50 points in games against the Buffalo Bills and Arizona Cardinals. Quickly, the Seahawks imposed their will with a Marshawn Lynch 24-yard touchdown run, two of quarterback Russell Wilson's touchdown passes and a blocked field goal return had the Seahawks lead at halftime 28–6. The Seahawks continued in the second half, eventually winning 42–13 capped off by Seahawks strong safety Kam Chancellor's hit on former 49ers tight end Vernon Davis. The 49ers, however, won the following week, locking up the division title for the second consecutive season. Since rejoining the NFC West, the Seahawks lead the series 18–15 versus the 49ers, including playoffs. Colin Kaepernick and the 49ers lost their first 2013 season matchup against their NFC West rivals 29–3, with the help of Marshawn Lynch's three touchdowns, with the fans setting a new Guinness World Record for the loudest crowd roar at 136.6 dB.^[35] However, the Seahawks were defeated 19–17 in their second 2013 game with the 49ers at Candlestick Park. This was largely due to a late game 51-yard run by Frank Gore. In the 2013 NFC Championship Game, the Seahawks defeated the 49ers 23 to 17,^[36] thanks to Malcolm Smith's interception, which was tipped by Richard Sherman. This clinched the Seahawks' berth into Super Bowl XLVIII. The Seahawks won every game against the 49ers, including a decisive 43-16 win in CenturyLink Field, until a Robbie Gould overtime field goal in 2018 led to the Seahawks' first loss at Levi's Stadium, 26-23.

Carolina Panthers

The Seahawks have developed a rivalry with the Carolina Panthers. The two teams have played each other in the NFL playoffs three times: during the 2005 NFC Championship Game, which Seattle won 34–14; the 2014 NFC Divisional playoffs, which the Seahawks won 31–17; and the 2015 NFC Divisional playoffs, which the Panthers won 31–24. The Seahawks lead the Panthers in the all-time series 9–4.^{[citation needed]}

Green Bay Packers

Denver Broncos

From the 1980s to the 2002 league realignment, the Denver Broncos were a major rival for the Seahawks. With John Elway, the Broncos were one of the best teams in the NFL, going 200–124–1^[37] overall, and were 32–18 against the Seahawks. Since 2002, Seattle has won two of four interconference meetings, and the teams met in Super Bowl XLVIII on February 2, 2014, where the Seahawks won 43–8.^[38]

Super Bowl appearances

Seahawks 2013 Championship Ring

Headquarters and training camps

During the Seahawks' first ten seasons (1976–85), the team's headquarters was in Kirkland at the southern end of the Lake Washington Shipyard (now Carillon Point), on the shores of Lake Washington.^[39] The summer training camps were held across the state at Eastern Washington University in Cheney, southwest of Spokane.

When the team's new headquarters across town in Kirkland were completed in 1986, the Seahawks held training camp at home for the next eleven seasons (1986–96), staying in the dormitories of the adjacent Northwest College. In Dennis Erickson's third season as head coach, the team returned to the hotter and more isolated Cheney in 1997, where they held training camp through 2006. In 2007, training camp returned to their Kirkland facility, because of the scheduled China Bowl game that was later canceled.

In 2008, the Seahawks held the first three weeks of camp in Kirkland, then moved to the new 19-acre (77,000 m²) Virginia Mason Athletic Center (VMAC) on August 18 for the final week of training camp, where the team has held their training camps since. The new facility, adjacent to Lake Washington in Renton, has four full-size practice fields: three natural grass outdoors and one FieldTurf indoors.^[40]

Logos and uniforms

The Seahawks uniform, 1976–1982.

When the Seahawks debuted in 1976, the team's logo was a stylized royal blue and forest green osprey's head based on Northwest Coast art.^[41] The helmet and pants were silver while the home jerseys were royal blue with white and green sleeve stripes and white numerals and names. The road jersey was white, with white, blue and green sleeve stripes and had blue numerals and names. The socks were blue and had the same green and white striping pattern seen on the blue jerseys. Black shoes were worn for the first four seasons, one of the few NFL teams that did so in the late 1970s, at a time when most teams were wearing white shoes. They would switch to white shoes in 1980.^[42]

In 1983, coinciding with the arrival of Chuck Knox as head coach, the uniforms were updated slightly. The striping on the arms now incorporated the Seahawks logo, and the TV numbers, previously located on the sleeves, moved onto the shoulders. The helmet facemasks changed from gray to blue. Also, the socks went solid blue at the top, and white on bottom.^[43] In the 1985 season, the team wore 10th Anniversary patches on the right side of their pants. It had the Seahawks logo streaking through the number 10. In 1994, the year of the NFL's 75th Anniversary, the Seahawks changed the style of their numbering to something more suitable for the team; Pro Block from then until 2001. That same year, the Seahawks wore a vintage jersey for select games resembling the 1976–82 uniforms. However, the helmet facemasks remained blue. The logos also became sewn on instead of being screen-printed. In 2000, Shaun Alexander's rookie year and Cortez Kennedy's last, the Seattle Seahawks celebrated their 25th Anniversary; the logo was worn on the upper left chest of the jersey. In 2001, the Seahawks switched to the new Reebok uniform system still in their then-current uniforms after that company signed a 10-year deal to be the exclusive uniform supplier to the NFL, but it would be their last in this uniform after the season ended. Prior to this, various companies made the team's uniforms.

Seattle Seahawks uniform combinations, 2002–2011. A green alternate jersey was used, but only for one game of the 2009 season.

On March 1, 2002, to coincide with the team moving to the NFC as well as the opening of Seahawks Stadium (which would later be renamed Qwest Field, then CenturyLink Field), both the logo and the uniforms were heavily redesigned. The Wordmark was designed by Mark Verlander and the logo was designed by NFL Properties in-house design team. The colors were modified to a lighter "Seahawks Blue", a darker "Seahawks Navy" and lime green piping. The helmets also were changed from silver to the lighter "Seahawks Blue" color after a fan poll was conducted. Silver would not be seen again until 2012. The logo artwork was also subtly altered, with an arched eyebrow and a forward-facing pupil suggesting a more aggressive-looking bird. At first, the team had planned to wear silver helmets at home and blue helmets on the road, but since NFL rules forbid the use of multiple helmets, the team held the fan poll to decide which color helmet would be worn. The team had usually worn all blue at home and all white on the road since 2003, but late in the 2009 season, the Seahawks wore the white jersey-blue pants combo. The blue jersey and white pants combo has been worn for only one regular season game, the 2005 season opener at the Jacksonville Jaguars, while the white jersey and blue pants combination has not been worn regularly since late in the 2002 season, with the exception of late in the 2009 season. In 2009, the Seahawks once again wore the white jersey and blue pants combination for road games against Minnesota (November 22), St. Louis (November 29), Houston (December 13) and Green Bay (December 27).

The Seahawks wore their home blue jerseys during Super Bowl XL despite being designated as the visitor, since the Pittsburgh Steelers, the designated home team, elected to wear their white jerseys.

Since the Oakland Raiders wore their white jerseys at home for the first time ever in a game against the San Diego Chargers on September 28, 2008, the Seahawks are currently the only NFL team never to have worn their white jerseys at home.^[44]

Seahawks players wearing green jerseys in 2009.

On September 27, 2009, the Seahawks wore lime green jerseys for the first time, paired with new dark navy blue pants in a game against the Chicago Bears. The jerseys matched their new sister team, the expansion Seattle Sounders FC of Major League Soccer who wear green jerseys with blue pants. On December 6, 2009, the Seahawks wore their Seahawks blue jersey with the new dark navy blue pants for the first time, in a game against the San Francisco 49ers. The Seahawks broke out the same combo two weeks later against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and two weeks after that in the 2009 regular season finale against the Tennessee Titans. In December 2009, then-coach Jim Mora announced that the new lime green jerseys were being retired because the team did not win in them, because he liked the standard blue home jerseys better, and added that the home jersey is a better match for the navy pants.^[45] In the same press conference, he stated that the new navy pants "felt better" on players as opposed to the Seahawks blue pants. For the 2010 season, Seattle returned to the traditional all "Seahawks Blue" at home and all white on the road.

Russell Wilson wearing the current Seahawks home uniform.

On April 3, 2012, Nike, which took over as the official uniform supplier for the league from Reebok, unveiled new uniform and logo designs for the Seahawks for the 2012 season. The new designs incorporate a new accent color, "Wolf Grey", and the main colors are "College Navy" and "Action Green". The uniforms incorporate "feather trims", multiple feathers on the crown of the helmet, twelve feathers printed on the neckline and down each pant leg to represent the "12th Man", referring to the team's fans.^[3][46] The Seahawks have three different jersey colors: navy blue, white, and an alternate grey jersey. The Seahawks will have three different pants: navy blue with green feathers, gray with navy blue feathers, and white with navy blue feathers. Their new logo replaces the Seahawk blue with wolf grey. Altogether, there are nine (9) different uniform combinations possible.

The Seahawks wore their Nike home blue jerseys for the first regular season game on September 16, 2012 against the Dallas Cowboys. The uniform Marshawn Lynch wore in that game is preserved at the Pro Football Hall of Fame.^[47] On September 9, 2012, the Seahawks wore their Nike white away jerseys for the first regular season game against the Arizona Cardinals; on October 14, 2012, with the Carolina Panthers wearing white at home, they wore their blue jerseys with gray pants (and would do so again against the Miami Dolphins seven weeks later); and on December 16, 2012, they wore their Alternate Wolf Grey jerseys for the first time against the Buffalo Bills.

Seasons and overall records

As of the end of the 2018 season, the Seattle Seahawks have competed in 43 NFL seasons, dating back to their expansion year of 1976. The team has compiled a 344–331-1 record (16–16 in the playoffs) for a .510 winning percentage (.500 in the playoffs). Seattle has reached the playoffs in 17 separate seasons, including in the 2005 season when they lost Super Bowl XL to the Pittsburgh Steelers, the 2013 season when they defeated the Denver Broncos to win Super Bowl XLVIII, and the 2014 season when they lost Super Bowl XLIX to the New England Patriots. In the 2010 season, the Seahawks became the first team in NFL history to earn a spot in the playoffs with a losing record (7–9, .438) in a full season; this was by virtue of winning the division. The Seahawks would go on to defeat the reigning Super Bowl champion New Orleans Saints in the Wild Card round, becoming the first team ever to win a playoff game with a losing record. Until Week 7 of the 2016 season against the Arizona Cardinals, the Seahawks had never recorded a tied game in their history.

Team records

Players of note

Current roster

35th Anniversary Team (2010)

The 35th Anniversary team was voted upon by users on Seahawks.com and announced in 2010.^[48]

Retired numbers

Seahawks' retired numbers at CenturyLink Field.

• 
  ¹Jerry Rice wore No. 80 for his 2004 stint with the Seahawks. According to Rice, the team offered him the jersey number, with Largent's permission.^[52]
  


• Several other players and individuals related to the team have been honored by their induction into the Seattle Seahawks Ring of Honor
  

Pro Football Hall of Famers

Note: Although Mike McCormack served as head coach, president, and general manager for the Seahawks, he is only listed in the Pro Football Hall of Fame for his contributions as a tackle for the New York Yanks and the Cleveland Browns.

State of Washington Sports Hall of Fame

Front office and coaching staff

Current staff

Previous head coaches

Sea Gals (cheerleaders)

The Seahawks cheerleaders are called the Sea Gals.^[53] During the off-season, a select performing group from the Sea Gals travel parades and with other NFL Cheerleaders on the road.

12th Man

"Home of the 12th Man" signage within CenturyLink Field in 2013.

A giant #12 flag of the Seattle Seahawks

The 12th man (also known as the 12s) refers to the fan support of the Seahawks. The team's first home stadium, the Kingdome, was one of the loudest and most disruptive environments in the NFL. Opponents were known to practice with rock music blaring at full blast to prepare for the often painfully high decibel levels generated at games in the Kingdome.

In 2002, the Seahawks began playing at what is now CenturyLink Field. Every regular season and playoff game at CenturyLink Field since the 2nd week of the 2003 season has been played before a sellout crowd.^[54] Like the Kingdome before it, CenturyLink Field is one of the loudest stadiums in the league. The stadium's partial roof and seating decks trap and amplify the noise and reflect it back down to the field. This noise has caused problems for opposing teams, causing them to commit numerous false-start penalties. From 2002 through 2012, there have been 143 false-start penalties on visiting teams in Seattle, second only to the Minnesota Vikings.^[55]

The Seahawks' fans have twice set the Guinness World Record for the loudest crowd noise at a sporting event, first on September 15, 2013, registering 136.6 dB during a game against the San Francisco 49ers^[16] and again on December 2, 2013, during a Monday Night Football game against the New Orleans Saints, with a roar of 137.6 dB.^[17][18] As of September 29, 2014, the record of 142.2 dB is held in Arrowhead Stadium by fans of the Kansas City Chiefs.^[56]

A Boeing 747-8F painted in 12th man livery for the team's Super Bowl appearance.

Prior to kickoff of each home game, the Seahawks salute their fans by raising a giant #12 flag at the south end of the stadium.^[57] Current and former players, coaches, local celebrities, prominent fans, Seattle-area athletes, and former owner Paul Allen have raised the flag. Earlier, the Seahawks retired the #12 jersey on December 15, 1984 as a tribute to their fans.^[58] Before their Super Bowl win, the Seahawks ran onto the field under a giant 12th Man flag.

In September 1990, Texas A&M filed, and was later granted, a trademark application for the "12th Man" term, based on their continual usage of the term since the 1920s. In January 2006, Texas A&M filed suit against the Seattle Seahawks to protect the trademark and in May 2006, the dispute was settled out of court. In the agreement, which expired in 2016, Texas A&M licensed the Seahawks to continue using the phrase, in exchange for a licensing fee, public acknowledgement of A&M's trademark when using the term, a restriction in usage of the term to seven states in the Northwest United States, and a prohibition from selling any "12th Man" merchandise.^[59][60][61] Once the agreement expired, the Seahawks were allowed to continue using the number "12" but were no longer permitted to use the "12th Man" phrase.^[62] In August 2015, the Seahawks decided to drop their signage of the "12th Man" term and shifted towards referring to their fans as the "12s" instead.^[63]

Traditions

Starting in the 1998 season, Blitz has been the Seahawks' official mascot. In the 2003 and 2004 seasons, a hawk named Faith would fly around the stadium just before the team came out of the tunnel. However, because of her relative small size and an inability to be trained to lead the team out of a tunnel, Faith was replaced by an augur hawk named Taima before the start of the 2005 season. Taima started leading the team out of the tunnel in September 2006.^[64] Beginning in 2004, the Seahawks introduced their drum line, the Blue Thunder. The group plays at every home game as well as over 100 events in the Seattle community.

Team owners

• The Nordstrom family: 1976–1988


• 
  Ken Behring & Ken Hofmann: 1988–1996


• 
  Paul Allen: 1997–2018

Radio and television

Map of radio affiliates (lower 48 and Canada).

Map of radio affiliates (Alaska).

As of 2017^[update], the Seahawks' flagship station is KIRO (AM) 710 kHz – KIRO-FM 97.3 MHz. Games are heard on 47 stations in five western states and Canada. Microsoft holds naming rights for the broadcasts for their web search engine under the moniker of the "Bing Radio Network". The current announcers are former Seahawks players Steve Raible (who was the team's color commentator from 1982 to 2003) and Warren Moon. The Raible-Moon regular season pairing has been together since 2004 (during the preseason Moon works for the local television broadcast so the color commentary is split between former Seahawks Paul Moyer, Sam Adkins, and Brock Huard). Pete Gross, who called the games from 1976 until just days before his death from cancer in 1992, is a member of the team's Ring of Honor. Other past announcers include Steve Thomas from 1992 to 1997, Lee Hamilton (also known as "Hacksaw") from 1998 to 1999, and Brian Davis from 2000 to 2003.

Preseason games not shown on national networks were produced by Seahawks Broadcasting and televised by KING-TV, channel 5 (and, in 2008, also on sister station KONG-TV since KING, an NBC affiliate, was committed to the Summer Olympics in China). Seahawks Broadcasting is the Emmy Award Winning in-house production and syndication unit for the Seattle Seahawks. Curt Menefee (the host of Fox NFL Sunday) has been the Seahawks TV voice since the 2009 preseason. Since the 2012 season, KCPQ-TV, which airs most of the Seahawks' regular season games (as the Seattle-Tacoma area's Fox affiliate), is the television partner for the team and has replaced KING 5 as broadcaster for preseason games, while simulcasts of any Seahawks games on ESPN's Monday Night Football will air (as of the 2018 season) on CBS affiliate KIRO-TV.^[65] In addition, any Saturday or Sunday afternoon games broadcast by CBS (usually--but not always--with the Seahawks hosting an AFC opponent) will air on KIRO-TV.

Radio affiliates

Source:^[66]

Notes and references

Explanatory notes

Citations

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Seattle Seahawks.

• 
  Official website