The Washington Commanders are getting ready for the third season of the Dan Quinn era, and the expectations remain high.

The Commanders have a 17-game slate full of challenges and opportunities against some of the league's best teams. Super Bowl contenders like the Los Angeles Rams and San Francisco 49ers loom later in the year along with talented teams like the Cincinnati Bengals and Houston Texans. There's even another international game in the near future against the Indianapolis Colts in London.

Now that the season is on the horizon, Commanders.com is going to break down each of Washington's opponents. We'll move on to the Seahawks, who are fresh off their Super Bowl victory and looking for an encore performance.

GAME INFORMATION

Date: Sept. 27
Time: 1 p.m.
Location: Northwest Stadium

Individual stats leaders

• Passing Yards -- QB Sam Darnold (4,048)
• Passing TDs -- QB Sam Darnold (25)
• Rushing Yards -- RB Kenneth Walker III (1,027)
• Rushing TDs -- RB Zach Charbonnet (12)
• Receiving Yards -- WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba (1,793)
• Receiving TDs -- WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba (10)
• Tackles -- LB Ernest Jones IV (126)
• Sacks -- LB Uchenna Nwosu, DT Leonard Williams and DT Byron Murphy II (7)
• Interceptions -- LB Ernest Jones IV (5)

Key additions in free agency

• WR Rashid Shaheed
• CB Josh Jobe
• RB Emanuel Wilson
• CB Noah Igbinoghene
• S D'Anthony Bell

2026 Draft class

• RB Jadarian Price
• S Bud Clark
• CB Julian Neal
• G Beau Stephens
• WR Emmanuel Henderson Jr.
• CB Andre Fuller
• DT Deven Eastern
• CB Michael Dansby

Key questions

• What does the run game look like without Kenneth Walker? The Seahawks' run game wasn't a top 10 group in 2025, but it did help keep the offense moving, particularly in the second half of the season and the playoffs. They rushed for at least 100 yards in eight of their last nine regular season games and 391 total yards in the postseason. Most of their playoff success came from Walker, who rushed for 313 yards in three games, including 135 in the Super Bowl win over the New England Patriots. The performance earned him a Super Bowl MVP, and it quickly became clear that Walker was moving on in the offseason. The Seahawks appear poised to give more responsibility to Charbonnet, who led the team in rushing touchdowns, but they also want to keep a committee approach with the additions of Pierce and Wilson. Defensive teams tend to run the ball more, and that was the case with the Seahawks, who ranked fourth in total rushing attempts. However, they clearly want to get more explosive on the ground and believe the trio of Charbonnet, Pierce and Wilson can achieve that.
• Can the defense remain elite? The Seahawks had one of the most suffocating defenses in the league last year under head coach Mike Macdonald. Though some areas were better than others, they were solid at every level and allowed the fewest points per game in the NFL. Nick Emmanwori was a game-changer at safety, and veterans like Demarcus Lawrence and Williams helped invigorate the team's pass-rush. There are several foundational pieces still on the roster, but like every Super Bowl team, their overall personnel will look drastically different in the upcoming season. Boye Mafe is gone, as is cornerback Riq Woolen and safety Coby Bryant. The Seahawks are banking on newcomers like Igbinoghene, Jobe and Bell to help maintain the high standards the unit set in 2025. Defensive performances don't always carry over year to year, but the Seahawks have done enough to earn the benefit of the doubt.
• Can Sam Darnold stay consistent? Darnold has entered the next phase of his career as one of the better quarterbacks in the league, and he showed last season that his stint with the Minnesota Vikings was not a fluke. Though he doesn't have a flashy skill set, it's hard to find a signal-caller who has been more accurate or come through in clutch moments than Darnold over the last two years. He recorded back-to-back 4,000-yard seasons with more than twice as many touchdowns (60) than interceptions (26). The next question for Darnold is how long he can sustain that level of play. There are things that work in his favor. He has what should be an elite defense, so there won't be an excessive amount of pressure on him to win games by himself. His running game was solid last season, and the Seahawks are hoping it can improve in 2026. Like the defense, Darnold has done enough over the last two years to earn the benefit of the doubt. If he can continue to improve, he has a legitimate argument to be one of the top 10 or even seven best quarterbacks playing today.