This article is part of our Team Previews series.
Seattle Seahawks 
The post-Russell Wilson era will begin with one of the Seahawks' best receiving corps in recent memory, which is at risk of being squandered by subpar quarterback play. Meanwhile, their investment in the backfield shows they'll try to focus on the run to keep their defense from getting exposed.
2022 Offseason Moves – Seattle Seahawks
Key Acquisitions
- Drew Lock – QB (from Broncos)
The potential new No. 1 QB has averaged 215 passing yards per game as a starter.
- Noah Fant – TE (from Broncos)
Set to be the best tight end in Seattle since Jimmy Graham.
- Kenneth Walker – RB (Rd. 2, No. 41 – Michigan State)
Named the top running back in college football in 2021.
- Charles Cross – OT (Rd. 1, No. 9 – Mississippi State)
The best pass-blocking tackle in the draft will anchor the rebuild.
Key Departures
- Russell Wilson – QB (to Broncos)
A nine-time Pro Bowler, he seeks a fresh start after 10 seasons in Seattle.
- Bobby Wagner – LB (to Rams)
Put up 10 consecutive campaigns of 100-plus tackles with the 'Hawks.
- Chris Carson – RB (retired)
Last year's neck surgery forced an early exit from pro football.
- Gerald Everett – TE (to Chargers)
Heading back to L.A. after posting a career-high 478 yards last year.
Seattle Seahawks 2022 Coaching Staff
Head Coach: Pete Carroll (Year 13)
Offensive Coordinator: Shane Waldron (Year 2) – West Coast offense
Defensive Coordinator: Clint Hurtt (Year 1) – 3-4 scheme
Stats to Know for the Seattle Seahawks
2022 Vegas Projected Wins: 5.5 (30th)
2021 Record: 7-10
2021 Points Scored: 395 (16th)
2021 Points Allowed: 366 (T-11th)
2021 Point Differential: +29 (T-14th)
2021 Run-Play Rate: 43.3 percent (13th)
2021 Offensive Snaps: 954 (32nd)
2021 PFF O-Line Ranking: No. 25
2022 Seattle Seahawks Depth Chart
QB: Geno Smith / Drew Lock / Jacob Eason
RB: Rashaad Penny / Kenneth Walker / DeeJay Dallas / Travis Homer
WR1: Tyler Lockett / Bo Melton / Penny Hart
WR2: DK Metcalf / Marquise Goodwin
WR3: Freddie Swain / Dee Eskridge
TE: Noah Fant / Will Dissly / Colby Parkinson
O-Line: LT Charles Cross / LG Damien Lewis / C Kyle Fuller / RG Gabe Jackson / RT Jake Curhan (RotoWire Rank: No. 30)
Kicker: Jason Myers
2022 Seattle Seahawks Schedule
| Week | Date | Opponent | Kickoff (ET) |
| 1 | Sep 12 | Denver Broncos | 8:15 PM |
| 2 | Sep 18 | @ San Francisco 49ers | 4:05 PM |
| 3 | Sep 25 | Atlanta Falcons | 4:25 PM |
| 4 | Oct 2 | @ Detroit Lions | 1:00 PM |
| 5 | Oct 9 | @ New Orleans Saints | 1:00 PM |
| 6 | Oct 16 | Arizona Cardinals | 4:05 PM |
| 7 | Oct 23 | @ Los Angeles Chargers | 4:25 PM |
| 8 | Oct 30 | New York Giants | 4:25 PM |
| 9 | Nov 6 | @ Arizona Cardinals | 4:05 PM |
| 10 | Nov 13 | @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 9:30 AM |
| 11 | Bye | ||
| 12 | Nov 27 | Las Vegas Raiders | 4:05 PM |
| 13 | Dec 4 | @ Los Angeles Rams | 4:05 PM |
| 14 | Dec 11 | Carolina Panthers | 4:25 PM |
| 15 | Dec 15 | San Francisco 49ers | 8:15 PM |
| 16 | Dec 24 | @ Kansas City Chiefs | 1:00 PM |
| 17 | Jan 1 | New York Jets | 4:05 PM |
| 18 | TBD | Los Angeles Rams | TBD |
Seattle Seahawks Storylines for 2022
Moving Forward without Wilson
Russell Wilson missed the first three games of his 10-year career last season after suffering a finger injury Week 5, and his performance took a hit upon his return, further establishing how vital he was to the Seahawks' success. The relationship came to a breaking point this offseason, and the team subsequently shipped him to Denver for an assortment of draft picks and players. Quarterback Drew Lock, a 2019 second-round pick, was included in the return, and he'll battle 31-year-old Geno Smith for the starting gig.
Lock is known for his arm strength and suspect accuracy, putting together an uninspiring 24:18 TD:INT and 6.7 yards per attempt in 21 career starts. On the other hand, Smith has familiarity with the system heading into his fourth year in Seattle. He was a decent game manager over four games (three starts) in 2021, as he completed 70.5 percent of his passes for 571 yards (7.4 YPA) and four touchdowns.
Smith held a slight lead on Lock for the No. 1 spot on the depth chart by the end of the offseason program, and the former even kicked off camp taking first-team reps, but whoever protects the football better may get the nod in coach Pete Carroll's run-heavy scheme. The only near certainty is that the offense won't be as productive without Wilson, who averaged 260 passing yards and 2.2 touchdowns per game in his last two healthy seasons while scampering for 855 yards and five scores.
Another Narrow Passing Tree in Seattle
The addition of tight end Noah Fant into this offense could create one of the better receiving corps the Seahawks have carried in more than a decade. A 2019 first-round selection, Fant accrued 1,905 yards and 10 touchdowns in 47 games in Denver. He'll operate as the clear third option behind wide receivers DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett, who combined for 50 percent of Seattle's targets last season.
Having another high-end option will allow offensive coordinator Shane Waldron more freedom with his game plans, especially if Fant can use his 4.50 speed to be dangerous underneath and up the seam while Metcalf and Lockett threaten downfield. However, until it's known who's under center, there will be some ambiguity regarding the ceiling of each receiver.
Fant likely would benefit more from Geno Smith winning the battle, as Smith had an aDOT of 7.3 yards in 2021. Conversely, Lockett and Metcalf – the latter of whom landed a huge three-year extension in late July – stand to gain if Drew Lock is slinging deep shots like he did last year with an aDOT of 11.0 yards.
Regardless, expect fewer passing yards to go around than during Russell Wilson's tenure, though the top-heavy nature of the receivers in Seattle means Lockett and Metcalf still should be locked into 100-plus targets for a fourth straight season.
High Profile Pick Complicates Backfield
The status of Chris Carson was uncertain heading into 2022 due to a disc fusion procedure on his neck, and the Seahawks' selection of Kenneth Walker in the second round of this year's draft signaled that they had doubts about his availability, too. Those concerns were confirmed when Carson opted to retire as the team opened camp.
In any case, the draft capital invested in Walker indicates he's not an insurance policy but rather could compete right away for the starting job. An elite prospect, he won the Doak Walker Award after rushing for 1,636 yards (6.2 YPC) and 18 touchdowns in 12 games as a junior at Michigan State. Walker's arrival muddles Seattle's backfield, but this remains Rashaad Penny's job to lose.
With the passing attack set to take a significant step back sans Russell Wilson, stability at running back is needed to keep the offense churning. Penny, a 2018 first-rounder, has displayed he can provide that and more when healthy, as he reeled off 19.4 touches for 138.4 yards from scrimmage per game from Weeks 14-18 last season while demonstrating breakaway speed with 11 carries of 20-plus yards.
As for the rookie, Walker may struggle to get on the field quickly if he needs time to develop as a pass blocker, much like Penny did at the beginning of his career. Thus, Penny should start the year as the early-down back and potentially a workhorse.
Fantasy Football Stock Watch
⬆️ Rising: RB Rashaad Penny
Penny dominated down the stretch last year with 671 rushing yards and six scores over the final five games. The 2018 first-round pick has the talent to hold off his rookie competition if he stays healthy.
⬇️ Falling: WR Freddie Swain
Not only should he suffer from lesser QB play, Swain has more competition at WR in the form of rookie Bo Melton and veteran Marquise Goodwin – not to mention 2021 second-rounder Dee Eskridge – behind Tyler Lockett and DK Metcalf.
😴 Sleeper: TE Noah Fant
The 24-year-old tight end averaged 40.5 receiving yards per game through three seasons as a member of the Broncos. He's locked in as the No. 3 pass catcher in Seattle and may be heavily targeted on intermediate routes.
🌟 Pivotal Player: DK Metcalf
Metcalf dealt with a lingering foot injury last season that likely contributed to his underwhelming third campaign. He passed a physical at the start of training camp, but the loss of Russell Wilson as his quarterback poses a serious risk to Metcalf's ceiling, especially because the deep ball can't be counted on like it used to be.
Seattle Seahawks Injury Report
WR DK Metcalf
Metcalf has yet to miss a game through three NFL seasons. However, he was a frequent flyer on the injury report last year due to a foot injury. At the end of the 2021 season, the Ole Miss product underwent surgery to remove a screw from his left foot, which was likely put into place because of a procedure he endured in college. Metcalf had a down season last year, and while it can be mostly attributed to Seattle's passing offense cratering without a healthy Russell Wilson, Metcalf may have struggled because of the nagging foot, too. He's at full health as he looks to build on last year's 75-967-12 campaign with a new three-year, $72 million extension.
RB Chris Carson
Head coach Pete Carroll is notoriously optimistic about injured players, but he has been blatantly pessimistic when it comes to Carson, who underwent neck surgery in November. Carson missed the offseason program and then announced his retirement as the Seahawks reported for training camp. The Seahawks appear ready for life without Carson, too, as they re-signed Rashaad Penny to a one-year deal and used a second-round pick in the 2022 Draft on Kenneth Walker.
Adams underwent surgery to repair the torn labrum in his left shoulder in early December, which is one of a handful of injuries that have plagued him through two seasons in Seattle. It's possible that these issues continue to linger throughout his career, and he indeed needed to leave an early training camp practice to get opinions on his left hand, which required a procedure to fuse the middle and ring fingers on his left hand last offseason. The 6-1, 213-pound safety will be liable to wear and tear as long as he's consistently lining up in the box like he has as a Seahawk. That box safety role is key to Adams' IDP production, though, as he led the team with 9.5 sacks two years ago and has averaged 7.1 tackles per game during his tenure in the Pacific Northwest.
Training Camp Battle 2022 – Seattle Seahawks
Most eyes will be on the quarterback battle between Geno Smith and Drew Lock, but that's not interesting for fantasy purposes because whoever wins the job isn't expected to be a consideration outside of 2QB leagues. Instead, the backfield situation is far more intriguing, with rookie second-rounder Kenneth Walker battling Rashaad Penny for the starting job.
Walker already has a case for the role after being named college football's best running back in 2021 following a season where he averaged 136.3 yards and 1.5 TDs on the ground per game across 12 contests. However, he's inexperienced as a pass catcher, and his pass blocking skills need to develop, both of which hurt his chances to get on the field immediately.
In turn, Penny is expected to have a comfortable lead heading into training camp, which isn't surprising if only for his historic finish to the 2021 campaign. Over the final five games last year, Penny piled up at least 100 rushing yards four times and totaled six scores. As long as he can stay healthy, Penny is poised to enter the season as Seattle's lead running back.
But it's not all bad news for Walker – who turns 22 years old in October – and his dynasty investors. He's an excellent prospect that should star once he gets a chance to start, and Penny only is signed through this season, meaning Walker could have a hefty workload in store when 2023 rolls around.
