Six Months Later, Seattle Still Basking in Super Bowl Glow
Super Bowl LX feels like a long time ago in football years, but as the Seattle Seahawks open training camp this month, the glow of a 29-13 victory over the New England Patriots has not faded. For a franchise that waited more than a decade to get back to the top of the sport, the Seahawks are not interested in simply defending their title. They are focused on building something that lasts.
A Championship Built on Defense and a Historic Ground Game
Seattle's run to Super Bowl LX was powered by one of the league's most disruptive defenses paired with a resurgent offense led by quarterback Sam Darnold. But it was running back Kenneth Walker III who authored the signature performance of the entire postseason.
- Walker rushed for 135 yards on 27 carries in the Super Bowl itself
- He became the first running back to win Super Bowl MVP in more than two decades
- His performance reignited a broader conversation about the value of running backs across the modern NFL
Walker's reaction in the immediate aftermath captured the magnitude of the moment. "It's a dream come true," he said. Reflecting further afterward, he added, "Honestly, when it hit me is when they showed me the running backs that were the MVP previously. If I would tell myself as a kid right now, I wouldn't have guessed that I would be the one to win the MVP. So, this is a surreal moment, and it doesn't happen without the guys in the locker room."
Walker also used the platform to speak to a wider trend across the league. "I hope it shows the people that doubt running backs that running backs are important all around the league," he said. "Running backs make a great impact. Back in the day, people used to love running backs. I just hope we get that same energy back sometime soon."
Darnold's Redemption Arc
For Sam Darnold, the championship represented the culmination of a career that had been defined by inconsistency and second chances long before he arrived in Seattle. Asked about Walker's dominant performance, Darnold made clear it was no surprise to those inside the building.
"To be honest, no. I feel like he's been running like that the entire season. Ken did his job pretty unbelievably tonight," Darnold said. He framed the team's entire championship run in similarly grounded terms: "It just shows people that as long as you believe in yourself, anything's possible."
The quarterback's own journey, from bounce-around backup to Super Bowl champion, mirrored the franchise's broader story of patience finally rewarded.
A Second Championship, Twelve Years Apart
Seattle's win over New England delivered the second Lombardi Trophy in franchise history, more than a decade after the Legion of Boom era capped Super Bowl XLVIII. That gap makes this championship feel less like a continuation and more like the arrival of an entirely new era of Seahawks football.
- The victory came at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California
- It marked Seattle's first Super Bowl appearance since their previous title run
- The win reestablished the franchise among the league's elite heading into the new season
Training Camp Arrives With Championship Expectations
As camp opens, the Seahawks are not the only team in the league dealing with heightened expectations, but they are the only one carrying the weight of being the reigning champions. Seattle's rookies were among the first in the league to report, underlining the franchise's determination to build on last season's success rather than simply enjoy it.
- Seattle's title defense begins with one of the earliest training camp report dates in the league
- The roster returns largely intact from its championship run, a rarity in an era of aggressive roster turnover
- Expectations across the league have shifted, with Seattle now firmly regarded as the team every contender must match
What to Watch Next
- Whether Walker can replicate his postseason workload across a full championship-defense season
- How opposing defenses adjust their game plans specifically to slow Seattle's ground attack
- Darnold's ability to build on a career-defining season under the increased scrutiny that comes with being champions
Conclusion
Six months on from Super Bowl LX, Seattle's championship still reads like a story about patience rewarded, for a franchise, a quarterback, and a running back who all found their moment on the same night. Now comes the harder part: proving it was the beginning of something, not a peak.
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