Mariners Broadcasting Legend Rick Rizzs to Raise Seahawks’ 12 Flag Before 49ers Visit

The Seahawks will turn their pregame scene into a Seattle-style crossover moment on Sunday when Rick Rizzs, described by the team as a Mariners broadcasting legend, is named the guest flag raiser for the “12” Flag tradition at Lumen Field. The 12 Flag is part of the Seahawks’ in-stadium presentation, and its raised-in-ceremony role is designed to mark the start of each home game with a visual statement tied to the team’s identity and fan base.

Seattle’s announcement places Rizzs in the spotlight before kickoff of the Seahawks’ Week 5 matchup against the San Francisco 49ers. The team’s release makes clear that his duties will be confined to the flag-raising presentation, with the honor coming as the Seahawks prepare to host a 49ers club that represents one of the league’s most established brands and a frequent measuring stick for how contenders handle high-level opponents.

For Rizzs, the appearance connects two longstanding pillars of Seattle sports culture. The Mariners have long been part of the city’s entertainment rhythm, and a broadcasting figure is often more than a voice on game days, serving as a familiar guide to fans across generations. In naming him, Seattle is leaning into that familiarity, using an off-field connection to reinforce the atmosphere that typically defines home weekends at Lumen Field.

The Seahawks have centered the 12 Flag concept on the idea of collective energy, with the flag serving as a recognizable emblem carried into the stadium experience. While the exact origins and operational details of each ceremony are not included in the team’s release, the presentation itself functions as a tone-setter. It is less about a single player or unit, and more about framing the game as something shared, from the first minute to the final whistle.

Matchup-wise, the timing matters. A Week 5 home game carries a sense of midseason calibration, when teams begin separating themselves from the pack in the standings and when momentum becomes more measurable. Hosting the 49ers adds immediate intensity to that picture, since the opponent brings a standard of play that tends to test both the execution and the composure of a home team in real time.

In the short window before kickoff, the Seahawks will also be balancing the ceremony with the practical demands of game preparation. The flag-raising moment is typically brief, but it requires coordination between stadium operations and the honoree’s arrival. Seattle’s official notice indicates that Rizzs’ role is specifically the pregame flag duties, keeping the spotlight on the presentation rather than broader responsibilities.

Beyond the event itself, the selection of a figure from another local franchise indicates how NFL teams increasingly treat the stadium experience as a city-wide product, not only a football environment. If the ceremony draws attention, the more important question will be whether Seattle can translate that emotional lift into clean starts and consistent play as the 49ers come to town.

For fans and followers, the storyline is clear: a Mariners broadcasting legend will raise the 12 Flag as the Seahawks begin their Week 5 home game against the 49ers. The rest of the focus now shifts to what happens once the ball is in motion, where the fan-service ceremony becomes backdrop to the competition that ultimately defines the day.