Seahawks 2026 Midseason Honors: Who stood out in Seattle’s first half?

The Seahawks’ season is a little more than halfway through, and Seattle sits at 5-4 after nine games, with eight more weeks and a bye still to come. In an unofficial midseason honors list, the emphasis was on the players and game moments that have most shaped Seattle’s identity so far.

On offense, wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba was named the “Offensive MVP” after leading the team with 1,036 receiving yards and nine touchdowns on 71 catches. The article also frames his impact in volume and efficiency, noting he has accounted for 49.6% of Seattle’s receiving yards and nine of the team’s 15 receiving touchdowns.

Defensively, linebacker Ernest Jones IV took “Defensive MVP” honors. The roundup cites his 88 tackles through nine games as the most in the NFC and fourth in the NFL, along with 3.0 sacks (tied for second on the team), five passes defensed, and one interception.

Special teams “MVP” went to punter Michael Dickson, with the piece pointing to a 42.8 net average, 15 punts downed inside the 20, and only two touchbacks. It also highlights the Seahawks’ ability to force mistakes, citing two turnovers created off muffed punts as part of his value beyond punting distance.

In the “best relief performance” category, quarterback Drew Lock was singled out for covering multiple starts after injuries sidelined Sam Darnold. The list says Seattle won all three games he started or played the majority of, while noting Lock went 71.1% for 597 yards with five touchdowns and no turnovers (three games).

Seattle’s top “newcomer” pick was running back Emanuel Wilson, credited with 403 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns in the first seven games before Zach Charbonnet and Jadarian Price returned in Week 8. The roundup also selects two specific game-changing plays: Lock-to-Smith-Njigba for an 82-yard touchdown at Arizona (Week 2) and a defensive momentum swing in Seattle’s Week 6 win over the Chiefs, when Nick Emmanwori’s pressure contributed to an interception by Ty Okada.

The midseason theme also includes defensive consistency, with the article describing the Seahawks as leading the NFL in total defense (244.2 yards per game) and passing defense (155.1) through nine games. At the same time, it points to an area Seattle has struggled to clean up: turnovers, which the roundup ties to losses, while noting that Seattle was turnover-free against the Cardinals in Week 9.