Brady HendersonJan 3, 2026, 11:05 PM ETCloseBrady Henderson is a reporter for NFL Nation and covers the Seattle Seahawks for ESPN. He joined ESPN in 2017 after covering the team for Seattle Sports 710-AM.Follow on X
Seahawks clinch NFC’s top seed with win over 49ers (1:02)The Seahawks defeat the 49ers 13-3 to win the NFC West and secure the NFC’s top seed. (1:02)
With the NFC West title and top seed on the line, they leaned on their defense and run game on their way to a seventh straight win.
The Seahawks signed Darnold to a three-year, $100.5 million deal in March after trading Geno Smith to the Las Vegas Raiders. Darnold led Seattle to a 13-3 record entering Week 18 and made his second straight Pro Bowl despite committing an NFL-high 20 turnovers.
In one of the biggest games of his career Saturday night, Darnold played well enough — and he took care of the ball. Seattle’s quarterback didn’t throw a touchdown pass while completing 20 of 26 attempts for 198 yards. But he didn’t turn the ball over.
“It was a total team effort tonight,” Darnold said in his postgame, on-field interview with Laura Rutledge on ESPN. “I’m so proud of those guys in the locker room.”
“It’s just staying calm, staying calm in the pocket,” Darnold said in what has been a key to his success in Seattle. “Understanding my progressions, and getting the ball to my backs. And our offensive line, too. … The way we’ve been able to run it? A lot of credit to those guys.”
Seahawks clinch NFC’s top seed with win over 49ers (1:02)The Seahawks defeat the 49ers 13-3 to win the NFC West and secure the NFC’s top seed. (1:02)
CloseBrady Henderson is a reporter for NFL Nation and covers the Seattle Seahawks for ESPN. He joined ESPN in 2017 after covering the team for Seattle Sports 710-AM.Follow on X
The Seahawks defeat the 49ers 13-3 to win the NFC West and secure the NFC’s top seed. (1:02)