‘12 as one’

Seattle Seahawks Head Coach Mike MacDonald, left, carries the Lombardi Trophy into Lumen Field.
MIKE MAYNARD/COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD

Seattle Seahawks Quarterback Sam Darnold, with goggles around his neck, gives thanks to the Seahawks fans. Darnold and the Seahawks defeated the New England Patriots in Super Bowl 60 to win their second championship in franchise history.

Seahawks Wide Receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba greets fans at the trophy celebration in Lumen Field after they won Super Bowl 60.

Seahawks Head Coach Mike MacDonald, right, holds up the NFC Championship trophy during their Super Bowl parade. Seattle defeated the Rams in the NFC Championship to advance to Super Bowl 60.

Seattle Seahawks Quarterback Sam Darnold, in gray, soaks in the cheers from fans as he makes his way into Lumen Field.

General Manager of the Seattle Seahawks John Schneider, in white, tosses gifts to fans during the Super Bowl parade.

A young Seahawks fan waits for his favorite team to drive by during the Super Bowl parade Wednesday.

A fan holds up a sign celebrating the Seahawks’ win at the trophy celebration for the team Wednesday.

Blitz, the Seattle Seahawks mascot leads the team into Lumen Field for their trophy celebration after winning Super Bowl 60.

Seahawks Linebacker Earnest Jones IV participates in the festivities Wednesday.

by MIKE MAYNARD
Staff Writer | February 11, 2026 4:43 PM

SEATTLE — The 12th man flocked to Seattle’s Fourth Avenue on Wednesday to celebrate the newly crowned Super Bowl champion Seahawks. The event even brought out former players of the franchise.

“It's big for the whole city,” said Marcus Trufant, former Seahawks cornerback. “It's not just the players, of course; they deserve all the credit, but it's a community thing, and it just feels good for the city. The city feeds off the energy, and that goes down to business and community.”

Over one million fans gathered downtown, starting with a trophy celebration at Lumen Field. As the players took the stage, they were showered with cheers.

“Sea ... Hawks!” the crowd shouted.

The trophy celebration was hosted by the voice of the Seahawks, Steve Raible, who fired up the crowd between player speeches.

“Holy catfish,” he said. “Fifty seasons ago, the Seahawks were welcomed into this city with one goal – bring the Lombardi (Trophy) to the Northwest. For the second time in franchise history, your Seahawks did just that. And they did it in the stadium and on the field and out of the locker room of the (San Francisco) 49ers.”

Seahawks General Manager John Schneider spoke first, applauding the culture that had been built in the last two seasons.

“Culture is an artifact of relationships, and you guys are amazing people,” Schneider said.

Head Coach Mike MacDonald told the crowd he had goosebumps from the ruckus crowd’s welcome as they entered the stadium moments prior.

“We talk about ‘12 as one.’ Look at all the 12s in this stadium. See how powerful this is with this football team. I got goosebumps just thinking about it,” MacDonald said.

Up next was Quarterback Sam Darnold. As a former third overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft by the New York Jets, Darnold’s path to a championship was not linear. After three seasons with the Jets, he was traded to the Carolina Panthers, where he would play two seasons before serving as a backup quarterback with the 49ers and Minnesota Vikings. In March 2025, Darnold signed a multi-year contract with Seattle after putting together a respectable season with the Vikings. He threw for 4,048 yards and 35 touchdowns with the Seahawks in 2025.

In his first season, he led Seattle to 14 wins, an NFC Championship and a Super Bowl title, said Raible. Overcome with emotion, Darnold took in the audience before speaking.

“A lot of people didn’t believe in me, but it didn’t matter,” Darnold said. “The ones that are close believed in me, including y’all (the fans).”

As the speeches wrapped up and a few more players took their turns, they dispersed into several different vans and buses as they took to the streets of Seattle to celebrate with the fans.

While many players, coaches and franchise staff opted to stay in the vehicles throughout the parade, others like Tariq Woolen and Devon Witherspoon took opportunities to walk along the parade route and celebrate more intimately with the fans.

Confetti showered downtown Seattle as the 60th Super Bowl champions were officially coronated in NFL history. As they look to the future, Trufant feels confident the Seahawks and the twelves may find themselves hosting another parade in the not-too-distant future.

“The way they're coached and the way they prepare, and how this team is locked in, it's like nothing I've ever seen before. I've been a part of some great teams, but I'm just saying from the outside looking in, it seems like these guys got tunnel vision, and they're really locked in. I think they can go as far as they want to go,” Trufant said.