A lot has been written this year about the decline in efficacy of the 12th Man – the otherwise legendary fanbase of the Seattle Seahawks. Routinely this year, and for a few seasons now, opposing fans have invaded Lumen Field to negate the roar of the 12’s. In fact, there was even a moment in Week 8 when quarterback Geno Smith mentioned how it sounded like a road game due to all the Bills fans in attendance.
In fact, even wide receiver DK Metcalf commented how he wishes those who have tickets would stop selling them to away fans.
There are plenty of issues here at play. Life is more expensive these days and it costs more than a pretty penny to afford tickets to an NFL game. There are plenty of “new money” transplants in Seattle who have moved here over the years who don’t necessarily have a lot of loyalty to the Seahawks but still want to be season ticket holders. And, perhaps ultimately, the Seahawks just don’t win enough at home.
For years, Lumen Field was a fortress. Teams came to the Pacific Northwest to lose in the cold and rain. Rare was the day when an opponent would sneak out of here overjoyed from victory. Now? It has become the norm. This year the Seahawks will finish the season (unless they somehow find a way to host playoff game by winning the NFC West) with a disappointing 3-6 record at home.
Last season, the Seahawks went 5-3 at home, and the year prior they were 5-4. But in 2021 they were 3-5. In this span, this accumulates to a rather underwhelming 16-18 record in their own building.
Weirdly enough, the 2024 Seahawks may be one of the only teams to prefer playing a road postseason game instead of hosting one. But at this point any shot at the Wild Card seems realistically out of reach, and sadly, the division is on the verge of slipping away entirely as well.
Finding out a way to win at home – especially against lower-tier teams in this league – must be a top priority for the Seahawks in 2025. For as loyal and fanatic as fans can be in Seattle, living in the Pacific Northwest gives folks options. Such as enjoying nature, traveling to beautiful spots in the state, purchasing tickets to theatrical productions or concerts. This is already an expensive place to live, and it could come down to the team needs to give folks a more compelling reason to spend top dollar for the privilege to stand in said cold and rain.
