Established: 1976
Home Field: Qwest Field – Seattle, Washington
Owner(s): Paul Allen
General Manager: Tim Ruskell
Head Coach: Jim L. Mora

The Seahawks were established in 1976 as an expansion team in the NFL. They are one of only two NFL teams to have played in both the AFC and the NFC when they were switched to the latter in 2002 to preserve traditional divisional rivalries. The Seahawks currently play in the Western Division of the NFC.

Like most newly formed teams, the Seahawks had a rough inaugural season, posting a disappointing 2-12 record. However, with the help of Jim Zorn and Steve Largent, the team steadily improved to post a 5-9 record in their second season thus setting a record for the most wins for a second year franchise. This building period lasted for a couple of seasons, but, unfortunately, by 1979 the team had fallen largely out of contention. It marked the beginning of dry spell for the Seahawks that would last until 1982.

In 1983, the team made the decision to hire Chuck Knox as the new head coach. The decision paid off as 1983 marked their first break through year. The team made it to the playoffs on a wild card for the first time in franchise history. The Seahawks ultimately lost in the AFC Championship Game to the eventual Super Bowl Champion Oakland Raiders. They followed their break out season with another successful season in 1984 that again took them to the playoffs. Unfortunately, this would be the team’s last playoff appearance for 21 years.

In 2004, after nearly 20 years of inconsistency, and a switch to the NFC in 2002, the team finally returned to the postseason and claimed their first Divisional Championship title. This marked the beginning of one of the most successful periods in the team’s history. In 2005, the Seahawks peaked with an appearance in Super Bowl XL, though they lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Since, they have consistently made it to the playoffs but have failed to achieve the success of the 2005 season.

Championships

League Championships
None

Conference Championships
NFC: 2005

Division Championships
AFC West: 1988, 1999
NCF West: 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007

Seahawks Trivia

• Jim Zorn was the Seahawks first starting QB. He held that position for seven and a half years.
• The first jersey number to be retired by the Seahawks was number 12. It references the loud Seahawk fans that are often collectively referred to as the “12th Man”.
• In the team’s entire history, they have never worn their white jerseys on the home field.