NFL Daily with Gregg Rosenthal - A Final Salute to the Seahawks with Mina Kimes

Episode Date: February 11, 2026

Gregg Rosenthal is joined by ESPN's Mina Kimes to react to the Seahawks beating the Patriots in Super Bowl LX. They tell you what they think about how the game played out, Seattle's dominant defense, Sam Darnold's journey, and what it was like for Mina, as a fan, to watch the Seahawks win. NFL Daily YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/nflpodcastsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an I-Heart podcast. Guaranteed Human. Welcome to NFL Daily, where Mina Kimes and her Seahawks got revenge, 11 years later. I'm Greg Rosenthal. It's NFL Daily, our first show after the Super Bowl. And this is going to be a tradition, Mina. We had Bo Wolf on the first show after the Eagles won last year in it. I want to have someone who can just revel in their team winning the Super Bowl

and provide great analysis. Thank you for coming on during a time of the year. I'm sure you're ready to go hibernate. That's okay. Glad to be here. I was at Disneyland all day yesterday. Yes.

Which was really fun, actually, because I'd never seen the whole MVP parade moment. And we were on set on Main Street and the parade float was like literally coming up to our set, which was a very cool experience. and then Darnold and Kenneth Walker, who was the actual MVP, joined the show. And so that was a very special moment that I was excited to see firsthand. But I am also excited to just kind of to revel in it because I really,

because I went live right after the game. And Ben and I were trying to break down everything that happened, but I haven't had a chance to like take it all in. Yeah, I wanted to start there at Disneyland. I should have said that, yeah, this show, maybe the Chris Wesleying podcast studio, which you taped from on Sunday night. We'll get to that. Maybe that was the happiest place on Earth Sunday night.

I guess not, though, because it's a different vibe when you have to work right afterwards. But what is that like? What was it like for you at Disneyland? Because you're there in a professional capacity, but it's also like your team. And it's Darnold and it's Walker. It's a cool moment professionally and as a fan, I would imagine. My kid was also there for the first time. Wow.

I came by and actually met my teammate, like my NFL Live. cast members, which was a very, that was actually probably the coolest moment at the day for me personally. But it was cool. The other thing I'll say is there was just so many Seahawks fans there. I always wondered about how that works per se, right? Like, if you're a fan of a team, when do you decide to go to Disneyland? Because you're not booking that trip. Like, that feels like hubris. I enjoy. So, and yeah, it was very overrun. It felt like you could speak to this too. San Francisco was just overwhelmingly Seahawks fans. And obviously Seattle is pretty close to San Francisco

and that makes a difference. But all week long, we were at the pier and it felt like an 80 to 20 Seahawks to Patriots ratio behind us. I didn't feel it during the week as much, maybe just because of where we were downtown. Like it just seemed like there was plenty of both. But I cannot remember a stadium for the post-game MVP and Lombardi presentation

that was that. packed and that loud. It felt like no one had left, especially at the ends of the stadium. It was like three quarters still full. And you've been there. I believe for various Super Bowls afterwards. Like usually that thing clears out so much. And it's just it's just like the bottom bowl and the diehard. But everyone was reveling in it. And it was obvious, I'm sure, from the TV copy, like how it was just all Seahawks fans at the game. Like it was the The saddest Super Bowl, I mean, the saddest touchdown maybe in NFL history, my wife, Emeka, who was there, was that Remandre touchdown at the end? Because, like, Ciyox fans didn't care by the end, but no Patriots fans that were even still left.

I saw them leaving. We're cheering. So it was just like a totally silent, terrible touchdown moment. Yeah, the touch. It's funny, because people have been asking me, like, when did you know? And I've been giving, like, like, actually really early in the game. But, I mean, it's disrespectful. It was pretty obvious.

But the other thing I've been asked is, like, did you get nervous at all when they scored? And I was like, well, after Mike Brable didn't go for two, I thought, just kidding. But it was such an interesting drive, right? Greg, because Drake May hit the two best throws of the entire game by either quarterback on that drive. And they comes back out. And there was a small part of me that thought, if May scores again, here and he's actually like they've like turned it up he could be a legend like that would be

crazy comeback but i also thought those were both two pretty low percentage throws one was into like traffler like five guys in the middle of field and he hits um hollins on the endbreaker and then the other one was just a go ball right against woolen but it was a great throw great catch contested whatnot i just thought the likelihood of them doing it again was very low and that proved to be the case because he turned it over that next drive. I'm going to try to hit the same part of the field too, you know. I wanted to, I want to get into the game of all. Like, was it a good game?

That is interesting because it was definitely my fandom that probably made me feel differently that since it just kept being two scores and the Patriots defense kept playing so well, I just kept thinking, I've watched enough games where it's like two scores and the team that should be winning by 40. Okay. Like often let the other team come back. You know, it went through my head because I was, I covered the Falcons Pat Super Bowl, the 2823.

And I was in a press box for that game, planning on like what piece I would write and, you know, staying to the end. When the Patriots started coming back in that game, one of the things that made me think it was possible was, uh, how much Atlanta's defense had been on the field. or barely

because hilariously, not hilariously if you're a falcons fan, I'm sorry. Why the hell are you bringing this up? The Falcons scored too fast in those games and the time of possession. I remember checking the time of possession and thinking like, that's not good, right? Like this is a tired defense.

Whereas Seattle, while the offense, it was not their best day, particularly the passing attack, of course, they were able to put together some drives. And Seattle was just getting off to field so quickly every time. time that I thought, okay, they're still fresh. The other thing about the Seahawks pass rush is that they've got waves of guys. So, you know, you're able to mix it up and substitute.

And I just didn't feel that same panic about the defense that I did. Obviously, it's also a much better defense in Atlanta. But yeah, I think just that that was something that occurred to me watching the game. I don't think I'd check the time possession, but I remember thinking like, I don't think they're tired right now. They were winning the total. plays battle too, which to me is even more telling than time of possession pretty significantly, even at halftime, and then it got worse. You're right. I really felt it like the punt on fourth and one and really just the three and out to start the second half, even though I was holding out hope, like still while like it stayed two scores until like basically the moment may fumbled at 12

nothing and then they cashed that in, I was still holding out hope. When they came out a half time and just went three and out. I was like, okay, it's probably not happening. I sort of convinced myself, like, maybe they come out in the second half, and it's going to be different. And it brings up a larger question. I've heard a lot of kind of casual fans

and maybe some big fans that they want a better game, just talking about what a bad Super Bowl it was. And maybe it's just being there, and maybe it's just like, I like different types of games. Because it's the Super Bowl, that adds so much weight to it. And I was enjoying their defense,

just dominate, and I was enjoying, like, the Patriots just scratching and clawing on defense and holding on for dear life in kind of the game theory and everything else that was going on and it looked different. I was like, okay, this is a different sort of Super Bowl, and it would have needed the Patriots to come back a little and more to happen for it to be, like, a great Super Bowl. But I thought people are being too hard in the game. Like, I like a little bit of a different style of game. And it was very typical Seahawks game.

For this season, I ran through all the games that were like this for them, whether it was the Panthers or the Falcons. There was like two more where it was just like this kind of like the Colts game, like where it kind of looked like a Seahawks game. And like I didn't hate it. I thought people were being too hard on it. And ultimately the Seahawks team was just so badass that it's hard not to appreciate them. I think people's understanding of the Seahawks was pretty worked by the NFC championship too.

Like you said, this is how they won a lot of games this season, leaning very heavily on the defense and the offense kind of just doing enough. and so people watched the NFC championship and thought, ooh, like, bombs away, Seattle, the offense is like, you know, we should get like this great performance on both sides of ball and that this game was very indicative

of who they were for the second half of the season. The difference being, I would say, Sam Darnold protected football and mitigated pressure better than he did in the second half of the season, which he deserves a ton of credit for that in my mind. The one thing I'll say about, like, was this a good game?

I would argue this was a much better, setting aside my own personal enjoyment and feeling pretty chill, as evidence by the fact I told you I thought it was over early. I think this was a lot better than the 40, the Broncos Super Bowl, 48. Yes. Because, you know, that one,

it just didn't feel like Denver put up a fight. And to your point, the Patriots defense really put up a fight in this and made some impressive plays. and also that Broncos offense was just so outmatched. Not that obviously the Patriots offense was very outmatched, but I wasn't watching this game thinking like, wow, this Patriots offense stinks. I know that's how everybody is talking about it.

I was watching most of the game thinking like this is how good Seattle's defense is. And again, I think that was affected by the NFC Championship because people kind of misunderstood how the Seattle defense had looked all Cs. along after watching Matthew Stafford and the Rams, who were able to, I think, tear it up for some reasons that are a little bit more complicated than Matthew Stafford is just, you know, an amazing, credible, older quarterback who's experienced. Yeah, I mean, the receivers, the familiarity and his ability to hit some of those throws, like the throw that may had to Hollins, I was so glad he had those two throws in a row just as a Drake may get it, just to have something positive out of just

a miserable postseason for him. Well, I think Kyle Shanahan put it best at Super Bowl week when he said, you know, because the Seahawks have completely demolished his offense, which by the way, outside of the Seahawks game was a top five offense in football this year. And the Seahawks blanked them. Shut him down, right? But Kyle said, I saw a great quote, like, look, if you can't run on there too high, you got no chance.

And going back and watching, I wish, I wish I had emphasized this a little bit more going into the game. The Rams, a lot of those big, Stafford have lit them up with play action in that game. And most of those throws, because I went back and I watched them all to try to be like, can the Patriots approximate this to any degree? A lot of them, the Seahawks would show too high, but then rotate the safety down very quickly. And so he was able to get, the Seahawks just had zero respect for New England's run game. And I think if I would go back and like kind of rethink this, you know, I pick Seattle to win, obviously.

everybody else. But I think the thing that was very clear in this very early is if you can't run on this defense, you are dead in the water. And Patriots were dead in the water. And I thought, yeah, I thought they should have been a little more patient or tried it more. Even to start the second half, it's like the first run that they have, they pop for, what was it? It was like a six-yard run on second in 10, and that's the only run that drive. And then the next drive, they get nine on first down and they can't pick up first down on a second and one with Trayvion and then they throw on third and one and then at that point like the running game was was over for the rest of the day. Then again, you're trying to run on Byron Murphy who we had on after the show and Leonard

Williams and it's just like there were mismatches all around. So I think it was that we didn't emphasize this enough that I think it was a bad Patriots coaching performances. Oh, that was, I went hard on McDaniels after the game. Also like, why wait so long to start tossing it to Henderson? Like that was something I thought they would do. There were a couple of things I thought they would do in this game. One was the jumbo, the six offensive line,

which they did once and hit a 21-yard past a booty and then never went back to it. The tosses to Henderson, I thought we would see a lot of pony, which is funny because it goes back to the last Ciac, the last Patriots iteration of the team that played the Ciacs the last time. That was the big pony personnel team.

Barely. There was like 11, the vast, I think 80% in the time, May in the gun. More than any game all season. Didn't move them around by design. I did not understand the game plan. I thought Josh McDaniels really struggle in this one.

I think they would have had to play well and had the right game plan to make a competitive and they probably still would lose. We find out afterwards. May gets a pain-killing injection. I had heard after the AFC championship, like that was a little more of a thing.

I believe that he got an MRI on it, which I don't know if it ever got out there. But, you know, he was playing. But for him to end up with the worst EPA since they started keeping track of EPA, worse than, I don't mean like if McGa- Wors than Peyton-Manning for a playoff round. It's a tough way, it's a tough way for it to end.

And there's no promise that you get back there. Ali Connolly points out that only one quarterback has ever won the Super Bowl after like losing the first Super Bowl he went to. How many quarterbacks have been back to the Super Bowl? Right. Probably not, not, probably not that, that many. Obviously, Jim Kelly, you know, stands out as one who kept getting back and back. But Jalen Hertz did it, did it one time. I do want to get into the fan of it all. Because like I said, it's as a tradition. We're going to do this show, hopefully after every Super Bowl. One of my least favorite parts of Top Chef. And we both love Top Chef, Mina, is they move on so fast, right? The season ends. It's this big culmination. And they win. And we got like one one minute of them. drinking champagne afterwards and celebrate. And it's like, I need a whole post-game show.

I want like a half hour of them talking about it. And so that's this version of the show. And so I'm going to have you relive the end of this game. Let's actually listen to Steve Rable, the K-I-R-O announcer, calling the end of the Seahawks game. One, the second time in less than 12 years. The Seahawks win Super Bowl 60. are bringing the Lombardi back to the northwest. And the party begins at Levi Stadium.

I love that shot of Mike McDonald, just looking up into the sky. Give me a little bit of how, like, you felt at that moment. And then just how this team Mike McDonald makes you feel as someone who's rude for the Seahawks, your old life. I just love that the team won in a way that was so represented. of their identity and their coach, right? You know, I voted from Coach of the Year. Me too. I didn't have a vote, but he was my pretend vote. I mean, the turnaround he's done with this defense is remarkable.

People forget how bad the defense was the year before he became the head coach. It was 28th to go from that to not only the best in the NFL, but to win in dominant fashion, to be the story of, the Super Bowl is just a testament to his coaching. You know, I thought he had some brilliant calls in this game, but also like when you watch all these players, and look, Schneider's done a fantastic job of not just drafting guys, but the free agents they've signed have been really impactful.

I've mentioned Ernest, like the trade for Ernest Jones, all of the pieces coming together. But, you know, to see how much these players have developed and how well they fit and how well they played together. I think that was the big take. way, watching them all game, the way I would describe this Seahawks defense is watching it makes this version, watching it makes me feel like I do when I watch the Shanahan-McVeigh offenses where you feel, one, they're completely dictating to offenses and confusing them and attacking

tendencies, protection lapses. But the way they all play together, I thought it was just so on display in this game. The way the pressures are so coordinated. They're like this beautiful ballet, right? The way the second, if they send pressure, guys just seems to be always in position to make the tackle. Josh Job. Like everybody talks about like the first rounders and the, you know, Josh Job made one of the best tackles of the game.

You know, they've had guys like Okada and Thomas who were undrafted. So I just think you watch them. It's just, you know, there's certain defenses where you watch them and you're like, wow, that is just, it's Miles Garrett, he's an alien or, you know, Max Crosby or whatever. But when you watch this defense, you feel the coaching emanate through the play. And they really are a reflection of who he is and why his hire was so transformational.

I have so much I want to comment on from that. But I can't let Okada go by. How about him revealing that he's part of the Asian American draft team? You can take him. How did I not know Jason Myers was part Filipino until? I didn't know that. You're breaking that news. We got a success story.

We're going to, we just need one-eighth is enough. We will claim you. Yes, I think Tai Okada, for those listening, said that his great-grandfather was Japanese, I believe. And before it moved over. So the name makes sense. Yeah, McDonald, he was brought in as this answer to the Shanahan Tree in that division specifically, after taking down Purdy in that great game against the 49ers that ruined Purdy's MVP chances. And he really has been like a one-man answer to it because, look, other people from that tree are getting jobs.

Anthony Weaver and Denard Wilson with varying levels of success. Jesse Minter is part of that tree, I would say, and he's going to be the Ravens Head Coach. but when I started hearing after the game like Devin Witherspoon talking about how they had a bit of a tip from their coaches of how the Patriots offensive linemen were aligned, he talked about that on Sirius Radio, and that they really felt like they knew run pass and different things. I mean, that's, to be that, he has obviously no similar,

like there's a lot of differences between him and Belichick, but that was just like the type of stuff that would happen after a Belichick Super Bowl. where it's not all about just rallying the troops. He's just giving you these little edges of how his guys can win. I have heard from multiple people in that, the staff and then with players

that Witherspoon is like his, his guy, like his avatar on the field, the guy who challenges him in meetings. And, you know, obviously, Amori's gotten a lot of love this year. You know how I feel about like Leo Williams, Byron Murphy was excellent in this game.

but like I also love that Devin Witherspoon was the shining star of the Cahy. Like he really had a strong MVP case. And I don't object to Walker getting it because I thought he was extraordinary as well. And they don't win this game without him. And I also think, you know, the greatest compliment you could play the CX defense is it was impossible to pick one player because there were so many good players, which is very cool. And again, reflects who they are. But for him to pick Witherspoon, and I'm sure you guys talked about, everybody's talked about how they broke some of their tendencies with having him blitz and the way he blitzed and the way he blitzed and the way. they were attacking them.

Very cool, I thought, because he is a really unique player and part of, you know, that draft class with him and Jay says going to go down and C-Hawks history is one of the all-timers. It's really crazy to think Schneider was a little bit on the hot seat

a couple years ago. Dider had horrible drafts for like five years. Yes. And this is really a K, and then he's been on a freaking heater, right? For another, like the last four years, I would say. And really, like, I know there's all this discourse now, like, you got to wait for quarterbacks. Look at Jamdarnold. You know, development takes time. How about GMs? Like, how about

because he was unbelievable early in his career at the Seahawks, then total drought from like 13 to 17-ish, 18, or no, no, more than. Anyways, go look up his drafts and then turn it around completely. And it just goes to show you, like, maybe you need GM, you got to give GMs of patience, too. Yeah, and drafts kind of come and go, but it is crazy to think about like A.J. Barner as a fourth round picket gets slept on a little bit. Like the veteran pickups that they had, including just finding guys in McDonald, I'm sure is a part of that in Josh Job or taking Pete's guys and making them better like a Kobe Bryant. You guys do have some key free agents. Job, Bryant, and Rieke. That's like three-sixth of essentially a starting secondary.

They're all free agents. Ken Walker is a free agent. I think they might tag him. Like, what do you think about them, like, moving forward? Yeah. Rieck is a tricky one because I think he's, I think he's become underrated. but he's also not who he seemed.

I think he's not as good as maybe it seemed early in the career or like he's not like a, like he's just, there's a getable aspect and obviously the penalties, whatever. But I also think he's like, there's, for much of the season, he was excellent. I think Joe, I suspect they can get a deal done pretty reasonably and I wouldn't be surprised if they keep him. Woolen's harder to project to me.

He feels like he's gone. He'll be gone. Walker, I think they'll keep. Rashid's a free agent. It will also be tough to keep, I think. He could be one of those players that like the home, like Seahawks fans will just remember so fondly. Not that he even had a ton of receiving production for the Seahawks,

but basically you trade for him and then he makes two or three just monster plays to help you get a champion. He was also- Curating will be 100 forever. Great personality, great locker room guy. I would also argue he had a lot of hidden impact, not just the special teams, but this is super nerdy.

But one of the things Seattle dramatically improved at after trading him was running out of the gun with three wide receivers on the field. They were from being one of the worst in football to one of the, like a top five success rate. And to me, a lot of that reflected defenses actually have to respond. a second receiver.

So even if they were to move on from him, I think you'd probably want to add speed at the receiver position. I know Tori Horton got hurt this year, so that's kind of maybe they feel confident that he can replace that production. But that's something that is quietly important. You've been on a journey.

It's been 11 years since your last Super Bowl title. Probably had to get you doing this, by the way. Like next time around, you know, your son will be, like almost entering high school. If it's an 11-year thing, my kids will be in college or out of it. So it's like we got to mark these moments in time.

I wonder about your journey, though, with Darnold. You know, like, I remember you as one of the darnold hot, like, it was such a big Darnold hive. Ampsizers is what we called ourselves. Me, Orlowski, Jeremiah. Daniel Jeremiah. I mean, who knows? Like, Tice, I feel like was in there.

Maybe not. That was a big Donald guy. Yeah, yeah. We just didn't, I didn't know him, I think, when this all started. But yeah. And you guys always kind of carried the flag that, like, you weren't going to give up on him now, now to see. And it's complicated because you're also a big, big Gino fan. I know.

And me and you both, you know, did not like seeing that move. Thought it was going to be a downgrade. I mean, just as a fan your journey with Darnold is so complicated. Yeah, because I've been, I'm getting a lot. of like you were like Sam's biggest hater. I was actually the take that's going around it was even

before they signed Darnell was about Gino. I was just like I don't think they should move on from Gino Smith. It wasn't and I think for Donald though I'm not going to pretend like I wasn't skeptical. My skepticism was actually pretty specific.

I thought the CX offensive line had been such a disaster for five plus years, more than that. And I thought putting him behind this, the Seattle offensive line that I had watched for years was a risky proposition. What I think I underestimated, there's a lot of things I underestimated, but I would say the biggest thing I underestimated was how much having Abe Lucas healthy the entire season. And then they drafting, drafting a guard in Gray's Abel, coupled with an offensive coordinator who would actually protect the line, would create a much more favorable quarterbacking environment for him. and that's something Seattle recognized, and they understood. They saw how well he fit the Kubiak system

and how much the Kubiak system could in turn help the run game. Not the run game, I would say more so the offensive line. And that, I think, was the biggest, the Seattle defense we all knew would be good. They were awesome. But for the offense, I was very skeptical of whether that would all come together based on what I had seen from this line.

And, yeah, it was really, really, really, to see him thrive in improved circumstances because the talent has always been there. The armed talent has always been there. The athleticism has always been something I've liked. It was game. And arguably, that was his biggest attribute in the Super Bowl. So, and he's just like a super, super grounded, down-to-earth, solid guy. So it's hard not to rue for him.

Right. I was going to say it took my four-minute interview after the game. And he's just a swell guy. You can see why people would want to root for him. And you're right. Despite all that, like the Seahawks offensive line is still probably their weakness. Like they still need to maybe improve a little bit on the interior, a couple spots. But he handled the pressure so well in the NFC championship game.

And that was like a huge difference in the Super Bowl. You're a true friend. Who knows what our lives will be like the next time the CX win the Super Bowl? Maybe they won't take 11. Might be next year. Might be in L.A. We'll see. That would be a beautiful thing.

Thank you, Mina. I loved having you on. I wanted to revel in it a little bit more before we start turning the page. What do you think the mindset, by the way, is I'm just remembering this happen of the Seahawks fan. I saw Monday morning at the hotel in a Gino-Smith jersey. Wow. It's just like a bold move for the day after that Super Bowl. That is, yeah.

I don't know if that's something I would do. I did see a lot of Jets fans, not a lot, but like five or six Jets fans in Darnold jerseys at. Yes. That I move I like. That move is fun. Yeah, I saw a Darnold Jets jersey at the game. I didn't see any Darnold 49ers jersey.

That would have been a deep, deep pull. A little Darnold Panthers action. But I kind of forgot Clinton Kubiak and Darnold had that year together. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. We should have a need. should have known. We should have seen it coming. Appreciate you, Mina. Obviously, everyone can check out

the Mina Kimes show featuring Lenny. And quite often Ben Solak, who does a great job too. I don't know if he's getting mad at Lenny. He's not in the title. You were in the studio. You were in our studio after the game. That was great.

You're coming in. Network. Yeah, we're teammates now. So hopefully I'll be in that studio a bit more. It's all happening. Yeah, hopefully we can do some of that together. We will be back. Thank you, Mina. On,

who I'm losing track of the days here on Thursday. Ali Connolly, we're going to get into the free agent rankings. We're going to be doing some tight ends. We have a conversation we did last week with Isaiah likely. We'll hit some news. We'll see you then. But in the meantime, enjoy Seahawks fans. This is an I-Heart podcast.

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