Being back with the Seattle Seahawks excites Leonard Williams.
RENTON, WA – Leonard Williams was thrilled to re-sign with the Seahawks this spring, even though he had only played for half of the season there and the head coach he wanted to play for was fired this offseason.
Even if it required 20 hours of back-and-forth travel from Japan in order to complete it.
Williams remarked, “I think I built relationships here.” “It’s true that I was upset about Pete Carroll’s departure. He was an excellent coach, which was one of the main reasons I decided to move to Seattle. I came here mostly because of him, and we have that USC connection. Being a coach for him was enjoyable. But I’ve developed relationships in the locker room as well, even outside of the coaching staff.
With $43.85 million in total guarantees, Williams, 29, inked a three-year contract with Seattle that is purportedly worth $64.5 million. During free agency, Williams and the Seahawks agreed to a new contract while he was on a three-week vacation in Japan. Williams barely had time to spend a few hours in Tokyo signing the new contract before hopping on a nine-hour flight back to Seattle and continuing his vacation there.
“I was in free agency, of course, but I was also trying to enjoy my vacation. My obsession with free agency made it nearly impossible for me to enjoy my vacation because I’m always wondering what will happen. For example, where
In October of last year, Williams was acquired by the Seahawks from the New York Giants in exchange for two draft picks. Seattle sent a fifth-round selection in the 2025 draft in addition to their second-round pick in the NFL Draft this year. Following the trade, Williams played in ten games for the Seahawks, tallying 41 tackles, including 4.0 sacks, and 11 quarterback hits overall.
In addition, he made NFL history by being the first player to participate in 18 regular season games in a single year.
When the Giants tried to trade Carroll before the trade deadline in October of last year, Williams mentioned that Seattle was one of his top options because of his position as head coach. However, the hiring ofMike Macdonald as the new head coach adds a new degree of
Williams remarked, “I mean, I just love that he’s a defensive-minded coach.” He obviously had the best defense in the NFL the previous season, and I’m excited to play for a defensive head coach. You know, I play for a man who understands that winning plays are made on the defensive end of the court. And I think that way. We have a very good offense, I believe. Although I believe our team has explosive playmakers and I have faith in that side of the ball, I want every defensive player to believe that we will win the game, and I believe Mike kind of feels the same way.”
The Seahawks were 5-2 and leading the NFC West when Williams signed on. The Seahawks were in a desperate situation after losing five of their next six games following his arrival, which was not due to Williams’ play. Despite a victory over the Arizona Cardinals in the regular season finale, they were unable to sneak into the playoffs after losing at home to the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 17.
Williams remarked, “I was like really excited going through the midseason trade.” “You know, I’m thinking, ‘Oh, I’m going to a playoff team,’ and stuff like that. Though obviously things change, I believe we continued to fight
