NFL: Seattle’s Aden Durde targets Super Bowl run after head coach interviews

During his two years in Seattle, Durdy and head coach Mike McDonald transformed the Seahawks’ defense.

This is Durdy’s first time working with McDonald – who is also a defensive coach – so his first season was “a year of real growth, understanding and adapting” as the new coaching regime “built the foundation, and got us on the right track”.

Seattle finished the 2024 season with a 10-7 record and missed the playoffs on a tiebreaker. In hindsight, this may have been a blessing in disguise, giving them an extra year to build.

“I’m not going to lie, we wanted to get in,” Durdy said. “But once the season is over, you have to figure yourself out, figure out how to get better, and we’ve been through that process.”

In 2023, Seattle’s defense ranked as the second-worst run defense and third-worst overall. In McDonald’s and Dordy’s first season they climbed to mid-table in both.

The Seahawks’ defense this season ranks third all-time and has conceded the fewest points (17.2 per game).

“There are a lot of defenses that are in the middle of the table in the run game and still play excellent defense, still put up points,” Durdy said.

“But if you’re really trying to create an identity and a style of play and you want to make it difficult for everything [your opponents] Do, it all starts with turning off.

“This has been a point of emphasis since we got here, and it has been an accumulation process as we move forward.”