Northwest Sports Update: Seahawks earn first-round bye, Pete Carroll out in Vegas,

The Seahawks have the wild card round off, while their division rival 49ers and Rams each face tough tests on the road.

By Jason Upton January 5, 2026 6:20 pm

Associated PressSeattle Seahawks linebacker Drake Thomas (42) is congratulated by linebacker Ernest Jones IV, middle, and cornerback Riq Woolen after intercepting a pass against the San Francisco 49ers during the second half of an NFL football game in Santa Clara, Calif., Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Jed Jacobsohn)

Seahawks News

The Seahawks will head into the NFL playoffs with the best odds to win the Super Bowl after securing the #1 seed in the NFC over the weekend.

Seattle beat the San Francisco 49ers 13-3 on Saturday to finish the regular season with a 14-3 record and lock up a first-round bye. They’ll also have home field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs.

The Hawks are considered by several major sportsbooks to be the odds-on favorites to win the Super Bowl, followed closely by their division rival LA Rams.

The Rams will play the Carolina Panthers in the wild card round this weekend, while the 49ers will face the defending champion Philadelphia Eagles, both on the road. Meanwhile, the Packers and Bears will face off in Chicago to round out the opening weekend of the NFC playoffs.

Over in the AFC, the Denver Broncos join the Seahawks with the week off after securing the top seed.

The Pittsburgh Steelers will host the Houston Texans after pulling out a win-or-go-home thriller against the Ravens last night. The Jacksonville Jaguars will host the Buffalo Bills, and the New England Patriots will host the LA Chargers.

Meanwhile, the Seahawks have locked down one of their top offensive lineman for the foreseeable future.

ESPN reports that the team has agreed with left tackle Charles Cross on a four-year, $104 million extension. It makes him the highest-paid non-quarterback in franchise history.

Cross has sat out the past three games with a hamstring injury, but coach Mike Macdonald says he’s expected to return for their first playoff game.

NFL News

There are now six head coach vacancies in the NFL after an eventful Black Monday.

Former Seahawks coach Pete Carroll was among three firings on the most chaotic day of the year for coaching staffs. The Las Vegas Raiders parted ways with him after a 3-14 season that landed them the No. 1 pick in the draft, while Arizona and Cleveland also fired their head coaches.

Those three joined Atlanta, Tennessee and the New York Giants as teams that are beginning their new coaching searches.

The NFL Network reports that the Falcons have already requested an interview with Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak.

Kraken News

The Kraken are looking to keep up their recent hot streak tonight in the final leg of their road trip up north. They’re playing the Calgary Flame with a chance to pick up their third straight win.

Seattle’s coming off a 4-3 shootout win over the Vancouver Canucks on Friday that helped avenge their earlier shootout loss from just days before. They’re now riding a seven-match points streak and have won six of their last seven.

Coverage for tonight’s game against the Flames begins at 6:00 and puck drops at 6:30 on KPUG.

College Basketball News

Seattle U continued its upstart season by giving the Gonzaga men a scare on Friday.

The Redhawks led by double-digits with 7 minutes left in the game, but the 8th-ranked Zags rallied to force overtime and win 80-72.

The Huskies men fell to Indiana 90-80 last night, while the women re-entered the national rankings following their upset win over Michigan.

Meanwhile, the Western women handled Saint Martin’s 77-60 at Carver Gym on Saturday to improve to 12-3 on the season and take hold of first place in the GNAC standings. The Vikings men fell to Alaska Anchorage on the road 90-56.