The parade confetti had barely settled on Seattle’s streets when the reality of defending a championship hit home. Fresh off Super Bowl LX glory, head coach Mike Macdonald has made his first move toward 2026 by securing depth in the Seattle Seahawks roster.

The Seahawks have officially signed defensive end Jalan Gaines to a futures contract, per their official website.

Gaines has lived the full NFL experience already. Signed after the 2025 draft as an undrafted free agent out of Illinois State, he survived the training camp, got waived at cutdowns, and landed on the practice squad, then was released mid-season. And now he’s back.

His preseason highlight reel includes one unforgettable moment: a blocked field goal against the Las Vegas Raiders that denied Vegas a game-winning kick. That’s the kind of high-leverage play that keeps scouts interested.

At 6-foot-4 and 245 to 250 pounds, Gaines brings immense pass-rush versatility. Over three seasons at Illinois State, he accumulated 114 tackles, 10.5 sacks, and five pass breakups. Starting at Division III Dubuque, he transferred up and clawed his way to the NFL. That’s grit, which is what the new defending champions now need.

News served to you like never before!

Prefer us on Google, To get latest news on feed

Prefer Us on Google

But Jalan Gaines is only one piece of the puzzle. The Seahawks have notably signed 15 other players to futures deals on Thursday before adding Gaines, quietly stockpiling depth while the coaching carousel spins wildly around them. But building the roster is the easy part. For Mike Macdonald, keeping his coaching staff in sync is where it all gets rather messy.

Mike Macdonald’s staff rebuild

Offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak didn’t even wait to leave the stadium. Moments after beating the New England Patriots 29-13 in Super Bowl LX, he confirmed the obvious on NFL Network: he wants the head coaching gig with the Raiders.

“Hell yeah, I’m going,” Kubiak said in a brutally honest admission.

But here’s the catch: he’s probably not leaving alone. Quarterbacks coach Andrew Janocko is widely believed to follow as Las Vegas’ offensive coordinator, per Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated. Janocko worked under Kubiak during their Minnesota Vikings, New Orleans Saints, and Seattle stints. That connection runs deep.

Mike Macdonald, meanwhile, has responded by raiding his old employer. Former Baltimore Ravens defensive coordinator Zach Orr has joined the Seahawks as their new inside linebackers coach. Macdonald and Orr had worked together in Baltimore through 2022-23. But Orr joining Seattle throws Kirk Olivadotti’s future up in the air. Will he be the next one to go?

Meanwhile, Daniel Stern has also followed suit from Baltimore after spending a decade with the franchise. He is most likely to help the team as their pass game strategist. What’s more, these two moves are just the beginning of the coaching carousel Seattle is facing.

“[San Francisco] 49ers tight end coach Brian Fleury is interviewing today for the Seattle Seahawks offensive coordinator job,” Adam Schefter reported on X, adding another layer to this story.

Whether this latest interview brings Fleury to Seattle or not, one thing’s certain: the Seahawks will be working with a whole new formula in the 2026 season. Winning championships creates these problems. Good problems, but problems. Seattle signed Jalan Gaines while navigating chaos upstairs. One move restocks talent; the other tries to prevent a total staff collapse. Both of these will matter a lot as Seattle tries to run it back.