Seahawks Take Extreme Steps to Weed Out Disturbing Elements Ahead of Kickoff Vs 49ers

Owing to a “reputation as one of the league’s best stadiums,” Seattle Seahawks‘ Lumen Field, over the years, has become increasingly popular for more negative reasons than positive. With one of the most passionate fan bases, The 12s, frequent reports of fan-on-fan violence and similar encounters are reported quite frequently every year. Perhaps one of the very reasons why, in 2013, the idea of undercover cops dressing as opposing fans was proposed by a Seattle police spokesman. The reason behind taking such an extreme step was to stop unwanted behaviour.

That’s why a decade later, before their showdown against the 49ers, the Seahawks are shaking things up at their home field. The franchise revealed on Thursday that “undercover law enforcement officers will wear opposing team jerseys at home games this season.” By disguising security in rival colors, they are trying to keep their home turf safe and respectful without tipping anyone off.

Meanwhile, those officers will be on the lookout for fans who cross the line. That means anything from disruptive outbursts and unruly behavior to over-the-top drinking or obscene gestures. Even verbal or physical harassment, unauthorized access to restricted areas, and other violations fall under the radar. However, fans themselves aren’t just bystanders—they can also play a role in keeping things in check.

In fact, the team made it clear that “fans can anonymously report any inappopriate activity that is disrupting their enjoyment during the game by texting a message to HAWK12 (429512).” That text system has been running for years, as Seattle has long balanced its reputation as one of the NFL’s most passionate crowds with the responsibility of keeping the environment safe. The reality is this isn’t a brand-new idea; it’s something the Seahawks have used for more than a decade.

Looking back, the Seahawks first rolled this out with the Seattle Police Department in 2013. That was the same year the team launched into back-to-back Super Bowl runs and secured its lone championship. At the time, the SPD said the move mirrored other undercover operations already active around the league. Yet Seattle leaned into it to make sure the reputation of Lumen Field stayed strong—loud and intimidating, but still a place every fan could enjoy, no matter their jersey color.

Now, the focus shifts again, especially with the 49ers coming to town. In recent seasons, TV broadcasts have often shown swathes of red flooding the 100-level seats directly behind the visitor’s bench. Since those prime seats often land in the hands of ticket brokers, rival colors have sometimes drowned out the sea of blue and green. That spotlight has only fueled Seattle’s push to keep its house in order, so fans know exactly who runs the show inside Lumen Field.

Seahawks take extreme steps to keep its fan base safe

To begin with, those undercover officers in rival colors haven’t had much trouble blending in lately. Just look back at Dec. 15, when the Packers rolled into Seattle and walked out with a 30-13 win. Lumen Field was flooding with green and gold that night, with “GO PACK, GO!” echoing across the stadium as if it were Lambeau instead of the home of the 12s.

Then, only days later, DK Metcalf voiced what many in the Emerald City had been thinking. “I know in the first quarter, second or third play of the game, it got crazy loud in there. I looked around and there were a lot of Green Bay fans,” Metcalf said last December. “They did a great job traveling. But just wishing us 12s didn’t sell as many tickets as they did to make sure we kept the home-field advantage.” The star wideout is now with Pittsburgh, though not because of that blunt comment.

Meanwhile, the trend of rival fans filling Lumen has some other reasons too. Season-ticket holders have faced higher prices every year while watching the Seahawks drop six of nine at home last season and win only 16 of 34 home games over the last three years. New head coach Mike Macdonald has made it clear that fixing that slide is a top priority. As Jarran Reed said flatly this week, “Absolutely. We have to win at home. Point blank. Period.” Still, many fans choose profits over presence, selling their seats to the highest bidder instead of watching another loss.

This year, Seattle is cracking down harder. The team warned in May that “while occasional resale is permitted, renewal eligibility may be impacted if it is determined that your tickets were primarily used for resale purposes.” Thanks to digital ticketing, the Seahawks know exactly where seats end up, and fans who sell too often could lose their renewals.

Finally, the looming clash with San Francisco has pushed the issue into the headlines again. A 49ers beat reporter claimed on X, “For the first time ever, 49ers fans are expected to be the majority in…. Seattle. Vivid Seats (an online ticket seller) projects 53% of the crowd on Sunday will be 49ers fans.”

The Seahawks responded, stating their figures showed something different: only 7% of Lumen would be Niners fans. However, the team admitted that only 24% of the lower-level seats behind the visitors’ bench are red, compared to 40% in last year’s loss. With 63,000 season-ticket holders and a “Blue Pride” waitlist of 12,000 more, the pressure is on to make sure the 12s, not the visitors, own the noise on Sunday.