Leonard Williams says Seattle’s “voluntary” offseason workouts are reflecting a culture shift in which veteran leaders set the standard, with no sign of complacency among the defending Super Bowl champions.
For the most established players on the Seahawks, “voluntary” offseason workouts don’t carry the same risk as they do for everyone else on a 90-man roster. The message is different once your contract is guaranteed and you know you won’t be the one cutting the first week the team trims numbers.
Leonard Williams says that’s exactly why what the Seahawks’ older players are doing matters. The defensive tackle. still building toward the next season after Seattle’s run as defending Super Bowl champions. says the attendance and effort from the team’s leaders are helping set the tone for younger players in the background.
Williams said there’s “no sign of complacency” on the Seahawks. and that the players who have already proven they belong are showing the younger group what offseason work is supposed to look like. “I feel like it’s been great,” Williams said via ESPN. “It’s been great attendance from the leaders, from the older guys. Young guys have been working hard, trying to be sponges of the game and learn as much as possible.”.
He describes the moment as more than just participation. Williams said he believes Seattle’s culture is “elevate[d]…to another level. ” pointing to last year as the start of the process and this year as the period when it starts to feel more settled. “I feel like last year we started putting the mix together, all the ingredients and all that type of stuff. This year, you really see it boiling and becoming more just of a foundation.”.
For Williams. the offseason isn’t only about physical readiness—it’s about building something that can outlast players who move on. “To me, the culture is the biggest thing that we need here,” he said. “Guys are going to come and go . . . I feel like if we have a culture and foundation like that, we’ll always be a winning team.”.
That mindset lands with added urgency in Seattle’s offseason. Williams has pointed to “a little extra motivation” for the defending champions. with division rival the Los Angeles Rams considered the favorites this season. In that context. the Seahawks’ commitment in what is technically optional becomes a signal: they’re working as if they have something to prove. not just something to maintain.
Seattle, Williams says, is eager to put in the work required to repeat.
Leonard Williams Seahawks NFL offseason workouts voluntary workouts culture Super Bowl champions Rams attendance leadership
Voluntary workouts is still workouts lol, if you don’t show up you’re lazy. Simple.
So like… they’re saying “no sign of complacency” but isn’t that just what everyone says when they’re winning? Feels like PR talk.
I think it’s wild how “voluntary” only applies to normal people. Like once your contract is guaranteed you can just chill right? But they’re basically using the older guys to scare the young ones into grinding. Also the Rams always hype themselves up every year, so idk.
“Culture is the biggest thing” yeah sure, tell that to injuries. Last year they were champs and now everyone talks like it’s a brand new team. Next thing you know they’ll be cutting guys week one anyway, voluntary my foot. I just want them to show up on Sundays and stop the motivational speeches.