As the Seattle Seahawks prepare for the NFL playoffs with the NFC's top seed, defensive players Leonard Williams and Julian Love shared emotional reflections on their career journeys after a recent win. The duo, former New York Giants teammates, expressed gratitude for reaching this point together. Their story highlights resilience and team success in a dominant 2025 season.
Leonard Williams and Julian Love, who played together for the New York Giants from 2019 to 2022, took a moment to reflect after the Seahawks' Week 18 victory over the San Francisco 49ers. During that period with the Giants, the team made the playoffs only once, in 2022, finishing 9-7-1, winning a Wild Card game, and losing in the Divisional Round.
Love signed with Seattle as a free agent in the 2023 offseason, while Williams joined midway through that season via a trade from the Giants. Williams' debut with the Seahawks was a tough Week 9 loss to the Baltimore Ravens. 'We got whooped,' Love recalled, noting the initial excitement turned to disappointment.
The Seahawks improved to 10-7 in 2024. In 2025, they finished 14-3, leading the NFL in scoring defense by allowing just 17.2 points per game and a total of 292 points. Seattle clinched the NFC's No. 1 seed in Week 16, earning a first-round bye and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.
Post-game, the pair embraced. 'We embraced and just said, "Man, thank goodness we got here,"' Love said. Williams added, 'I think one of the only guys on the team that really knows the journey I've been on is Julian. And we both embraced each other after the game and just talked about our path. And I've just been so thankful to be here and so thankful for this season.'
Unlike their unexpected 2022 playoff run with the Giants, which Williams described as feeling like 'how did we get here,' this year's preparation feels destined. 'Now it's like we look at each other like, "Yeah, we were meant to be here. This was our destiny,"' he said.
As veterans, they emphasize urgency to younger players. Love told rookie Nick Emmanwori, 'There is urgency here... Now we got a shot to do something special.' The team practiced on January 7, 2026, at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center, gearing up for the postseason.
