An estimated 50,000 fans gathered inside the stadium for a trophy presentation and speeches ahead of the team’s victory parade.
SEATTLE — Fans filled downtown Seattle as tens of thousands of fans packed Lumen Field to celebrate the Seahawks’ Super Bowl victory and welcome the Lombardi Trophy home, marking a championship moment more than a decade in the making.
An estimated 50,000 fans gathered inside the stadium for a trophy presentation and speeches ahead of the team’s victory parade, cheering as players and coaches took the stage to thank the franchise’s famously loud supporters, known as the 12s.
For many younger fans, it was their first chance to celebrate a Seahawks championship in person. The team’s previous Super Bowl victory came in 2014, before some of the children in attendance were old enough to remember it.
“It was an amazing, unreal feeling — I couldn’t explain it,” said 10-year-old Adil Rasheed, who attended the ceremony with his father.
The crowd’s volume underscored Seattle’s reputation as one of the NFL’s loudest fan bases. Even with only part of the stadium filled, fans said the noise was overwhelming.
“It was so loud. It’s like half the stadium and it’s still too loud,” said Aizaz Rasheed of Woodinville, who attended with his son. “People are so into it. We love our team.”
Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald praised the fans during his remarks, crediting them with fueling the team throughout a historic season.
“We love the 12s. You guys are the best in the world, and now we’re the best football team in the world,” Macdonald told the crowd. “World champs!”
Players echoed that message of gratitude. Wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who emerged this season as one of the league’s top receivers, told fans the championship belonged to them as much as the team.
“We had one goal and that was to bring this home and that’s what we did,” Smith-Njigba said. “To the best fans in the world, this is for y’all.”
The celebration marked only the second Super Bowl parade in the Seahawks’ 50-season history. The championship capped a defense-driven campaign anchored by what players dubbed the “Darkside Defense,” along with a career resurgence from quarterback Sam Darnold.
Darnold, who struggled earlier in his NFL career before finding success in Seattle, spoke candidly about perseverance and belief.
“A lot of people didn’t believe in me, but it didn’t matter because the ones that were close believed in me, including y’all,” Darnold told the crowd. “I appreciate y’all so much.”
Despite celebratory beer showers and occasional profanity from the stage, the rally maintained a family-friendly atmosphere. Parents hoisted children onto their shoulders as fans waved flags, snapped photos and soaked in a moment many hope signals the beginning of a new era for the franchise.
As the ceremony wrapped up, chants of “Go Hawks” echoed through the stadium, with fans lingering to savor the scene and the possibility that they may not have to wait another decade for the Lombardi Trophy to return to the Emerald City.
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