For the moment, there remains one unquestioned greatest team in Seahawks history – the 2013 squad that won the franchise’s only Super Bowl.

Sunday – perhaps a fitting 12 years later – another Seahawks team hopes to join them in hoisting a Lombardi Trophy.

If the 2025 Seahawks can repeat the feat of the Russell Wilson/Beast Mode/Legion of Boom era, the debate can begin in earnest about which is the best.

As we wait to see if Sam Darnold, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Leonard Williams and the rest of the latest generation of Seahawks can join them in NFL immortality, it might be fun to get a little bit of an early start and compare the lineup that started for the 43-8 win over Denver with the projected starting lineup for Sunday’s game against the Patriots.

Quarterback

Then: Russell Wilson.

Now: Sam Darnold.

Comment: Any Seahawks QB will forever have a tough time living up to Wilson’s career legacy. While he certainly benefited greatly from the defense in 2013, he did his part that year by not throwing an interception while tossing three TDs and compiling a passer rating of 101.6 in the playoffs. Darnold, despite battling an oblique injury, has been better so far, throwing four TDs with no interceptions and a whopping 122.4 passer rating.

Running back

Then: Marshawn Lynch.

Now: Kenneth Walker III.

Comment: As great as Lynch was in the regular season, he was even better in the playoffs during his Seahawks career, averaging 4.6 yards per carry and scoring 12 touchdowns in 13 games. That includes four TDs and averaging 96 yards per game in three playoff games in 2013. Walker is so far matching him, with four TDs in three games to tie Lynch’s team record for rushing TDs in one postseason, averaging 4.7 per attempt and 89 yards per game.

Receiver

Then: Doug Baldwin, Golden Tate, Jermaine Kearse.

Now: Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Cooper Kupp, Rashid Shaheed.

Comment: Smith-Njigba’s record-setting season alone means no one will ever call the 2025 group pedestrian. That claim was also proven wrong by the 2013 group, especially as Baldwin and Tate went on to distinguished careers in which they each made Pro Bowls following the Super Bowl year. The WR corps was beefed up greatly on Super Bowl night when Percy Harvin played one of his three games that season. His 30-yard run on Seattle’s second offensive play has been regarded by the team as one of the biggest plays of the game.

Tight end

Then: Zach Miller.

Now: AJ Barner.

Comment: Miller battled some injuries in 2013, though he played 82% of snaps, and rookie Luke Willson came on to be a key contributor as the season wore on. Barner was a continuing revelation this season and should be a fixture at this spot for years to come.

Offensive line

Then: Left tackle Russell Okung, left guard James Carpenter, center Max Unger, right guard J.R. Sweezy, right tackle Breno Giacomini.

Now: Left tackle Charles Cross, left guard Grey Zabel, center Jalen Sundell, right guard Anthony Bradford, right tackle Abraham Lucas.

Comment: It might be easy to forget the Seahawks had the highest-paid offensive line in 2013 at just over $27 million and two former first-round picks in Okung and Carpenter. This year’s team ranks 30th in combined salary and, despite a salary cap that has gone from $123 million per team to just over $279, is actually paid less at just over $25 million. But if this group stays together – and Lucas and Cross have been re-signed over the past few months – it has a chance to become one of the better units in the NFL.

Defensive line

Then: Ends Cliff Avril and Chris Clemons, tackles Michael Bennett and Clinton McDonald.

Now: Ends DeMarcus Lawrence/Derick Hall and Leonard Williams, tackles Jarran Reed and Byron Murphy II.

Comment: As good as the four starters for the Super Bowl above are, the depth was the real key to that team with the likes of Brandon Mebane, Red Bryant, Tony McDaniel and Bruce Irvin playing key roles. The top-end talent of the 2025 line might be even better, especially the way Lawrence has played down the stretch.

Linebacker

Then: MLB Bobby Wagner, WLB K.J. Wright, SLB Malcolm Smith.

Now: MLB Ernest Jones IV, WLB Drake Thomas, SLB Uchenna Nwosu.

Comment: The 2013 LB corps might be hard for any other trio in team history to top, especially the way Smith played in the playoffs, winning Super Bowl MVP honors. Jones is proving to be a worthy successor to Wagner’s legacy, and Thomas has been another of this season’s revelations. Nwosu is more like the LEO position of the Carroll era but is listed as an LB.

Safety

Then: Earl Thomas, Kam Chancellor.

Now: Julian Love, Coby Bryant, Nick Emmanwori.

Comment: Thomas and Chancellor were at the absolute height of their games in 2013 forming as intimidating of a safety duo as the league has ever seen. Emmanwori is essentially a starter, playing more as a strongside linebacker/nickel safety, while Love and Bryant patrol the back end.

Cornerback

Then: Richard Sherman, Byron Maxwell, Walter Thurmond.

Now: Devon Witherspoon, Josh Jobe, Riq Woolen.

Comment: Brandon Browner was hurt by the Super Bowl, leaving the rest of the CB duties opposite Sherman to Maxwell and Thurmond. Thurmond’s contribution as the nickel that night and playing 74% of snaps probably gets overlooked. Sherman speaks for himself. The Witherspoon-Jobe-Woolen trio had a rough game against the Rams but was saved by Witherspoon’s two pass breakups at the end. Overall, this year’s group isn’t far off the 2013 trio.

Kicker

Then: Stephen Hauschka.

Now: Jason Myers.

Comment: Just about a push here as Hauschka had one of his best seasons in 2013 with overtime kicks to win two games. Myers had the third-most points in a season in NFL history this year (171).

Punter

Then: Jon Ryan.

Now: Michael Dickson.

Comment: The two best punters in team history. But only Ryan has a 158.3 passer rating in the postseason.

Returner

Then: Percy Harvin (kickoffs), Tate (punts).

Now: Rashid Shaheed.

Comment: Game-changing returners are a feature of both teams. Harvin needed only one return in one game to forge a spot in Seahawks lore forever. Shaheed has needed just one half of a season to do the same.