SEATTLE — It was a little more than five years ago when Chris Petersen, the Washington Huskies football coach at the time, was sitting next to Alabama coach Nick Saban before the College Football Playoff semifinals. A reporter asked each coach if they were in favor of a college football commissioner, and if so, who they'd like to see fill the position.
Petersen chimed in immediately and said, "Yes, and I think Coach Saban would make a great one." He then joined the media in a collective laugh.
The joke was that Saban is the best in the game and that his departure would give everyone else a chance. And I can't help but feel like Seahawks fans were thinking similarly watching Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald in the Super Bowl on Sunday.
Before the game, NBC's Michele Tafoya reported that Donald — a three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year — would consider retirement if his team won. This would mean that the best defensive player in the NFL (if not the best player, period) might finally stop terrorizing the NFC West.
On Wednesday, however, the 30-year-old indicated that he was going to return when he grabbed the mic during the Rams' victory parade and said, "Why not run it back?" This might have upset some Seahawks fans, but it shouldn't.
Whenever there's greatness between the lines, one should hope it stays there as long as possible.
Donald has not been particularly kind to Seattle during his eight seasons in the league. In 16 games vs. the Seahawks he has recorded 15 sacks — a per-game average notably higher than that of his career sack numbers.
It was Donald's helmet that Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson broke his finger on last season, and Donald celebrated with a series of arm pumps after sacking Wilson in L.A. two months later.
Seahawks coach Pete Carroll has called Donald "as good as there's ever been in the game" and "close to perfect." The NFL Network has ranked Donald as one of the top three players in the league in each of the past three seasons, and gave him the No. 1 spot in 2019.
It's understandable why folks around here would want to see him say au revoir to this force of nature. But what they should really want is to beat that guy.
We're in an age where the primes of the great ones seem almost eternal. At 44, Tom Brady passed for the most yards in his career and finished second in the MVP voting. At 38, Aaron Rodgers just won his second consecutive MVP. At 37, LeBron James is averaging 29.0 points per game — two points above his career average. At 36, Alex Ovechkin is fourth in the NHL in points and goals.
True, defensive linemen endure more contact than most other positions in sports. But then there are pass-rushing greats such as Reggie White, who earned his second DPOY award at age 37. In other words, Donald may have several more years of total dominance left in him.
What does this mean for the Seahawks? Well, it could mean that it will be a while until they get back to the top of the division. As Donald said Wednesday, "We built a super team." And while that construction did cost L.A. considerable draft capital, they are not short on talent.
They have the best defensive player in the league in Donald, the best receiver in the league in Cooper Kupp, and a potential Hall of Fame quarterback in Matthew Stafford, who won his first Super Bowl in his first year with the Rams. Surefire Hall of Fame defensive end Von Miller could return as well.
It wasn't all that long ago when it seemed as though the Seahawks were going to be the dynasty of the division and possibly the league. They had the best cornerback in Richard Sherman, the best safety in Earl Thomas, a Pro Bowl quarterback in Wilson, a Pro Bowl running back in Marshawn Lynch, and well, no need to remind you.
But things change quickly in this league. The scepter can get passed often, and right now the Rams have a tight grip on it.
Any time you get a chance to witness a talent such as Donald, you should embrace it. Him sticking around shouldn't be frustrating — it should be motivating.
It's going to be hard for Seattle next season, but as they say, everything worth achieving is.
