Three of the best games of the 2025 NFL season were between the Los Angeles Rams and Seattle Seahawks.With head coaches Sean McVay and Mike Macdonald bringing different styles, along with the two teams meeting in the NFC Championship Game, this rivalry has been reinvigorated.
Prior to Jared Verse being traded to the Cleveland Browns, he went on The Pivot podcast and said, “I got like a disdain in my heart for them. I don’t like the Seahawks at all.” In his final meeting with the players, Verse told them, “Make sure you beat the Seahawks. That’s all I care about.”
The Rams beat the Seahawks in the first meeting last season, 21-19, as Sam Darnold threw four interceptions.. In Week 16, the Seahawks came back from 16 points to win in overtime, which included the most controversial play of the year. The Rams then fell short in the NFC Championship game.
As both teams head into the 2026 season, they are the top two Super Bowl favorites and both play in the same division.
Grey Zabel Has High Praise for Kobie Turner
Seahawks offensive lineman Grey Zabel went on the Green Light Podcast with Chris Long recently. On that show, Zabel talked positively about the Rams, especially Kobie Turner.
“Kobie Turner is like my kryptonite right now in the game of football,” said Zabel. “I don’t know what it is. He’s just got my number. He just works me every single game. As much as you want to hate the Rams, they’re all really good dudes across the board. Kobie Turner for instance, he’s just out there and he just smiles. He just plays the game for the love of the game.”
Zabel also complimented Poona Ford and mentioned how he would rather block a bigger, stronger, slower guy than a short, stocky, quick player who can go side to side in a blink of a second.
Against the Seahawks last season, Turner had 1.5 sacks in three games, but also recorded his first career interception. Turner added 12 pressures over the three games. Turner has notoriously been underrated since entering the NFL and this praise is good to see.
Last season, Zabel was just a rookie. However, he was named to the PFWA all-rookie team and earned an honorable mention among NFL coaches and executives as one of the best interior offensive linemen in the league.
Rams Defensive Line Could Be Even Better in 2026
Zabel and the Seahawks offensive line will certainly have their hands full this season. The Rams added Myles Garrett this offseason. At the time of the trade, Zabel talked about how the Seahawks reacted.
“Somebody sent the Twitter deal, and the first thing you do is check if it’s a burner account and somebody’s messing around,” said Zabel. “People skew away from competition. I’m like, ‘You know what? Let’s go see what we’ve got.’ He’s probably the best defensive end ever, and I kind of want to see how good I am.”
In addition to Garrett, there has been growing speculation that Aaron Donald could return to the Rams. Early in the podcast, Zabel mentioned how he prefers not to play against faster, smaller defensive linemen. However, Donald made a career out of winning as the faster, smaller player on the defensive line. Opposing offensive linemen consistently struggled with his speed. The additions of Garrett and potentially Donald should open up even more opportunities for Turner.
Looking ahead to 2026, the Rams and Seahawks are considered two of the juggernauts in the NFC. There’s no doubt that both teams are slightly disappointed that they have to wait until Week 16 to play each other for the first time. Either way, that matchup will be one that everybody has circled on their calendars.
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