After losing two straight and three of four, the Seahawks were looking to respond with a strong performance when they hosted Kansas City on Sunday night, and they did so in a big way, knocking off the previously unbeaten Chiefs 20-3.

And if that big win wasn't enough to get fans excited, the Seahawks followed that win with a big trade, landing All-Pro guard Quenton Nelson in a deal that sent a 2027 third-round pick and a 2028 fifth-rounder to the Colts. Next up for Seattle is another tough test with the Bears coming to Seattle for Monday Night Football, but before we turn our attention to that game, it's time once again to open up the mailbag and answer some questions from you, the fans.

As always, thanks to everyone who asked questions this week, and apologies if I wasn't able to get to yours this time around. And remember, the mailbag is always open for submissions at Seahawks.com/mailbag.

From Twitter/X

@RajeshP74187015 asks, "What forced the Seahawks to trade for Quenton Nelson?

A: I'm not sure "forced" is the right word to explain the trade for Nelson. The Seahawks won a Super Bowl last season with Grey Zabel and Anthony Bradford at guard, so this wasn't the case of Seattle needing to address some sort of huge need. But general manager and president of football operations John Schneider is always pursuing every possible avenue to improve the team, so if a player as good as Nelson, a likely Hall of Famer when he retires, becomes available, you'd better believe Schneider is going to look at it.

Players as talented and accomplished as Nelson just don't become available very often, so regardless of need, it's a no-brainer to pull the trigger on a trade if the price is right. And with the Seahawks expected to have several compensatory picks next year, the two picks they gave up don't feel like too steep of a price.

@jaxonsnjigba asks, "With the addition of Quenton Nelson, does Seattle opt to give him a new contract at the end of the season or do we let him walk and get the 2028 compensatory pick?"

A: We'll have to wait and see how the Seahawks handle it, but if recent history is any indicator, the Seahawks likely will let Nelson play out this final year of his deal, then the two sides will come to a decision in the offseason. The Seahawks took that approach after trading for Leonard Williams, Ernest Jones IV and Rashid Shaheed, who, like Nelson, were all in the final year of their respective contracts when they came to Seattle, and in each instance, those players ended up re-signing with the Seahawks. Taking that approach does come with the risk of losing the player—though as the question notes, the Seahawks could get a compensatory pick back were they to lose Nelson—but waiting allows both the team and the player to see how well the team and player fit together.

@MrEd315 asks, "How are you feeling about the Seahawks' November schedule? Have they turned the corner to run the table for the next month?"

A: The Seahawks' November schedule is bookended by a couple of big NFC games, with Chicago coming to town for Monday Night Football in Week 8, and with the Seahawks heading to Santa Clara in Week 12 to face the 49ers. In between those games, the Seahawks play at Las Vegas and home against the Cardinals.

The Bears and 49ers games look particularly tough in that stretch, but the Seahawks have shown, over the past two seasons, that when they're right, they're almost impossible to beat, so yes, I think running the table is definitely possible. That said, the Seahawks will need to clean some things up to do that, most notably avoiding the turnovers that have cost them in losses, as well as the red zone issues that cost them a lot of points in Sunday's win.

From BlueSky

@marrsg1.bsky.social asks, "Do you think the Seahawks are going to make any more trades?"

A: There are still almost two weeks remaining before the trade deadline, and the Seahawks have a lot of draft picks in 2027, even after trading one to the Colts, so it's certainly possible they swing another deal. That being said, for as often as the Seahawks have made big additions before the trade deadline, they have not often made multiple trades. That doesn't mean it can't happen, but it's not something Schneider and company have much history of doing.

@marrsman.bsky.social asks, "How fast can Quenton Nelson get up to speed on the playbook and be ready to play?"

A: That's a question we'll have to ask Mike Macdonald when he meets with the media on Thursday, but I have a hunch that a player of Nelson's caliber who has spent eight years in the league working under different coaches and in different schemes, will be able to get up to speed awfully quickly. The Colts, in fact, pride themselves in the versatility of their blocking schemes, which means Nelson has done just about anything the Seahawks will ask of him.

The last time the Seahawks added an offensive lineman in an in-season trade, Duane Brown started at left tackle and played every offensive snap less than a week after joining the Seahawks. And in that case, Brown had been holding out for most of the season prior to returning to the Texans one game before the trade, so he wasn't even all the way back in game shape. Every player, coaching staff and situation are unique, so we'll have to wait and see how the Seahawks decide to play it, but I'd be surprised if we don't see Nelson on the field Monday night.

From Instagram

@rcollins_0609 asks, "What will happen to the line? Will Grey Zabel move?"

A: Ah yes, the big question with the Seahawks adding Nelson: what does that mean for the rest of the line? Nelson has been a left guard his entire career, and he's really darn good at it, so it's hard to see the Seahawks asking him to move positions. Zabel, Seattle's first-round pick in 2025, has been really good at left guard since earning that job as a rookie, but he also was a player known for his versatility in college, so he likely could handle a quick move. Moving Zabel would displace another player, perhaps Anthony Bradford at right guard, or less likely, Jalen Sudnell at center—Zabel was a guard and tackle at North Dakota State, but excelled at center during Senior Bowl week—but again, this is a question Macdonald will address on Thursday. Regardless of how things shake out, the Seahawks will have more talented depth as a result of someone in the current starting five moving to a reserve role.

@r.i.c.o.v.14 asks, "Are we trading for a cornerback or a running back?" And @fmozingo23 asks, "Are we making another trade?"

A: As we covered in an earlier question, never say never, but the Seahawks don't have much history making multiple additions before the deadline. I will say with running back in particular, I'm not sure the Seahawks see that as a huge need like a lot of fans apparently do, based on the questions I received this week. Yes, injuries have left the Seahawks thin there in recent weeks, but Zach Charbonnet and Jadarian Price are both expected back soon, perhaps as soon as this week, and that position will feel a lot different with those two back in the mix, not to mention with Quenton Nelson blocking for them. And if the Seahawks were to make a trade for a starting-caliber back, that would mean a pretty small role for either Price, Charbonnet or that newly-acquired player, because it's very hard to get more than two backs significant playing time and touches in a game.

@versitiletejay asks, "What will Quenton Nelson's number be?"

A: That's a good question and I don't have the answer for you just yet, though we ought to know by Thursday when the team is back on the practice field. Nelson wore No. 56 in high school, at Notre Dame and with the Colts, so presumably he'll want that number in Seattle. But outside linebacker Dante Fowler Jr. has also worn No. 56 for most of his career, so Nelson might have to persuade Fowler to give the number up.

@zmoney0415 asks, "What is Jaxon Smith-Njigba's rank as a receiver in an NFL Top 10?"

A: Um, it's got to be No. 1, right? After leading the NFL in receiving yards last year and winning AP Offensive Player of the Year honors, Smith-Njigba is somehow even better this season.

With 816 yards through seven games, Smith-Njigba leads the No. 2 player on that list, Dallas' CeeDee Lamb, by 216 yards. That's bigger than the gap between Lamb and No. 19 on that list, the Jets' Garrett Wilson, who has 444 yards.

There are a lot of great receivers in the NFL, but will all due respect to the rest of the field, no one is at Smith-Njigba's level right now.

@adam_rousseau asks, What's your favorite type of cheese?"

A: Hmmm… tough question. I love a good sharp cheddar, but I think my pick would be gouda. Not just because it tastes good, but because it always kills at a party to take a bite and say, "This cheese is pretty… goud-a, don't you think?" Trust me, give it a try sometime and thank me later.

@damonjcrouse asks, "Seattle is always known for its defense. Why does that seem to be so natural for us?"

A: Well in recent years I think it might have to do with the fact that the two coaches to lead the Seahawks to Super Bowl wins, Pete Carroll and Mike Macdonald, are defensive coaches who were able to combine their coaching ability with great talent to build championship teams. There's probably something to be said for the gameday environment in Seattle—it's very loud and often cold and damp—but being more conducive to strong defense than offense.

But that hasn't always been the case. The Mike Holmgren-era teams had strong defenses when they were at their best, but they were best known for the Matt Hasselbeck and Shaun Alexander-led offenses, which played behind an offensive line featuring a pair of Hall of Famers in Walter Jones and Steve Hutchinson.

@seahawks12angel says, "John, you are a genius." And @thegoat_13725 asks, "How is John so good at his job?"

A: Wow, thanks you guys, y'all are too kind.

Wait, did you mean…

@brentgb07 asks, "How GOATed is John Schneider?" @super_dhooper asks, "Is Schneider the GOAT?" And @cadenevens12 asks, "Why is John Schneider so amazing?"

A: Oh, yeah, never mind, those previous questions were about John Schneider, huh? That makes way more sense. Anyway, Schneider is the last person who wants people talking about how great he is, but since y'all asked, it is worth singing his praises a bit after he pulled off what should be an excellent trade to improve this year's team. Schneider is great at his job for a lot of reasons, but to me, his biggest strength might be that, for all his success, he doesn't think he has all the answers. Schneider is curious by his nature and he's always looking for ways to get better at his job and to improve the team. No matter how good the Seahawks are, he's looking for ways to make them better.

Schneider has had some incredible drafts in his 17 seasons in Seattle, made some great free-agent signings, and pulled off some team-altering trades, both adding players at the deadline and making tough decisions to move on from big-name players in the offseason. Schneider talks about wanting to build a consistent, championship-caliber team, and he has done that throughout his tenure, becoming the first GM to win multiple Super Bowls with the same franchise with a different head coach and entirely different rosters.

@Iiame201000 asks, "What is your favorite Seahawks moment?"

A: Obvious answer: Super Bowl LX, the scene in the locker room after, and the parade a few days after that.

Less obvious answer: How Pete Carroll and the 2020 team handled a momentous time in history, building off the work and advocacy of former players like Doug Baldwin and Michael Bennett.