​For most Super Bowl champions, the road back to the penultimate game is an arduous one, and for the Seattle Seahawks, it might be tougher than most.While most of Mike Macdonald’s team that hoisted the Lombardi Trophy returns, a couple of players have left, and the franchise hasn’t exactly replaced them with players of the same caliber.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementStill, most can agree that Seattle boasts a roster that is capable of winning the Super Bowl if everything goes right.But the Seahawks’ path to even make the playoffs is perhaps the toughest one in recent memory.Why? Because of the NFC West and what is has become — a gauntlet.READ MORE: NFC Exec Offers Bold Seahawks Prediction For One Key PlayerThe Los Angeles Rams loaded up with Myles Garrett, and the San Francisco 49ers added Mike Evans to its arsenal of weapons. Oh, and both teams won 12 games last season, too.For CBS Sports’ Tyler Sullivan, it is a tight-rope walk for Seattle in 2026.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement”Last season, the Seahawks went 3-1 against the Rams, including a victory in the NFC Championship,” Sullivan wrote. “Each of those games was determined by four or fewer points, so the margin between these two clubs was razor-thin. With L.A. drastically improving its defense, it may have added the separation needed to leapfrog them in the division.”While most of the attention will be paid to the Rams, the San Francisco 49ers are primed to be a thorn in Seattle’s side as well. Remember, had the Seahawks fallen to San Francisco in Week 18 last season, it would’ve been the Niners who were NFC West champions and the No. 1 seed in the NFC.”READ MORE:  Bad Prediction: Analyst Reveals Reason For Huge Seahawks Regression In 2026The NFC West might actually come down to the in-division games in 2026, and for the Seahawks, they won’t face the Rams until Week 16, whereas both 49ers matchups are done by Week 12.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementSo, we will have a good lay of the land after Week 12 as it pertains to the division, and the Seahawks could have the division wrapped up by Week 16, or they could be fighting for their lives.Facing the Rams twice in three weeks is a playoff appetizer for Macdonald, and he, along with the Seattle fans, hopes their 2026 season doesn’t end in Week 18, because there is a reality where that happens.The road back to the Super Bowl for champions is tough to begin with, but the 2026 Seahawks might have the toughest path to date.