Tom Brady Praises Seahawks' Defense Ahead of Divisional Round Game vs. 49ers

The 2025 Seattle Seahawks' defense might not have a nickname that's as menacing as the Legion of Boom, but Tom Brady is just as impressed with that unit compared to the one that helped Seattle win a Super Bowl in 2013. 

Brady raved about the Seahawks' defense on Thursday's "The Herd." He pointed out how strong the unit is at all three levels and the difficulty the San Francisco 49ers will have in trying to beat them in Saturday's divisional round matchup, which Brady will be on the call for on FOX.

"They close space as well as any defense in the league. As soon as the ball’s caught, boom, there’s guys on them," Brady said of the Seahawks' defense. "There’s linebackers hitting you. Erenst Jones has been phenomenal. Riq Woolen’s got tremendous speed. He covers up so much. [Devon] Witherspoon’s been phenomenal. Even [Nick] Emmanwori, the rookie, is insane. They’ve got this kind of swarming defense — wherever the ball goes, it’s like there’s these stud missiles that are flying in to hit the ballcarrier. It’s a fascinating defense."

While Seattle's offense has put up some pretty big numbers this season, it's evident that the Seahawks' defense is the backbone of their team. Not only are they sixth in total defense and first in scoring defense, but the Seahawks are also among the tops in the league in a handful of other metrics. They're third in defensive success rate (39.25%) and sixth in takeaways. They're also third in run defense, allowing just 91.9 rushing yards per game. 

As Brady raved about the Seahawks' linebackers and secondary, though, he thinks what really makes the unit stand out is their defensive line. 

"They’ve got one of the most underrated defensive lines in the league. I think their interior defensive line is