Football has become the ultimate team sport and the Seattle Seahawks have shown to have the ultimate rosters this past season . The Seahawks finished the regular season with the top-ranked scoring defense and the third-ranked scoring offense. One aspect of the team that will remain underrated is the impact of special teams.
Seattle was complete in the return, kicking and punting portion of the game . Seahawks punter Michael Dickson quietly had one of the most impressive performances this past season, even with significantly fewer punts. This past season showed how impressive Dickson really was for the Seahawks.
Sep 25, 2025; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Seattle Seahawks punter Michael Dickson (4) against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Dickson was easily one of the better punters in the league this past season . He punted the ball 52 times, 24 fewer times than in 2024, for 2,548 yards. His punts averaged 49 yards per attempt, which was seventh-best in the league. Only three of his punts resulted in a touchback. Some of his punts also resulted in 17 fair catches and seven down punts. There was only one game this past season where he didn't, which was the 44-22 Week 10 home win over the Arizona Cardinals.
Throughout his time in Seattle, Dickson became more efficient at allowing his teammates to get to the other side of the field. His punts have incredible hang time, allowing the reliable defenders to quickly take down the returner. He is a reliable and secret weapon who can flip the game in Seattle at an instant. Pro Football Focus rated Dickson with the third-best overall grade from this past season at 89.9
Dickson had 15 punts in all three postseason games for an average of 47.3 yards. One of his high deep punts in the NFC Championship versus the Los Angeles Rams caused the returner to muff the catch and it was quickly picked up by the Seahawks. Seattle scored on the following offensive play.
Nov 4, 2018; Seattle, WA, USA; Seattle Seahawks punter Michael Dickson (4) punts against the Los Angeles Chargers during the fourth quarter at CenturyLink Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Very rarely is the punter one of the best players on the team. If the punter is one of the top five players, then that means the team isn't going to be competitive. Dickson is good enough to be one of the top punters in the league, but he isn't going to be the player that the Seahawks are going to call upon to be the X-factor.
Dickson can be a key player who puts opposing offenses in bad situations, but he requires the Seahawks' defense to put him in a good position. The more impact players the Seahawks have on either side of the ball, the less pivotal it is for them to need an elite Dickson, but it doesn't hurt.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/nfl/seahawks/onsi as Top 25 Seattle Seahawks Going into 2026 NFL Season: #19 Michael Dickson .
