Sidney Rice Named 2025 Seahawks Legend of the Year
On Sunday, September 8th, wide receiver and Super Bowl champion Sidney Rice was named the 2025 Seahawks Legend of the Year. This award is reserved for notable former players of the Seattle Seahawks who, not only made an impact on the field, but continue to make an impact off the field after retiring from the NFL. The accolade aims to recognize successful football players who have found a path after their football career, an often difficult adjustment to make.
Rice’s Achievements
Sidney Rice boasted a successful career as a wide receiver with both the Minnesota Vikings and the Seattle Seahawks. Born and raised in South Carolina, Rice signed with Seattle as an unrestricted free agent in July of 2011. He then retired ahead of the 2014 season.
In his three seasons with the Seahawks, Rice played 33 games with 31 starts. Putting up an impressive 97 receptions for 1,463 yards and 12 touchdowns, Rice played a significant role in getting the Hawks to the Super Bowl, where they secured the win at Super Bowl XLVIII with the historic 43-8 blowout against the Denver Broncos.
After retiring, Rice remained in the Seattle area where he found success in the wine business. Partnering with Tim Lenihan, the two opened Dossier Wine Collective, and now have two tasting locations in Washington state. One is located in Walla Walla and the other in Woodinville. Despite his success, Rice wasn’t sure what was in store after his NFL career. In a one-on-one interview with Forbes in 2024, Rice spoke about his uncertainty of what came after playing stating,
“Not really, I had no idea. Luckily, I was able to meet a gentleman who became a mentor and got me to invest in some franchises while I was still playing. It’s probably the best move I made. We did that, we brought the first Wing Stops to the state of Washington, which was really cool. Then after that, I really had no idea.”
When the pandemic hit, Rice took to social media where he posted images of wine tastings, resulting in him connecting with his now business partner Lenihan. Together, the two continue to expand Dossier Wine Collective.
Seahawks Legend of the Year
The Seahawks Legend of the Year is an accolade designed to recognize previous players after retirement. This award focuses on community involvement and impactful endeavors. While playing for the Seahawks, Rice was one of the most respected players on the team, well-known and well-liked for his determination and positive attitude.
Since retiring,Rice has maintained a heavy presence in and around positive programs in sports and the Seattle area. Including participating in Crucial Catch events, a program designed to help people catch cancer early while addressing the burden of cancer in under-resourced areas.
Rice is also involved in community initiatives like Legends Holiday events and charity golf tournaments. This includes supporting the Seahawks Classic Golf Tournament. Here, all proceeds go to the Benaroya Research Institute at Virginia Mason Franciscan Health in support of immune disorders.
Previous Seahawks Legends of the Year:
- Jacob Green, 2019
- Cliff Avril, 2020
- Doug Baldwin, 2021
- Michael Bennett, 2022
- Randall Morris, 2023
- Jermaine Kearse, 2024
Dan Quinn Reveals Strategy to Contain Micah Parsons in Week 2 Clash Against Packers
Dan Quinn knows Micah Parsons as well as anybody in the NFL, and the Washington Commanders head coach is already putting schemes in place to stop the roving All-Pro pass-rusher against the Green Bay Packers in Week 2.
Quinn coached Parsons to some of his best football with the Dallas Cowboys, but he knows the Commanders need two things to keep his former protege quiet when they visit Lambeau Field for Thursday Night Football. Namely, recognition and numbers.
Without those things, the Commanders risk franchise quarterback Jayden Daniels getting overrun by a fearsome Packers front seven. It’s a group built on more than just Parsons’ explosiveness and versatility.
Unfortunately, Washington’s offensive line struggled to contain a New York Giants unit with similarly dynamic playmakers in Week 1.
Dan Quinn Has Answers for Micah Parsons
Quinn made Parsons a star by shifting the former Penn State stud all across the front. This roaming blueprint stressed offensive lines to identify Parsons’ starting point and react to how he rushed the pocket.
The first priority for the Commanders is knowing where Green Bay’s No. 1 is before every play. As Quinn told reporters on Tuesday, September 9, “like Micah and other great players, you want to, you know, know where they are to how to go play, and if you have vulnerability in a spot, you want to make sure you can fortify that to his strengths. You don’t just leave it to chance.”
Those words imply the Commanders will commit extra blockers to Parsons once they zero in on his position. It makes sense, especially when Washington’s offense is home to a powerful supplementary force, rugged tight end John Bates.
The latter usually shows his true value in the running game, but Bates also made his presence felt as a pass-protector last week. Notably on this play against 2025 NFL draft third-overall pick Abdul Carter (51), highlighted by Last of the Fullbacks.
Carter is another flexible pressure specialist who shares many similarities with Parsons, but the rookie lacks the veteran’s elite speed around the corner. It’s a quality Quinn talked up when he revealed “in Dallas he was one of our fastest players, so that’s the hardest thing to simulate for an offensive tackle to see the first couple, two or three steps. It’s not at a speed that you can simulate in a practice rep. I think there’s been some rushes that he could surprise some people if you haven’t faced him, knowing that he can really jump off the ball,” per Commanders.com Senior Writer Zach Selby.
Slowing Parsons down will mean putting another body in his path. Either by keeping a tight end over him on the line of scrimmage or by chipping with a running back.
There is some good news thanks to the offseason trade that acquired marquee left tackle Laremy Tunsil. The five-time Pro Bowler kept Parsons under wraps as a member of the Houston Texans last season, when the multi-faceted edge defender “matched up against Tunsil for three snaps and had zero pressures,” according to Selby.
Tunsil can handle his end, but Parsons is most likely to slide across to rookie right tackle Josh Conerly Jr. This year’s 29th pick impressed on his debut, but Conerly needs help to avoid being left on an island and losing.
He did lose against Brian Burns, when the Commanders slid a double team toward Kayvon Thibodeaux on Tunsil’s side of the line, per Bleacher Report’s Brandon Thorn.
The play highlighted the difficulty the Commanders face tying to slide protection when there are multiple gifted pass-rushers on the field. It’s an issue that won’t go away against Parsons and the Packers.
Commanders Can’t Ignore Protection Problem
Daniels took three sacks and was pressured as many times by the Giants, per Pro Football Reference. Some heat was inevitable when the Giants put Carter, Burns and Thibodeaux into the lineup, but Quinn won’t have enjoyed seeing his QB1 taking enough punishment to appear on the injury report for this week.
Quinn should be particularly unnerved by how easily Carter got to Daniels from a standup alignment rushing over center Tyler Biadasz, highlighted by Talkin’ Giants.
Parsons regularly caused havoc with this same scheme on Quinn’s watch. Stopping a repeat will be tough enough for the Commanders when the Packers can also unleash skilled edge disruptors Rashan Gary and Lukas Van Ness, as well as versatile defensive tackle Devonte Wyatt.
This group combined with Parsons for a quartet of sacks against the Detroit Lions last week. Every member of the contingent is talented, but Parsons demands special answers.
