The 12th man is officially back, much to the chagrin of any NFL team set to visit the Pacific Northwest in 2021. The Seattle Seahawks announced on Tuesday that the team plans to welcome back full-capacity crowds at Lumen Field this coming season, joining other clubs who have either already made a similar statement or expect to soon. And considering just how destructive the 12th man crowd has proven to be to opposing teams, you can bet every member of the Seahawks organization is thrilled to know their fans will be back in the stands -- literally shaking the ground beneath them like an earthquake.
"Can't wait to see those 12s," Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said, via the team's website. "Can't wait to see the 12s. I know they're coming. I know somebody is going to be in those stands.
"Can't wait to get you out there."
Hot off of a multi-year contract extension this offseason, All-Pro wide receiver Tyler Lockett couldn't agree more.
"Oh man, I'm excited to have them," he said. "You never know what it's like to not have something until you don't have it. And when we didn't have the fans, you could tell it was different. … It taught me how not to take fans for granted, but how to be able to enjoy and be appreciative that people are actually there.
"So I'm excited for the fans to come back. I'm really excited just to be able to go out there -- I always call it a concert because that's what it feels like ever since I first stepped on that football field. And so when the fans come back, it's time to get it going."
Fans were kept out of many NFL stadiums in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but with the emergence of vaccines and the reopening of states around the country, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell made it known earlier this offseason there was a presumption stadiums around the league would again open their doors to fans. Of course, that wasn't guaranteed, nor was the possibility of full-capacity crowds. The state of Washington will not require fans to be vaccinated to return to Lumen Field, but the unvaccinated patrons will be required to wear masks.
Mask or not, the decibel level in Seattle will soon, again, rival jet engines on a naval destroyer.
