RENTON -- The 2016 Seattle Seahawks season passed away on Saturday after a prolonged battle with a subpar offensive line. They were diagnosed in the spring, but after a valiant battle for much of the campaign, they suffered a fatal complication with the season-ending injury to Earl Thomas. They are survived by a core group of players that should make them Super Bowl contenders in 2017. No further public viewing will be allowed, per league rules.
In the funerial atmosphere that was the team's headquarters at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center in Renton over the last couple of days, one thing was clear: the 2016 Seahawks died of natural causes.