Rylie Mills delivered one of the most eye-popping plays in the Seattle Seahawks’ Super Bowl LX victory, driving a 310-pound guard into the backfield, wrapping both arms around quarterback Drake Maye and bringing down both players for his first career sack.
Defensive tackle Leonard Williams called the play a “big-time” moment that showed Mills’ potential and suggested the rookie could take his game to another level. The sack stood out among other big plays in the title game, including a pick-six by Uchenna Nwosu and combined sacks by Byron Murphy II and Derick Hall.
Mills’ path to the NFL included a torn ACL suffered as a senior and team captain at Notre Dame on a sack against Indiana in December 2024. The injury limited him to 34 snaps over six games in his final college season and contributed to his fall to Day 3 of the draft. The 6-foot-5, 296-pound defensive tackle is 24 years old.
The Seahawks chose Mills in the fifth round after defensive coordinator Aden Durde, a former defensive line coach, pushed for the pick. General manager John Schneider joked that Durde might not have shown up for work if the team had not drafted him. A pre-draft visit to the Virginia Mason Athletic Center and follow-up exams left the club comfortable with the progress of Mills’ surgically repaired knee.
Mills spent most of his rookie season on the non-football injury list before debuting in Week 15. He recorded three tackles in 28 defensive snaps over the final four regular-season games, was a healthy scratch for the divisional round, played one snap in the NFC Championship Game and five snaps against New England. Since sacks became an official statistic in 1982, only four other players have recorded their first sack in a Super Bowl.
Seattle’s defensive line that helped deliver the franchise’s second world championship is an older unit, creating room for younger contributors. Williams is 32 and entering the last year of his contract, Jarran Reed is 33, DeMarcus Lawrence is 34 and has considered retirement, Nwosu is 29 and Dante Fowler Jr. is 31. With that context, a healthy Mills is listed among the Seahawks’ breakout candidates for 2026.
