Think about it: The Seahawks’ extraordinary comeback that fell just short of beating the Atlanta Falcons is a good tonic for our collective heartbreak.

Clearly, this is a team with a future.

As the Seahawks rose to the top of their game to play in Sunday’s divisional playoff, so did Seattle’s presence in the national consciousness.

Football is the top-watched sport in the United States, and advertisers pay billions to be part of NFL action. The Seahawks brought underdog status and down-to-the-last-minute determination.

These athletes showed everyone else what we’ve known all along: Washington is a special place where athletes have the potential to thrive and fans of all backgrounds unite enthusiastically under the blue-and-green banner of the 12th Man.

Coach Pete Carroll and his players certainly gave their fans — the die-hard and the fair-weather — a good show week in and week out. They’ll be back in August. No question they will be a team to watch.

“Best feeling in the world seeing all the #12thman at the airport! Wow I love this team and this amazing city,” rookie quarterback Russell Wilson tweeted after landing in Seattle on Sunday.

The franchise’s star player is leading a young roster into a new era.

They are hungry for more.

And so are we — the old, new and future fans of the Seattle Seahawks.