Tag Archives: Mike Macdonald

#SEAvsWASH

Just one of those years: Darnold returns amid ongoing rash of QB injuries

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The Seahawks are getting their quarterback back just as the Washington Commanders have lost theirs.

That is the story heading into the Week 3 meeting between the teams Sunday in Landover, Md. It’s part of a bigger overall storyline for the NFL season that has seen five teams suffer quarterback injuries over the first two weeks. Beyond creating understandable angst for fans of those quarterbacks and their teams, it has brought out the usual complaints about the “injury epidemic” in the NFL.

One popular podcaster’s tweet was picked up everywhere this week:

News flash for Middlekauff and anyone else who thinks this is a new development: Injuries have been part of football since the founding of the sport. It’s just a dangerous game, and quarterbacks are not immune.

Continue reading Just one of those years: Darnold returns amid ongoing rash of QB injuries →
Free agency, Trades

Hawks won’t trade Lock, but will he start somewhere in 2027?

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The Seahawks are not going to trade Drew Lock, but odds certainly have increased that they might lose him in free agency next year.

With Sam Darnold injured, Lock has been excellent over the first two games. He has led the Hawks to two wins and has played almost as well as top starting quarterbacks Josh Allen, Patrick Mahomes and Brock Purdy.

Lock has definitely earned more money for 2027. Some fans also are wondering whether Lock has built a bunch of trade value, but quarterbacks are rarely traded in season and John Schneider and Mike Macdonald are not going to do that (short of some team far overpaying).  

Lock surely will remain a Seahawk this season, but he is up for free agency after that and might have a chance to land a starting job elsewhere.

Continue reading Hawks won’t trade Lock, but will he start somewhere in 2027? →
#SEAvsARI

Hawks have picked up where they left off in Super Bowl

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For those wondering, yes, the Seahawks already are better than they were in 2025. That was the expectation – and that is how it is working out.

As Mike Macdonald said after his team dominated Arizona 31-7, “There’s an excitement and urgency for us to take it to the next level in all three phases.”

With a 2-0 start, the Seahawks have extended their winning streak across seasons to a franchise-record 12 games (counting postseason).

The defense is locked in as the league’s top unit again, led by Julian Love, Leonard Williams and Devon Witherspoon. They are stuffing the run like no one else, and Love has been an interception machine over the first two weeks.

Jaxon Smith-Njigba has burst out of the gates in historic fashion — a bona fide superstar who can dominate no matter who is throwing the ball, even with fewer targets than other WR1s around the NFL. Drew Lock has thrown it well in place of injured Sam Darnold, stacking up as one of the best passers in the league across two weeks. Brian Fleury has made some savvy adjustments to the offense in his first two games as the new play caller. The offensive line got a game ball after the 31-7 win over Arizona despite rotating two players at right guard.

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#NEvsSEA, Injury report

Hawks should be OK until Darnold returns

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When Sam Darnold was lost after one series vs. the Patriots in the NFL opener Thursday night, it was definitely a big bummer. But Drew Lock came in and played about like we expected: a couple of sparks and no big mistakes. With the No. 1 defense in the NFL backing him, that was enough to pull off a 13-10 win in a sloppy game by both teams.

With the news that Darnold might miss fewer than four games with his hip injury, the Seahawks look well prepared to weather the storm.

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#NEvsSEA

Are Emmanwori and Macdonald toying with the Patriots?

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Is Nick Emmanwori really iffy for the season opener? Or are he and Mike Macdonald playing mind games with the Patriots?

Emmanwori is coming back from ankle surgery that was performed in July. He has returned to the field in a limited capacity, based on injury reports.

The final episode of “Hard Knocks” featured another conversation between coach and player, in which Emmanwori said, “I feel like I’m grinding every day to a point where it’s like I’m making progress but can’t really do back-to-back hard days like that. Two days ago, I was pushing it, like I was running, and the next day it was kind of sore.

“I feel like other people’s (idea of) where they think I should be at, or where they want me to be, could be kind of interfering with where I’m trying to go or where I’m trying to get to.”

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The roster

Initial roster set, but secondary is still in progress

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The Seahawks’ roster – the 40 or so guys who matter most anyway – has been set all summer. The biggest struggle in camp involved sorting out the back end of the defense – and even as the cut to 53 (plus 17 on the practice squad) was made, the secondary is still the most unsettled position group on the team.

The top four – Devon Witherspoon, Josh Jobe, Julian Love and Ty Okada – are ready to roll. But Nick Emmanwori, rookie Julian Neal, new trade acquisition Avery Smith and recent vet signee Trevon Diggs (on the practice squad) all are behind in their prep for the season.

Emmanwori and Neal are just now practicing after recovering from injuries (surgery in E-Man’s case). Smith just arrived via trade from the Chargers (where he was in a similar defense), and Diggs signed a couple of weeks ago and saw just a few plays in the final preseason game. It will be a race to see which of those guys is ready for the opener Sept. 9.

Continue reading Initial roster set, but secondary is still in progress →
Contracts, The roster

Williams extension completes lineup for potential dynasty

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With Leonard Williams happily under contract for another three years, the Seahawks are now ready to make a run at becoming the next NFL dynasty.

Williams is the seventh mainstay extended or re-signed this year, joining Charles Cross, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Rashid Shaheed, Josh Jobe, Derick Hall and Devon Witherspoon. That doesn’t include lesser two-year deals given to Drake Thomas and Brady Russell.

This Super Bowl team is basically set for the next two years, with only three starting spots in question next offseason: edge rusher, center and right guard. If Jalen Sundell is tendered and Beau Stephens steps into Anthony Bradford’s spot, edge rusher will be the only hole.  

Continue reading Williams extension completes lineup for potential dynasty →
The roster, Training camp

How does Macdonald replace his ‘gravy’ safety?

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When Bud Clark was down on the field in Tennessee, being tended to after he had broken his ankle, he assured a questioning Mike Macdonald, “Hell yeah, coach, we gravy.”

We’re not hip to all the lingo, but sounds like he meant it will be OK.

It was apropos that he used that word because Clark was supposed to be the gravy on the Seattle defense this season — the extra sauce to give Macdonald’s unit another element of flexibility and confuse offenses even more. So losing him for the season is a really unfortunate blow to that plan.

Now the question becomes: How does Macdonald replace Clark? Where does he find some more gravy?

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Contracts, The roster

Spoon’s deal beat anything on the field in preseason opener

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The Seahawks played their first football game of the season Saturday, but the most exciting action came earlier that morning when Devon Witherspoon finally signed the contract that made him (for now) the highest-paid cornerback in the league.

Mike Macdonald made us laugh when he lamented that his “team” did not play very well in the 17-7 loss to Dallas – because it was mostly third-stringers. We all know his A-team could start playing and winning right now.

This preseason is all about getting Brian Fleury integrated as the new OC, ramping up some young guys (e.g., Bud Clark) and settling the six or seven undetermined roster spots (some of which will rotate throughout the season anyway). Beyond that, the Seahawks are ready to “run it forward” in 2026 right now.

Meanwhile, John Schneider and Joey Laine have been running it forward beyond 2026. With the big extension for Witherspoon finally done, they now have locked up seven starters through at least 2028, along with drafting four other key guys in the last two years.

In our three-year projection, there are just seven openings for 2028: C, RG, WR3, ER2, both ILBs, SS. And four of those guys — Ernest Jones IV, Drake Thomas, Julian Love, Jalen Sundell — could easily be re-signed. That’s a pretty good-looking future.

Let’s take a look at Spoon’s deal, a little more on Terrion Arnold and the few tidbits we learned from the game Saturday.

Continue reading Spoon’s deal beat anything on the field in preseason opener →
Free agency, It's bigger than football, Training camp

Hawks are sure about Arnold, but not about when he might play

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The Seahawks’ contract agreement with Terrion Arnold is a definite gamble, and Mike Macdonald confirmed that today when he said he has no idea when the cornerback might be able to play for the team.

The coach said the Seahawks got “overwhelmingly positive” reports on Arnold from people who know him. Macdonald declined to say anything about the criminal case that led to Arnold being available to sign in the first place (after Detroit cut him), but he did say, “There’s allegations there that are serious. If you separate that from the person that they talk about (him being) on a daily basis and their history with him, it’s been overwhelmingly positive.”

You could loosely translate that to this: He’s a good person who got caught up in a bad situation and people should not be afraid of him coming into the community. Seems like that is about as close as Macdonald will come to saying that.

The coach also referred to the player being honest with him in their personal conversation.

Continue reading Hawks are sure about Arnold, but not about when he might play →