It might only be OTAs, but Macdonald is already running a tight ship for the Super Bowl champs.
The Seattle Seahawks might have climbed the NFL mountain, but don't think for one second this team, led by Mike Macdonald, is resting on its laurels.
We have heard Macdonald speak on "run it forward" as the mantra for Seattle, not run it back, as it pertains to defending the Super Bowl title, and that begins with the offseason workouts, which are already underway.
Yes, it is early in the offseason, but it is here where the foundation is laid for what Seattle hopes is another fruitful season under Macdonald.
Every practice, every meeting, it all adds up to be a crucial part of the Super Bowl puzzle, even if you don't exactly see it right now.
But so often, we see teams that have just won the Super Bowl struggle, for whatever reason, and it is often called the "Super Bowl hangover," as teams have a later start to their offseason work.
Plus, there might not be the same vigor as there once was, as you are a champion now, so you could maybe cut corners and not do the things that made you successful in the first place.
However for Bob Wyman, who is a Seahawks Radio Network analyst, and former NFL player, he detailed what stood out to him at OTAs.
“The intensity and execution of practice was really noticeable,” Wyman said via Seattle Sports.
“There’s absolutely no drop-off. It’s not a team that looks like, oh yeah, we’re fat and happy, we got a ring and we’re good – we’ll be good whether we practice hard or not. No, there’s none of that.”
“Mike Macdonald will get after you. If you’re not paying attention, if you screw up a play, if you run the wrong route, he has that presence out there. … Every one of those (reps) is precious. You can only have so much time out there, so he doesn’t want to waste it.”
So, there is already a standard being met and it is only OTAs.
Granted, it was the mindset that helped power the Seahawks to the Super Bowl, and now that they have the ring, it is clear those standards aren't dropping... even for OTAs.
Now, will that automatically translate into wins during the regular season? Who knows.
But the Seahawks are doing everything they can to make sure there is no Super Bowl hangover in 2026.
With Macdonald at the center of it.
