Mike Macdonald breaks decades of tradition with a high-stakes Nashville showdown. Rookies and veterans set the stage for an HBO-chronicled summer as Seattle prepares for battle.
The Seattle Seahawks obviously like the idea of scheduling a joint practice as a part of their summer training camp schedule.
And now it's official, as on Monday it was announced that they will conduct a joint practice with the Tennessee Titans on Aug. 21 ... slated to come just ahead of the teams’ Aug. 23 preseason game in Nashville.
This will mark the third straight season the Seahawks have held a joint practice since Mike Macdonald became the head coach of the now-defending Super Bowl champions.
How influential has Macdonald been during his time here? Put it this way: Prior to 2024, the Seahawks hadn’t bothered participating in a joint practice in more than three decades.
This year's Seahawks summer will also include coverage via HBO's "Hard Knocks,'' so there will be plenty of cameras around to chronicle all of the action ...
Which starts with the reporting date for camp.
The NFL announced on Monday the training camp report dates for all 32 teams. And in Seattle? Seahawks rookies will report to camp on July 17, while veterans will report on July 24. ... and then the Seahawks will fully launch camp on July 25.
Oh, and speaking of Macdonald ...
It is our opinion that he has yet to earn the respect he deserves.
In Bleacher Report's recent ranking of the NFL's top head coaches, Macdonald came in at No. 4 overall. While being listed among the league's elite is certainly recognition, it's difficult to understand how a coach who just guided his team to a Super Bowl title could be ranked behind three of his peers.
Macdonald's rise has been nothing short of remarkable. After taking over in Seattle ahead of the 2024 season, he quickly transformed the franchise into a contender. By his second year, the Seahawks had posted a franchise-best 14-3 regular season record, earned the NFC's No. 1 seed, and ultimately captured Super Bowl LX with a convincing victory over the New England Patriots.
The accomplishments become even more impressive when considering how quickly they happened. Many coaches spend years building a championship roster and culture. Macdonald did it in just two seasons.
There is certainly an argument for experienced coaches such as Andy Reid or Sean McVay to rank highly based on years of sustained success. But if the rankings are supposed to reflect the best coaches in football right now, it's hard to justify placing a reigning Super Bowl champion fourth. ... the sort of thing the Seahawks will get busy proving once they get to their 2026 training camp.
