Seahawks general manager and president of football operations John Schneider, the man who hired Macdonald, has been impressed with how his team's head coach has handled the job so far, but as impressive as Macdonald's first year in that role was, Schneider too sees value in the experiences Macdonald gained as a first-time head coach, which will only make him, and in turn, the Seahawks, better in 2025.
"He can absorb information, and he has a huge brain," Schneider said last week. "He can go from zero to 100 fast. He could be laughing about something silly and then he can be super aggressive; wanting to fight you, and I like that about him. He's a very clear thinker and a clear communicator. There's a natural comfort that comes with standing in front of a team all the time. Having a full offseason to digest what you want your team to look like, what you want your culture to look like, he's been able to bite into that and express that to the players and the staff and all the football operations and the whole building quite honestly. It's a natural progression, but it's happening fast for him."
Players, too, have seen the growth in their head coach while at the same time being impressed with the job Macdonald did last season. Not only was Macdonald going through the challenges of being a head coach for the first time, he was also stepping into some huge shoes, taking over for a coaching legend in Pete Carroll, who led the team for the previous 14 seasons, winning the first Super Bowl title in team history. Macdonald recognized that he was already stepping into an organization with a strong, established culture, so he didn't immediately come in and try to tear the whole thing down, but he did find ways to put his stamp on the team, and players are seeing that take hold more in 2025.
"I would say more control of the team," veteran defensive lineman Leonard Williams said. "Last year he did a good job taking control but it's hard on anyone because it's his first time being a head coach. Pete Carroll was here for so long, half the team was here with Pete Caroll almost their whole career. They had to shift from a certain style to Mike's style. I think more guys have bought into Mike's style now.
"We had a 10-win season last year where we unfortunately didn't go to the playoffs, but overall, we have a belief in the staff, belief in our players, belief in the whole building. We're just out here competing and growing."
Another veteran defensive lineman, Jarran Reed, expects Macdonald to help the Seahawks have the best defense in the NFL this season.
"I believe in the philosophy, and the way they're going," Reed said. "I told him to his face, they're building something here, and I want to be a part of it. I really feel like we could be the best defense in this league; as long as we keep playing hard. We just keep being physical as shit. I'm going to keep running and hitting, that's what it's all about. The sky's the limit for our defense, and defense wins championships."
When Macdonald took the job, he told the team, as recounted by safety Julian Love, "We're beginning at the ground level, at the ground floor of the new Seahawks culture."
That culture included connecting with fans and the community, respecting the history of the team and the Legends who remain closely tied to the organization, and playing the physical brand of football Macdonald demands of his team.
"There's a lot of stuff that's thrown out there in meetings, and that one phrase caught me," Love said of Macdonald telling players they were beginning at the ground level. "Because we're just trying to build a different standard and different culture here," Love said. "It's going to be operated differently. He's filling in that role and I think we're shifting in a great direction."