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Mike Macdonald Refuses To Fuel 49ers Rivalry Despite Seahawks’ Recent Success

TheSeattle Seahawks have become one of the few teams to consistently slow downKyle Shanahan’s offense over the past two seasons. Naturally, that has fueled talk aboutMike Macdonald’s defense has finally cracked theSan Francisco 49ers’ code.

Macdonald, however, is not interested in feeding that storyline. Despite Seattle’s recent success against San Francisco, the reigning Super Bowl-winning head coach made it clear he sees those matchups very differently.

Mike Macdonald Credits Seattle Seahawks’ Execution Instead Of Claiming 49ers Edge

Feb 25, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Seattle Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald speaks during the NFL Scouting Combine at the Indiana Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Speaking with Matt Maiocco at the American Century Championship, Macdonald dismissed the idea that the Seahawks has the 49ers’ number, instead pointing to execution on game day.

“I mean, it’s the NFL. Every game is just so challenging, and every game has a life of its own.

So I think our players are just, you know, we decided we wanted to play a certain way.

And I wouldn’t say that we have the 49ers’ number or we don’t have their [number]. It’s just, those games played out that way. And then as the game starts to unfold, you start to realize the things that you need to be able to do to go win the game, and our guys did that, you know, so they deserve a lot of credit to make it come to life.”

Mike Macdonald was asked why the Seahawks have had success against the #49ers in recent matchups:

“I mean, it’s the NFL. Every game is just so challenging, and every game has a life of its own…

So I think our players are just, you know, we decided we wanted to play a certain… pic.twitter.com/BvHx8d1XYF

— 49ers & NFL News 24/7 (@49ersSportsTalk) July 17, 2026

Macdonald’s remarks follow an impressive turnaround by the Seahawks in the 2025 season against the rival team. The Seahawks limited the 49ers to less than nine points per game during their three games this season, winning convincingly in the NFC Divisional Round 41-6 on their way to a Super Bowl victory.

The teams that dominated against the 49ers had little success compared to the Seahawks, who allowed only six points in the Divisional Round. They outscored their opponents by an average of 27.5 points per game.

Despite Brock Purdy’s impressive 96.1 career passer rating in the NFL, he has had little success against Macdonald’s defensive schemes. However, Macdonald declined any praise for stopping Shanahan’s offense. Instead, he praised the level of detail behind San Francisco’s system.

Both Week 5 and Week 12 will witness the usual two tough battles involving Seattle and San Francisco. The result of these games would depend on whether Shanahan can provide any solutions or Macdonald continues his dominance on the defensive end.