Once upon a time, dear young Seattle Seahawks fans, your favorite team did not use to hold joint practices with opposing teams. Former head coach Pete Carroll eschewed the idea. Mike Holmgren, the coach before Carroll, did too, for the most part.
That has changed. New head coach Mike Macdonald doesn't mind holding such practices. He did so last year when Seattle took on the Tennessee Titans ahead of their preseason game. In 2025, the team held a joint practice against the Green Bay Packers ahead of each team's final preseason game.
That is when things took a wayward turn. The teams decided to turn the venture into mayhem. According to ESPN Seahawks beat reporter Brady Henderson, "double-digit" scuffles took place even after the teams were told before practice not to fight.
Seattle Seahawks and Green Bay Packers have scuffle fest at joint practice
One of those scuffles took place after Packers cornerback Kamal Hadden made a nice play and then decided to get into the face of Seahawks wide receiver (and fan favorite) Jake Bobo to speak loudly about what Hadden had just done.
As it turns out, Bobo isn't just a fan favorite, but a teammate favorite, too. Running back Kenneth Walker III took umbrage with Hadden's actions and the two traded verbal barbs. Things only declined from there.
But let this be a lesson to other teams. You can talk trash all you want, but do not disrespect our Bobo. His teammates will have his back. Fisticuffs and the action of throwing hands might occur, too. No one wants a fight.
Here’s video of one of the fights. That’s Packers RT Zach Tom and Ernest Jones IV boxing on the right. https://t.co/0n55XaepJB
— Dugar, Michael-Shawn (@MikeDugar) August 21, 2025
Yet, after the Hadden silliness, the teams got into another brouhaha in which Green Bay right tackle Zach Tom traded punches with the Seahawks' Ernest Jones IV. Tom is the bigger player, but Jones is quicker and faster and would have likely won on points in a real boxing match.
The truth is that joint practices weren't held for years because of this kind of thing. It's hot, it isn't a real game or even a meaningless preseason game, and players are ready for the season. Tempers will rage. At least, no one seems to have been hurt. That, and it is kind of silly to throw punches when the other player is wearing a helmet.
Seattle Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald will probably have a good reason for the fights. But he might also like how feisty his squad is.
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