Seahawks Press

Top Takeaway

Defensive tackle Leonard Williams revealed he has been leaning on legendary football royalty—his father-in-law Ronnie Lott and Seahawks champions Richard Sherman and Kam Chancellor—for advice on how to block out the noise and successfully defend Seattle’s Super Bowl title. Williams emphasized that the locker room is completely focused on starting from scratch rather than resting on last year’s laurels.

Press Conferences & Interviews

[Leonard Williams / Defensive Tackle] · Source Williams brought a bright, reflective, and highly focused leadership tone to the podium, making it clear that nobody in the building is patting themselves on the back. He shared a fascinating personal update, noting that having his new son, Zion, right after the Super Bowl and parade quickly helped him turn the page. On the field, Williams dropped a major scheme clue, predicting a breakout pass-rushing season for Byron as the team shifts him more to the three-technique (3-tech) to free him up from double teams. He also praised quarterback Sam Darnold’s steady leadership, calling him the “first one in, last one out” and noting that Darnold is always studying film on team flights while others relax.

[Mike Macdonald / Head Coach Previews Week 1] · Source (Alternative upload: Seahawks Press Conference) Macdonald was characteristically evasive on the injury front but highly detailed on the challenge of defending Seattle’s style of ball in Week 1. He advised offensive coordinator Brian Flurry, ahead of his first regular-season play-calling opportunity, to trust his training, take a deep breath, and “go let it rip”. Macdonald cautioned that February’s Super Bowl matchups are “at best an educated guess” now, especially with New England adding dangerous new receiving weapons in AJ Brown and Romeo Doubs. He also expressed massive excitement to see rookie running back Jadarian (JD) play and secure his first NFL carry after a great camp.

[AJ Barner / Tight End] · Source Barner was fired up and physically confident, declaring that he is fully back from nagging injuries and eager to unleash his violent brand of football. He provided brilliant schematic insight into the offense, detailing how tight ends are being used dynamically at fullback, Z, or F receiver spots to create downhill blocking angles and stress defenses. Barner described new play-caller Brian Flurry as a “man of few words” who is entirely “about ball” (drawing comparisons to former DC Clint), and added that tight end targets will naturally increase as they build the play-caller’s “appetite” by converting big plays. He was also incredibly candid about the upcoming banner drop, stating that while the moment is special, “the Patriots don’t care about that banner” and it is time to turn the page.

Injury & Roster Updates

• Injury Front: Head Coach Mike Macdonald completely shut down detailed injury reports (“I won’t answer them”), though he praised safety Nick’s “fantastic” recovery progress. Tight end AJ Barner confirmed he is fully back, healthy, and feeling confident physically and mentally.
• New Additions: Cornerback Terrion Arnold has arrived in the building and is learning the scheme, while traded rookie safety Avery Smith is quickly grasping parallel defensive concepts he ran in Los Angeles.
• Safety Squeeze: With only three safeties on the active roster, Macdonald revealed that practice-squad safeties AJ, Rodney, and Max have earned spots on the “70” (70-man roster) and are competing for a potential call-up.

Reading Between the Lines

• The “Three-Tight-End” Swiss Army Knife: Both AJ Barner and Leonard Williams highlighted how often the offense is using multiple tight ends and shifting them into H-back and fullback positions. Williams admitted this constant motion and speed in getting lined up has been highly disruptive during camp, hinting at a very creative early-down scheme under Flurry.
• Unleashing Byron Murphy II: Williams’ revelation that Byron is moving to the 3-technique is a massive scheme clue. Playing 3-tech will allow the explosive third-year tackle to utilize his expanding pass-rushing repertoire on a single blocker rather than fighting double-teams inside.
• Mentorship is a Priority: Leonard Williams actively seeking counsel from legendary multi-time Super Bowl champions shows a highly self-aware defensive core. By passing this “forget last year” mentality down to younger players, the team’s veterans are actively combating any threat of championship complacency.

🏈 Let me know if you want to dive deeper into how New England’s additions of AJ Brown and Romeo Doubs might impact Macdonald’s defensive secondary plans.