Seahawks Press

Top Takeaway

New offensive coordinator Brian Fleury announced he will call plays from the sideline rather than the booth for his regular-season debut, revealing that scripted game plans will only last about two series before adapting to New England’s defensive wrinkles.

Press Conferences & Interviews

Brian Fleury: “We’re Going To Just Play Seahawks Football” · Seahawks Press Pass In his regular-season play-calling debut, offensive coordinator Brian Fleury revealed he will operate from the sideline to facilitate face-to-face communication with Sam Darnold, rather than calling games from the booth. Fleury was incredibly even-keeled but highly candid, noting that team scripts usually go out the window after two series as they adjust to New England’s live defensive looks. On the scheme front, he tempered expectations for leaguewide 13-personnel (three tight ends) production, explaining that defenses spent the entire offseason studying it, but confirmed that sophomore Elijah has a defined role in specific packages.

Sam Darnold: “We All Have A Standard Of How We Want To Play” · Seahawks Press Pass Coming off a Super Bowl-winning campaign, quarterback Sam Darnold displayed a highly focused, “run it forward” mentality centered on stacking productive days and refusing to dwell on past success. Darnold was remarkably candid about his mental preparation, discussing his daily work with a sports psychologist to master his brain’s fight-or-flight science and manage on-field frustration. He also showed his lighter, self-deprecating side by defending his infamous Super Bowl ring drop, joking that the ring was already falling out of the box when he opened it.

Cooper Kupp On Preparing For Week 1 vs. Patriots · Seahawks Press Pass Super Bowl champion wideout Cooper Kupp brought a seasoned, locker-room perspective, highlighting Coach Mike Macdonald’s game-simulating “call out periods” as the secret to making practices harder than actual games. Kupp was deeply analytical and praised the front office’s emphasis on building a competitive “70-man roster” (including the practice squad “ready squad”) to maintain a championship standard with zero drop-off. He also raved about rookie standout Jadarian Price’s relentless work ethic and consistency, noting that Price has already earned the locker room’s respect by avoiding repeated mistakes.

Seahawks Press Conference - September 6, 2026 · Seahawks Press Pass This comprehensive video captures the full, unedited media sessions of Sam Darnold and Ernest Jones IV as they transition from preseason installation to active Week 1 game-planning. The tone in the media room was highly businesslike yet confident, with both stars emphasizing sideline communication as the critical factor for solving New England’s un-scouted early-season looks. Darnold detailed his collaborative relationship with Fleury in merging San Francisco run concepts with existing Seattle pass plays, while Jones IV focused on the elevated mental capacity of a defense entering its third year under Mike Macdonald.

Ernest Jones IV: “We Have To Come Out And Just Play Our Ball” · Seahawks Press Pass Linebacker Ernest Jones IV was absolutely fired up about the defense’s evolution, predicting that their third year under Mike Macdonald will allow them to play “ahead of plays” by anticipating coverages. Jones was highly evasive when asked to compare Seattle to his previous NFL stops with a quick “no comment,” but lit up when describing Dante Fowler as “Daw 2.0” for bringing a relentless edge-rushing energy to practice. He also teased the arrival of rookie Jadarian Price—calling him a “special talent” who spent the offseason working out with receivers to master his pass-catching—but humorously cut himself off to avoid helping New England game-plan.

Aden Durde On The Defense’s Growth Heading Into The Season · Seahawks Press Pass Defensive coordinator Aden Durde struck an intense, detail-oriented tone, emphasizing that the team has placed massive instruction behind home crowd noise communication and defensive cohesion. Durde was highly encouraging regarding safety Dre Diggs (transcribed as “Tron Digs”), noting that Diggs’ physical progression is on track as his legs have finally gotten back under him since the Kansas City preseason game. He also highlighted the defensive line’s unselfish “12 as one” rush mentality and expressed high confidence in depth safeties AJ Finley, Rodney Thomas, and Max.

Injury & Roster Updates

Safeties Dre Diggs (“Tron Digs”) and Nickham (likely a transcription error for a sophomore defender) are actively working their way back from injuries. Meanwhile, defensive coordinator Aden Durde expressed absolute confidence in safety depth behind them, including AJ Finley, Rodney Thomas, and Max. Ernest Jones IV also praised the front office for re-signing core leaders like Deon and Leonard to keep the Super Bowl core intact.

Reading Between the Lines

Keep an eye on the defensive front: with the coaching staff actively mixing in three-linebacker sets featuring Tyrice Knight, Drake Thomas, and Ernest Jones IV, Seattle is preparing to match heavier opponent groupings while keeping coverage concepts disguise-friendly. Furthermore, rookie Jadarian Price is receiving elite veteran praise that suggests he won’t just be depth, but an active, explosive weapon in Brian Fleury’s offense from day one.

Reporter Note: I’ve compiled this digest into a polished markdown document called seahawks-press-digest.md, which is now available in your Studio panel for easy reference or sharing.

🏈 Since the team is breaking out three-linebacker packages to disrupt the Patriots’ personnel matches, would you like me to do a deeper dive analysis comparing how our defensive front stacks up against New England’s offensive blocking scheme?