Seahawks Press

Top Takeaway

Head Coach Mike Macdonald announced that key defender Ty did not practice on Friday, paving the way for offseason safety acquisition Rodney Thomas to potentially step up, while Zach continues to progress on an undisclosed “aggressive” timetable.

Press Conferences & Interviews

Mike Macdonald / Head Coach Mike Macdonald Gives Final Updates Ahead Of Week 1 | Seattle Seahawks · Seahawks Press Pass Macdonald kicked off Friday’s session in a playful mood, jokingly warning reporters that because it’s game week, he gets “to not answer anything”. However, he still dropped crucial details: “Nick” practiced limited after seeing his heaviest workload in days, while “Ty” sat out completely. Macdonald was highly complimentary of newly acquired safety Rodney Thomas, praising his range, ball skills, and physicality, while also noting Anthony Bell’s toughness on the 70-man roster. On the offensive side, Macdonald singled out third-year guard Christian Haynes (noted as “Christian Hans”) for taking his game “to another level” in a tight guard competition, and credited “Sam” and offensive passing game coordinator Brian Flurry for driving the offense’s operational growth. Looking ahead to the opener, Macdonald was candid about the challenges of the unknown, stressing that Week 1 requires extreme game-day adaptability and sticking to “core competencies” rather than relying on a static, pre-packaged game plan.

Seahawks Press Conference - September 7, 2026 · Seahawks Press Pass While this press conference is officially listed in our video index for the day, its transcript was not included in our sources. As a beat reporter who keeps it 100% real with the 12s, I won’t guess or use generic training data to fabricate what happened here. Click the link above to check out the full press conference directly!

Injury & Roster Updates

• Ty did not practice on Friday and his status is highly questionable.
• Nick was limited but “looks great” after getting his heaviest workload in days.
• Zach remains out but is “doing awesome” on an undisclosed, “aggressive timetable” for his return.
• Rodney Thomas and Anthony Bell are fully primed to step in and contribute on the 70-man roster if Ty or others are sidelined.

Reading Between the Lines

• Ego-Free Coaching Staff: Macdonald is laying the foundation for a highly collaborative, cross-discipline coaching environment. He shared a special teams moment where the entire defensive staff crossed over to coach other positions, emphasizing that “there’s no such thing as only farming each other’s land” and that coaches cannot operate in silos.
• AD Runs the Defense: Macdonald went out of his way to praise British defensive coordinator Aden Durde (AD), calling him a “cornerstone piece of our club” and revealing that AD runs the defensive operation “99% of the time”.
• Guard Battle Heat: Christian Haynes has made a major statement this summer. Macdonald’s comment that Haynes has taken his game “to another level” indicates the young guard has made this starting job a true fight.

📋 Want me to draft a Week 1 game-plan checklist based on Macdonald’s emphasis on “core competencies” and in-game adjustments so we can track how they execute on Sunday?