The Seahawks made several sharp under-the-radar personnel moves this offseason. Getting Sam Howell from the Commanders for the equivalent of a seventh-round pick was one of them, as was signing underrated nose tackle Johnathan Hankins for more depth inside. However, none of the players they have acquired will make anywhere close to the same impact as their new head coach. In a move that stunned the NFL world, the Seahawks fired head coach Pete Carroll in January and eventually replaced him with former Ravens defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald.
How well Macdonald does his job and lives up to the very high standard that's been set here by Carroll remains to be seen, but most analysts are expecting good things from Macdonald, especially the experts at Pro Football Focus, who say his scheme should be right on the cutting edge. According to Trevor Sikkema at PFF, the coaching change was best move the team has made this offseason. Here's what he said about Seattle firing Carroll and hiring Macdonald:
"Mike Macdonald put on a defensive masterclass in Baltimore the past two seasons after a successful stint with Jim Harbaugh as Michigan’s defensive coordinator in 2021. He helped get the most out of players like Kyle Hamilton, Justin Madubuike, Jadeveon Clowney and Roquan Smith. Pete Carroll no longer being Seattle's head coach is shocking, but Macdonald's hire is a big win for the team."
Macdonald himself will have to account for much of the team's improvement on defense. Assuming that he gets their pass rush and run defense going at a no-worse-than-average kind of level, the Seahawks will be radically improved from last season on this side of the ball.
On offense, Macdonald made his most-critical hire by stealing his offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb away from Alabama after two excellent seasons calling the plays at Washington. Assuming both do their jobs well, Seattle should be a playoff team again this year and might even be a contender as soon as the 2025 season.
