Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald turned training camp into a pressure cooker this week, and the intensity was on full display during a recent episode of Hard Knocks. In a moment that quickly spread across social media, Macdonald kicked defensive lineman Derick Hall out of a drill after repeatedly warning him to back off. Hall, who arrived at camp in a monster truck and had been wrestling with teammate Leonard Williams, was getting too close to quarterback Sam Darnold. Macdonald told him to stop, but when Hall did it again, the coach sent him off the field.
Hall argued loudly and swore in protest, but Macdonald was unmoved. “I don’t care what you’re saying. I’m running the effing practice,” Macdonald said. The scene captured the no-nonsense approach the second-year coach is bringing to a team trying to defend its Super Bowl title.
Seahawks fans embraced the moment as exactly the kind of discipline the roster needs. The reasoning behind the aggressive camp atmosphere is straightforward. Seattle cannot match the NFC West moves made by rivals like the Rams, who added Myles Garrett, and they cannot bring back past stars like Aaron Donald or Marshawn Lynch. Macdonald’s answer is to outwork and out-physical everyone else.
But beneath the training-camp bravado, there are growing concerns that the Seahawks could regress this season. NFL analyst Warren Sharp recently made the case that Seattle is a prime candidate for a step backward, pointing to several underlying issues that the team’s Super Bowl run may have masked. One of the biggest concerns is the departure of offensive coordinator Clint Kubiak. Kubiak, now the head coach of the Raiders, was credited with transforming Seattle’s offense last season.
He dramatically reduced the use of three-receiver sets and leaned heavily on 12 personnel, which made the Seahawks the most efficient offense in the league out of that formation. His exit wasn’t just a loss of one coach. Kubiak took two other offensive assistants with him, leaving Seattle down three coaches on that side of the ball. The new offensive coordinator has never called plays at the NFL level before, which adds another layer of uncertainty.
There is also the question of quarterback Sam Darnold. Darnold threw 20 turnovers last season, and while four of his interceptions came in a single game against the Rams, the pattern is still troubling. Seattle’s offense was built to protect him, relying on a dominant defense and a strong running game to keep the pressure off. That running game has been hit hard as well.
Kenneth Walker, the Super Bowl MVP, is gone. Walker didn’t always dominate during the regular season, but he was essential in the postseason, recording two 100-yard games and four touchdowns when the team needed to control the clock and limit Darnold’s exposure. His departure leaves the backfield thin. Zach Charbonnet is coming off a major injury and is not considered a bell-cow back.
J’Adarian Price, the rookie from Notre Dame, has promise but is unproven at the NFL level. Beyond those two, there is little depth. Even the defense, which returned nine starters and remains the team’s backbone, could face more pressure. If that unit slips even slightly, Darnold will be asked to do more, and that is a scenario that worries analysts who have studied his career.
The schedule does not offer much relief. Seattle faces the Rams, 49ers, and Cardinals twice each, and the late-season stretch is particularly brutal. The Seahawks have cross-country trips to Philadelphia and Carolina, followed by back-to-back matchups with the Rams at the end of the year. If Seattle is fighting for a wild-card spot in December, those games could define the season.
Macdonald has the team playing with intensity and discipline, but whether that is enough to overcome the roster and coaching losses remains to be seen. The Seahawks may still be the most talented team in the NFC West. Their defense could be elite again, and Macdonald has established a culture that leaves no room for complacency. But the questions are real: Can the offense function without its architect?
Can the running game survive without its playoff star? Can Darnold avoid turnovers if the defense stumbles? For now, the team is riding the energy of a hard-nosed training camp and the belief that they can repeat.
But the entire NFL is watching to see whether this championship was the start of something bigger or the peak before the fall.
