Mike Macdonald isn’t losing sleep over what the rest of the NFC West did this offseason. The Seahawks coach, fresh off a Super Bowl title, says his approach to the job hasn’t shifted one bit — and neither has his read on divisional rivals loading up around him.
“You don’t feel any different winning the Super Bowl,” Macdonald told Vic Tafur of The Athletic. He pointed to life at home over life in the spotlight: an 18-month-old son who, in his words, “doesn’t really care that we won this Super Bowl.”
Eighteen-month-olds don’t care about Lombardi Trophies. Division rivals do — and they spent the offseason making sure Seattle’s title defense won’t come easy.
The NFC West Arms Race
The Los Angeles Rams made the biggest splash, trading for edge rusher Myles Garrett and adding cornerbacks Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson. Aaron Donald could also return from retirement, which would make an already retooled Rams defense even more dangerous.
San Francisco didn’t sit still either. The 49ers signed wide receivers Mike Evans and Christian Kirk, traded for defensive lineman Osa Odighizuwa, and brought linebacker Dre Greenlaw back into the fold. Arizona, meanwhile, pushed forward with its rebuild, hiring Mike LaFleur as head coach and drafting running back Jeremiyah Love with the No. 3 overall pick.
The result: three teams retooling with real intent, while the defending champs have quietly slipped out of the national conversation.
| Team | Key Offseason Additions |
|---|---|
| Rams | Myles Garrett (trade), Trent McDuffie, Jaylen Watson, possible Aaron Donald return |
| 49ers | Mike Evans, Christian Kirk, Osa Odighizuwa (trade), Dre Greenlaw (re-signed) |
| Cardinals | HC Mike LaFleur, RB Jeremiyah Love (No. 3 overall pick) |
| Seahawks | Jaxon Smith-Njigba (extension), Jadarian Price (draft); lost Kenneth Walker III, Boye Mafe, Tariq Woolen in free agency |
Macdonald’s Response: A Shrug
Ask Macdonald about any of it, and the reaction barely registers. “Every team is going to grow every year, that’s just the way the NFL goes,” he said. “We don’t play them tomorrow, so I’m not really worried about them right now.”
He didn’t soften it much further. “No reaction,” Macdonald added. “I mean, look, those are great players, and they’re doing what they do. It probably feels like that’s what’s best for their teams, what they need to do, and that’s good. When it’s time to play those guys, we’ll be ready and put together a game plan and go rock and roll.”
That’s not just coach-speak. Seattle’s own roster took real hits this offseason. Running back Kenneth Walker III, edge rusher Boye Mafe and cornerback Tariq Woolen all left in free agency — significant losses on both sides of the ball. The Seahawks answered by locking up receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba on a long-term extension and drafting running back Jadarian Price in the first round, but the roster turnover, paired with the Rams’ and 49ers’ aggressive moves, has left the champs somewhat overlooked heading into camp.
Macdonald says that’s fine by him. “Yeah, I don’t care,” he said. “Don’t care. If you start worrying about what everybody else is doing, it’s just mentally taxing. It’s so much easier if you don’t.”
His closing line doubled as a mission statement for the season ahead: “Let’s just worry about the Seahawks and being the best version of ourselves and getting better every day.”
Why It Matters
Macdonald’s indifference isn’t bravado for the cameras — it’s consistent with how he’s talked about rivals for over a year, dating back to comments before last season’s opener. Repeating as champion is hard enough without fixating on other rosters in July, months before those matchups actually happen. Seattle doesn’t see the 49ers until Week 5 and doesn’t play the Rams until the final stretch of the regular season, so there’s little tactical value in reacting to offseason additions now. The bigger question for Seahawks camp is whether the losses of Walker, Mafe and Woolen get adequately replaced — not whether Los Angeles or San Francisco got scarier on paper.
