Mike Macdonald enters the 2025 NFL season as the head coach of the Seattle Seahawks, tasked with steering a team featuring new quarterback Sam Darnold. After taking over for Pete Carroll in 2024, Macdonald guided the Seahawks to a 10-7 record, narrowly missing the playoffs despite matching the Los Angeles Rams‘ divisional title-winning mark. This season marks a crucial phase for Macdonald as he looks to establish his leadership with more of his own roster choices and a revamped offense centered around Darnold.
Sports analyst Seth Trachtman recently ranked Macdonald as the 21st head coach in the league, acknowledging the difficulty of succeeding a legend like Carroll. Trachtman noted,
“It’s never easy to replace a legend, as Macdonald did when he replaced Pete Carroll in Seattle last season. The team was a satisfactory 10-7, but the real test will come this year with more of his own players and new quarterback Sam Darnold. The NFC West looks difficult again as Macdonald tries to prove himself after showing himself to be an elite defensive coordinator in Baltimore.”
—Seth Trachtman, Analyst
Challenges and Expectations for Seahawks’ 2025 Campaign
The 2024 season’s outcome was unusual since the Seahawks were the only NFL team to win ten games but fail to reach the playoffs, edged out by the Rams due to a tiebreaker based on strength of victory. Entering 2025, the team’s offense has undergone major changes, highlighted by acquiring Sam Darnold, who comes off a career season with the Minnesota Vikings that earned him his first Pro Bowl nod.
Despite his impressive stats with Minnesota, Darnold’s 2024 postseason showed struggles, including a disappointing loss against Detroit and difficulty escaping the Los Angeles Rams‘ pass rush during the wild-card game. His arrival in Seattle is part of general manager John Schneider’s extensive offseason overhaul, which also brought in veteran wide receivers Cooper Kupp and Marquez Valdes-Scantling. Additionally, the Seahawks invested nine of their eleven 2025 draft picks into offensive talent, signaling a renewed focus on elevating the team’s scoring and passing attack under coordinator Klint Kubiak.
Experienced Leadership and New Additions Shape Seahawks’ Outlook
Macdonald’s background as a highly regarded defensive coordinator with the Baltimore Ravens adds credibility to his coaching, but his growth as a head coach will be tested with the responsibility of managing the team’s offense and integration of new players. The Seahawks also plan to utilize rookie quarterback Jalen Milroe in a specialized role, diversifying their quarterback options and adding depth to the roster.
Seattle’s offseason moves point to cautious optimism among fans and analysts as the team seeks consistency in a competitive NFC West division, which remains one of the toughest in the league. The combination of Macdonald’s defensive expertise and offensive upgrades could be the key to ending the team’s playoff drought and challenging division leaders once again.
As the 2025 season unfolds, Mike Macdonald’s leadership of the Seahawks will be closely watched to see if he can solidify his status as a head coach and effectively manage a revamped team built around Sam Darnold. The decisions made this year will have lasting implications for the franchise’s direction in the coming years.