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Macdonald Took the Coaching Staff to Train With Green Berets. He Came Back Talking Like a Man Who Isn’t Done Yet.
Mike Macdonald brought his entire coaching staff to Joint Base Lewis-McChord on May 15 for a leadership exchange with the 1st Special Forces Group (Airborne). Not a photo op. Not a morale visit. A full-day engagement with Green Berets focused on sustaining elite teams through culture, recovery, and execution under pressure.
The U.S. Army published its after-action report this week, and the Macdonald quotes are the opposite of a victory lap. “We’re not chasing the results,” he told the group. “The consistency of the shared vision of what they’re trying to achieve was just a great reminder of what works. Let’s not lose sight of the daily things that we need to be doing to make our team great.”
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We’re not chasing the results. Let’s not lose sight of the daily things that we need to be doing to make our team great.
He also said something that should make every 12 sit up a little straighter: “There’s nothing on the line that’s more important than what the Green Berets do, so it was awesome to learn from them.” The man won a Super Bowl four months ago, walked into a room full of special operators, and asked them what he could do better. That’s either the most confident or the most paranoid coach in football. Probably both.
The Seahawks have partnered with JBLM’s military community for 13 consecutive years. This visit included discussions on navigating failure in practice settings, maintaining cohesion under stress, and building trust through accountability. For a team that just lost Walker, Mafe, Bryant, and Woolen, those aren’t abstract concepts. OTAs start in five days. The foundation is being poured right now.
13
Consecutive years the Seahawks have partnered with a military branch for leadership development.
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Training Camp
Cowboys at VMAC? Brock Huard Says the Joint Practice Push Is Real.
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If it happens, it would be the first time the Seahawks have hosted a joint practice in their own state since 1988 at the Tacoma Dome. The last scrimmage they hosted at all was 1991 against the Falcons, and that was in Portland. The Seahawks held joint sessions with the Titans in Nashville in 2024 and the Packers in Green Bay last year. Huard reminded listeners that last summer’s joint practice was where Darnold and JSN first showed what they could become.
Hard Knocks cameras will be rolling. Cowboys at the VMAC in August, with HBO filming, would be the most visible Seahawks practice in franchise history. Nothing is confirmed. But the conversations are happening.
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AROUND THE COOP
Around the Coop
Albert Breer predicts the Witherspoon extension gets done before training camp. But Witherspoon and Christian Gonzalez share an agent, which sets up what Breer called a game of “contract chicken.” Nobody blinks in May. Somebody blinks in July. Pro Football Rumors Pro Football Rumors
Larry Fitzgerald gave Jeremiyah Love his stamp of approval on Tyrann Mathieu’s podcast, citing Love’s relationship with Fitzgerald’s son at Notre Dame. Price and Love face each other twice this season. One went third overall. One went 32nd. The receipts come in September. Burn City Sports Burn City Sports
Nacua holdout chatter is officially in the ether. Multiple outlets are speculating the Rams’ star receiver could hold out for a deal north of $200 million. The Stafford extension still isn’t done. Nacua’s deal still can’t start. The Rams’ offseason is a traffic jam with no exit ramp. Last Word on Sports Last Word on Sports
The Seahawks’ six primetime games are a franchise record. They’ll play on every day of the week except Tuesday this season. The schedule gods have noticed the trophy. Seahawks.com Seahawks.com
NFC WEST SCHADENFREUDE REPORT
RAMS
The Nacua holdout industrial complex is fully operational. Turf Show Times floated this week that Nacua could refuse to show up for a $200 million contract, noting that “the difference between showing up and holding out could be worth $200 million.” Meanwhile, Stafford’s extension, the one that has to happen before Nacua’s can even begin, still isn’t signed. Rambling Fan projects Nacua’s deal at $43 million AAV or more. The Rams drafted a quarterback in the first round that McVay and Snead had never spoken to before draft night. Everything is fine.
NINERS
The Trent Williams saga is over: two years, $50 million, $37 million fully guaranteed, and a cap hit that dropped from $46 million to $20 million overnight. The 49ers now have a league-high $67 million in cap space. They used it to sign Vederian Lowe. Their big offseason receiver acquisition remains Christian Kirk. They open in Melbourne against the Rams, then fly to Mexico City for Week 11. The roster is fine. The passport is stamped. The Super Bowl window is fogged.
CARDINALS
Arizona spent the third overall pick and $54 million on Jeremiyah Love and then put him on kickoff return duty on Day 1 of OTAs. LaFleur’s explanation to local radio: “Jeremiyah is a running back. We know that. But you never know.” Brissett is absent. Minshew is running with the ones. Carson Beck is “running his own race,” which is a polite way of saying he’s running in a different race than the starter. Zero primetime games. The franchise record for wins last season was three.
SEACHICKENS TRIVIA
Chris Warren was drafted out of Division III Ferrum College in the fourth round of the 1990 NFL Draft and became a three-time Pro Bowler. How many career rushing yards did Warren accumulate during his eight seasons as a Seahawk?
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6,706 rushing yards. Warren held the Seahawks’ all-time rushing record until Shaun Alexander broke it during his 2005 MVP season. Not bad for a kid from a school most NFL scouts couldn’t find on a map.
Got a Question for The Rooster?
OTAs start Monday. Training camp is ten weeks out. Hard Knocks cameras are already being unpacked. If you have a question about the Seahawks’ offseason, the Witherspoon extension, the edge rusher room, or anything else that’s keeping you up at night, send it in. The Rooster reads every submission, answers the good ones, and silently judges the rest.
Five days until OTAs. The coaches just trained with Green Berets. The roster isn't finished. The standard is. Go Hawks. — The Rooster