Five Observations From Episode One of Seahawks Hard Knocks

The initial episode of the inaugural Hard Knocks appearance for the Seattle Seahawks has been released, and there are some insights we can glean from it.

Seattle Seahawks head coach Mike MacDonald embraces quarterback Sam Darnold (14) after defeating the Los Angeles Rams. | Kevin Ng-Imagn Images

The first of five peeks behind the curtain at the VMac aired earlier this evening, premiering on HBO and HBO Max. The hour-long look at the happenings during the initial days of Seahawks training camp contains both entertainment and insight. Let’s go over some of the major takeaways from the episode as we approach the 2026 season.

Not Content or Complacent

The early parts of the episode focus on what you might expect from a show covering the defending champions. Significant time is spent discussing how the team isn’t relaxing in the aftermath of winning it all. Macdonald sounded like he fully understood the difficulty of finding that next gear while also fully embracing the challenge. 

Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Cooper Kupp (10) leaves the field after defeating the Los Angeles Rams. | Steven Bisig-Imagn Images

One part of his initial address to the team contained an acknowledgement that he doesn’t really know what kind of defense they’re going to run in the year, even if he knows in general, because of how things evolve and change. Later, he brings up the 1990s Chicago Bulls, who threepeated twice, which I don’t think is a coincidence in light of what this team is trying to do.

Darnold Is On Top Of The World

Six months ago, Sam Darnold won a Super Bowl. During the offseason, he got married. And in the first practice, he was lighting up the defense to the point where they were getting frustrated and angry over it. That frustration persisted through much of the week the episode covered, with Sam’s offense getting the best of the defense on a majority of snaps.

Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold (14) and running back Kenneth Walker III (9) celebrate with the Vince Lombardi trophy after defeating the New England Patriots. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

We all know it’s been a tough road to this point in the NFL for Sam, but it’s safe to say he’s in a great place right now, and is ready to ascend even further. While it’s a high bar to clear, 2026 has a great chance to be the best season of his career.

Light Devon Witherspoon Drama

We did get a little bit of insight into the contract situation of CB Devon Witherspoon, who as of this writing has still not been extended. Apparently, Spoon didn’t appreciate Ian Rapoport’s report about how he was refusing to accept a contract offer that would have made him the highest paid cornerback in NFL history, which Schneider had been made aware of.

Seattle Seahawks cornerback Devon Witherspoon (21) celebrates with safety Julian Love (20) after an interception against the Atlanta Falcons. | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Witherspoon was put at ease with assurances that the report did not come from the team, and there’s not much reason to believe it’s going to cause problems. But there was a scene of Spoon driving home where he talked about how hard the job of a cornerback is, and how he believes that a player like him should be paid. I’m inclined to agree with him.

Mike Macdonald Might Care A Little Bit

One clip that was circulated ahead of time on X by Adam Schefter before airing as part of the episode involved Mike Macdonald talking with Nick Emmanwori in his office. Emmanwori, who is recovering from offseason surgery and was on a scooter, voiced discomfort with going out to practice and being seen by fans in such a handicapped state.

Seattle Seahawks safety Nick Emmanwori (3) reacts after a play against the Los Angeles Rams. | Kevin Ng-Imagn Images

Macdonald told him that his recovery was ultimately the only thing that mattered, but cautioned him against getting wrapped up in what people think about him. Ultimately, perception matters much less than the actual substance. Mike pointed to a notecard on his shelf with a quote from Rex Ryan, calling him terrible right after his second game as coordinator in 2022.

Mike Macdonald, famously, does not care. But given he keeps this quote around in his office as a reminder of outside criticism indicates that maybe he does care to an extent. And after an offseason full of disrespect and dismissal of the defending super bowl champions, maybe this team will prove to care just enough to fuel themselves for a run at a repeat.

A Hard-Nosed Running Game

Another early clip from the episode involved RB Coach Thomas Hammock speaking to the backs about the plan for the running game this season without Ken Walker, who was lost to free agency. Going back to the theme of using disrespect as fuel, Hammock mentions having sent out a ranking list that placed the Seahawks running backs as the worst group in the league.

Seattle Seahawks running back Jadarian Price (8) during training camp at Virginia Mason Athletic Center. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Hammock emphasized the importance of running with power, trying to go through defenders and how having that hard-nosed edge will make that poor ranking irrelevant when the season starts. Emphasizing physicality certainly makes sense for a running back room that lost the speedy Walker and is mostly constructed with slower, less elusive players.

That segment segued into one about top rookie Jadarian Price, with a lot of praise from assorted players at how he looks in the initial practices, although that contrasted with a short comment from the coaches about how they wanted to see more once the pads went on.

A Great Start

There were other fun happenings as well. The opening scene of the episode covered how much bigger and fancier the Super Bowl LX rings are than the XLVIII ones. Derick Hall was filmed in some noticeably short shorts. One scene has several players discuss Lebron James’s decision to sign with the Philadelphia 76ers, and Kupp discussed attending the Kelce-Swift wedding.

Seattle Seahawks linebacker Derick Hall (58) against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

We even got a close up and personal look at the camp fight that went down over the course of a couple of plays. But overall, the episode provided plenty of genuine insight into the mentality of this team as they head into the 2026 season, and where the show goes over the next month should be fascinating.

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