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Mike Macdonald blows off Seahawks having worst odds to win NFC West: 'That's like fairy dust'

Seattle's second-year head coach is unbothered by his team getting the worst odds to win the division this year.
Aug 7, 2025; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald during the second half against the Las Vegas Raiders at Lumen Field.
Aug 7, 2025; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald during the second half against the Las Vegas Raiders at Lumen Field. | Steven Bisig-Imagn Images

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There were flaws with his scheme and his roster-building, but ultimately what led to Pete Carroll's dismissal from the Seattle Seahawks was getting consistently beat by Kyle Shanahan's 49ers and Sean McVay's Rams. To be fair, they are two of the best playcallers and coaches in the NFL today, but that's exactly why the Seahawks had to upgrade their coaching game.

So far Mike Macdonald has lived up to the hype, delivering a franchise-first 10-win season in his first year as head coach. It only took half a season for him to get Seattle's defense back to a top-five level, and now it looks like the Seahawks' offense is going to be a physical, run-heavy juggernaut.

Nevertheless, the oddsmakers don't seem to think much of what the've done this year. Heading into the 2025 season they have the worst odds to win the NFC West. Here's what Macdonald had to say about that on Richard Sherman's podcast.

Mike Macdonald on Seahawks' bad odds

This is the right answer from a coach who consistently seems to have all the right answers.

We won't have to wait long to find out if the Seahawks have truly graduated back into an NFC contender, or if all of this preseason hype is only a mirage. The San Francisco 49ers are scheduled to visit Lumen Field in Week 1, and the oddsmakers have them favored by 1.5 points.

There's good reason to believe Seattle can defy the odds - both for that game and the division - and not just because they're run blocking out of their minds.

The 49ers are riddled by injuries right now and Matt Stafford's back has kept him out of practice for the Rams through all of training camp and the preseason so far. Assuming the Cardinals' inexplicable offseason hype is just that, you can make a case that the Seahawks should be the team who are the favorites to win the NFC West this year.

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Tim Weaver
TIM WEAVER

Tim Weaver has been writing about the NFL since the 2013 season for multiple teams and outlets, including USA Today and The Sporting News. He currently covers the Seattle Seahawks and Carolina Panthers for On SI.