Seahawks' defense poised to continue rise in Mike Macdonald's second season

When the Seattle Seahawks hired Mike Macdonald as their new head coach last offseason, they showed the entire NFL world that they were committed to fixing their defense.

Macdonald, the NFL's second-youngest head coach at 37 years old, previously turned the Baltimore Ravens' defense into the league's best in 2023. The Seahawks' defense, on the other hand, had struggled throughout the final years of the Pete Carroll era, and it was clear that change was needed.

It took a while to see the fruits of Macdonald's labor, but after the bye week, the Seahawks' defense was one of the NFL's best as he had more of a chance to build the unit in his image. However, a true breakout is still yet to come.

Seattle Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald./ — Dec 22, 2024; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald walks to the locker room following a loss against the Minnesota Vikings at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images | Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images

Ted Nguyen of The Athletic named the Seahawks' defense as one of five poised to break out in 2025.

"Learning Macdonald’s defense requires a longer onboarding period than with most," Nguyen wrote. "That was proven in Baltimore when Macdonald’s unit started to take shape in the second half of his first season as their defensive coordinator before becoming the best defense in the league the following year.

"Can his Seattle defense follow the same timeline? There are many moving parts in Macdonald’s system and defenders have to learn everyone’s job so they can move around the chessboard and cause confusion for opponents, particularly in passing situations. From weeks 9 to 18 last season, the Seahawks ranked first in defensive EPA on second- and third-and-long (7-plus yards to gain) situations. This season, they’ll return all of their key starters except edge rusher Dre’Mont Jones, who was cut in a cap-saving move and replaced with Demarcus Lawrence. Having a young group of defenders with a year of experience in this system is the biggest reason for optimism for a true breakout."

The Seahawks' continuity on defense is truly impressive, and perhaps the biggest reason for optimism this season. If the unit continues on the same path it showed last season, then this one could be a special one in the Emerald City.

"Technically, this defense broke out last season, but they have a chance to enter truly elite territory this season."

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