Seahawks' Penalty Total 'Unacceptable' in Win vs. Chargers

Despite a win, the Seahawks were heavily penalized on defense in Week 4.

Oct 4, 2026; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Seahawks linebacker Drake Thomas (32) celebrates after an interception against the Los Angeles Chargers during the first half at Lumen Field. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Even in a win, Seattle Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald was visibly dissatisfied after a 30-23 victory over the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday.

The Seahawks allowed the Chargers to score 10 fourth-quarter points, had 14 total penalties and gave LA a shot to tie the game down the stretch after leading by 21 points in the third quarter.

Between both teams, 30 total penalties were called in the matchup between the Seahawks and Chargers. That's the most in one game this season in any game through Week 4 and made it an ugly matchup to watch. Seattle had multiple opportunities to seal the game, but couldn't.

“Well, we were [going to be] off the field multiple times, and we got penalties. So, it’s cut and dry,” Macdonald told reporters postgame. “That’s not how we’re going to do business. That’s not how we need to play. That’s unacceptable.”

Macdonald re-emphasized that the players' performance in terms of miscues on penalties was not to the team's standard.

Oct 4, 2026; Seattle, Washington, USA; Los Angeles Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh talks to a referee while holding his challenge flag against the Seattle Seahawks during the second half at Lumen Field. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

“To have seven personal foul penalties is unacceptable on any level, however you slice it,” Macdonald added. “That’s not us, and that’s not going to be how we play football around here.”

The Seahawks had multiple roughing the passer penalties, late hits and facemask penalties. All of those culminated in extending key Chargers drives that kept them in the game and led to the game being as close as it was.

Had even one or two of those calls not happened, the final scoreboard could have looked much different.

“I would say the penalties is what made it close … We make a penalty and they get a free first down, or they get closer [on] third down,” Seahawks outside linebacker Uchenna Nwosu said. “So, it’s just on us — the little mistakes that made it closer than it needed to be.”

Nwosu added that the Seahawks' defense didn't agree with many of the calls being made, but they were happy to at least get the win.

“What was being called out there, we thought it was a couple things that didn’t go our way,” Nwosu said. “We didn’t agree with the calls and we let our emotions get the best of us. But, like Mike [Macdonald] said in the breakdown, we’re going to learn from it; we’re going to attack it, and at the end of the day, we got the win. That’s most important.”

The Seahawks will have to be better when they face the San Francisco 49ers in Week 5. Similar mistakes or anything nearly as sloppy could cost them a critical game in the NFC West race.

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