Mike Macdonald comments on Seahawks' preseason celebration penalties

Mike Macdonald wasn't a fan of some needless celebrations.

Aug 7, 2025; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald during the second half against the Las Vegas Raiders at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-Imagn Images | Steven Bisig-Imagn Images

The Seattle Seahawks played their first preseason game last night, hosting Pete Carroll and the Las Vegas Raiders. They played to a 23-23 tie, and it was all-around not a bad outing for their first time playing since January.

There were some things that needed to be cleaned up, though. They committed a few needless penalties, including some on celebrations that were entirely unforced. That's something Mike Macdonald had to address after.

Seahawks coach addresses bad penalties in preseason opener

Jan 5, 2025; Inglewood, California, USA; Los Angeles Rams head coach Mike Macdonald on the sidelines in the fourth quarter of the game against the Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

The NFL is cracking down on some celebrations this year, which is something they have done in the past. The league wants to stop taunting and other things they deem inappropriate, which the Seahawks struggled with last night.

The Seahawks were twice flagged when vets who weren't playing left the sideline to celebrate INTs. Said Mike Macdonald: "We really can’t afford to be doing that moving forward. But having the enthusiasm, having the guys being fired up for guys making plays, that was pretty cool."

— Brady Henderson (@BradyHenderson) August 8, 2025

Macdonald said after that he doesn't like the penalties, but he loves that his players were making plays worth celebrating. "We really can’t afford to be doing that moving forward. But having the enthusiasm, having the guys being fired up for guys making plays, that was pretty cool," he said.

This is going to be a significant change from year to year. Last year, some things were totally fine, but they won't be in 2025. That's why it's not as bad that these issues happened in preaeason, which is where the Seahawks can note and address it.

They don't need to commit penalties, but it's not as bad because it's a learning experience several weeks before the games actually matter.

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