Culture Changer: Why Mike Macdonald Should be the 2025 NFL Coach of the Year

After years of being mediocre, being stuck in that 9-8 or 10-7 range of teams and never really viewed as a true Super Bowl contender, the Seattle Seahawks have officially arrived.

They finished the regular season tied for the best record in football at 14–3, earned the number one seed in the NFC, and set a new franchise record for most wins in a single regular season. That alone is impressive, but when you look at where this team was not that long ago, it becomes even more remarkable.

A lot of the credit, and rightfully so, will go to the players. On offense, Jaxon Smith-Njigba has emerged as a star, and Sam Darnold has exceeded nearly every expectation. On defense, Leonard Williams and Byron Murphy continue to get pressure on opposing quarterbacks. DeMarcus Lawrence has been one of the best signings of the offseason, Devon Witherspoon continues to shine, Tariq Woollen has bounced back in a major way, and Nick Emmanwori has come into his own. Possibly even the frontrunner for defensive rookie of the year.

But none of this happens without the man on the sideline. If this season showed anything, I believe that Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald should be this year's NFL Coach of the Year.

When you look at the other Coach of the Year candidates, names like Ben Johnson and Mike Vrabel come up. For Vrabel, there were plenty of people who believed in the Patriots heading into the season, myself included. I thought they would be a playoff team. I didn’t think they would be this good, but there was far more belief in Drake Maye entering the year than there ever was in Sam Darnold despite a Pro Bowl season in Minnesota during the 2024 season.

In Chicago, Ben Johnson has a strong case. The Bears won the division, and that matters. But you’re also talking about a roster led by Caleb Williams, the number one overall pick in 2024, with immense upside and potential. Chicago also had plenty of skill-position talent already in place.

The strongest part of Johnson’s argument, in my opinion, isn’t just what the Bears became, but also what happened to the Lions after he left. Still, when you compare that situation to what Mike Macdonald walked into and what he has built, the difference is clear.

Going into the season, the Seahawks were not viewed by many as a team in rebuild mode. They traded away key veterans like Geno Smith and D.K. Metcalf, and many "experts" viewed them as a team without a true superstar anywhere on the roster. They were also playing in what many considered the toughest division in football. Expectations were for them to finish last in the NFC West, and the betting odds showed them as +550 to finish the year as the best in the West.

Sure, at season's end, the team looks stacked now with a player like Smith-Njigba turning into a superstar this season, winning the receiving yards title, Darnold showing 2024 was not a fluke, a defensive line that is perhaps the best in football, a secondary that helped the team finish as the #1 scoring defense, and a rookie class featuring players like Grey Zabel, Emmanowori, and Tory Horton who came in right away to make an instant impact. The roster is great now, and a lot of that has to do with the way Macdonald and his staff developed this scheme and players, which only strengthens the argument for the Seahawks' second-year coach.

In the toughest division in football (where they were projected to finish last), Seattle went 14–3, secured the top seed in the NFC, and entered the postseason as the current Super Bowl favourites.

What’s even more incredible is how close this team is to perfection. The Seahawks only lost three games all season, and those losses came by a combined total of 9 points. There is a very real scenario where this team could be 17–0 right now.

Also, what Macdonald has done goes beyond wins and losses. Culture-wise, the Seahawks are no joke. Toward the end of the Pete Carroll era, Seattle stopped playing physical football like they once did and were no longer dominant at home. Lumen Field no longer felt like the intimidating environment it once was.

Last season, Macdonald didn’t have a great home record, but he has completely flipped that script. Seattle is once again a brutal place to play, and when you watch the games, the Seahawks just simply look like one of the fastest and most violent teams to play against on a weekly basis. This team is rolling, and they are never out of a game because of their defense.

That defensive identity, that toughness, and that belief all start with the head coach.

When you factor in expectations, roster perception, divisional difficulty, culture change, and results, the conclusion is simple. Mike Macdonald has transformed the Seattle Seahawks into the best team in the NFC and one of the most complete teams in football.

Your 2025 NFL Coach of the Year should be Mike Macdonald.