The NFC West produced no shortage of headlines, but the biggest flare-up came out of Seattle, where Mike Macdonald opened up about a 2024 dust-up that briefly had everyone thinking a full-blown spying scandal might be brewing.
In a podcast interview with Graham Bensinger, the Seahawks head coach said Broncos HC Sean Payton believed Seattle had crossed a line after the Seahawks gathered a large amount of Denver tape from clips fans had posted on social media. Payton also suspected Seattle, because of some staff connections to Michigan and Macdonald, had sent people to Denver’s training camp to record footage.
“He basically threatened to come out publicly and do a whole Patriot Spygate type of thing,” Macdonald said, via Pro Football Talk. “I’m sitting there like, ‘Oh my god.
We didn’t cheat.’ They thought it was a Michigan thing where we had a plant and the whole thing.
So we had to counter with him and say, ‘If you come out with this, we’re going to sue you because it’s not true.’”
Macdonald described the standoff as tense and awkward, but ultimately unresolved before it ever became public.
“It was like the Cold War,” Macdonald added. “He’s like, ‘I’m going to hit the button.
I’m going to hit the button.’ ‘Well, we’re going to hit the button.’
None of us hit the button.”
After the interview started making the rounds, Macdonald said he had believed the conversation was off the record and not meant for publication. He later apologized for the fallout.
“It’s something that I didn’t intend for public use,” Macdonald said via SB Nation. “Thought it was the most appropriate thing to reach out to Sean and apologize to him for having that end up be public, where it wasn’t meant to.
Something that they have to deal with in real-time that wasn’t on their end, that’s where you’re like, ‘Crap.’ It’s a lesson learned.
I have to be better in that moment for understanding like, ‘I’m responsible for what I say, no matter the circumstance.’ Whether you’re mic’d up, whether you’re not.
Whether you have a certain type of understanding. I fell short in that moment, so it stings for me, but it’s something that I’m going to learn from.
It’s a good example that we have to take responsibility for the things we say.”
There’s still a Week 6 meeting on the schedule, but Payton downplayed the idea that the Broncos would carry anything extra into that game. He said the situation is behind them now.
“[Mike] and I are good,” Payton said. “Lord knows, I’ve been in his position where you’re talking about something … and the story is three years ago.
Now, I don’t know Mike at that time really, but I know [GM John Schneider ] really well. And, so, I’m sure my initial call to John wasn’t pleasant, but I would say this, in talking with him, it allowed us to figure out how to handle our training camp relative to just videos.
”And I don’t think anything was intentional by fans, you know what I mean? But at first, you’re kind of thinking, ‘Man, how could … ?’
And then we did some research online of what was available, and that’s kind of how we changed our policy. So obviously, I called shooting before I started looking.
And I could only do that with John because, again, he’s someone I’ll have a beer with at the combine. I consider him a good friend.”
Elsewhere in the division, the Cardinals are still trying to get Marvin Harrison Jr. rolling. He has just four targets through the first two weeks despite playing on 77 percent of the team’s snaps, and Mike LaFleur pushed back hard on the idea that the young receiver isn’t competing.
“I don’t see it that way. I think his running style is different than some other people’s - I would say that,” LaFleur said, via Pro Football Talk.
“If that’s people’s narrative on him, that’s fine, but I know his teammates don’t feel that way. It’s a long season - we’re two games in.
There were some opportunities yesterday that I thought that either the defense dictated that it couldn’t go there or just self-inflicted wounds - it was kind of 50-50.”
Jacoby Brissett echoed that message, saying Harrison still has the team’s backing.
“ Nobody’s lost confidence in Marv. ”
LaFleur also acknowledged the outside noise around Harrison without buying into it.
“ I’m not going to sit here and act like I don’t know the narrative going on. This is the league.
Naturally stuff comes across my desk. “But in between those walls, Marv is Marv.
He’s attacking it every day, just like his teammates.”
In Los Angeles, Sean McVay said the Rams are being careful with Puka Nacua after the receiver missed Wednesday’s jog-through. McVay said he doesn’t think the issue is a long-term one, but he also wasn’t ready to say Nacua will be on the field in Week 3.
McVay was also clear on one thing: Nacua does not have a hernia. The team, though, is taking the cautious route.
“Usually time is the best thing that allows that thing to heal. And then once you get to a certain point, then I think you feel pretty good moving forward.”
And in San Francisco, Kyle Shanahan said defensive tackle CJ West has gone on injured reserve with a bone chip in his knee. West will need surgery, though Shanahan said it is not a season-ending injury.
In Other News...
Rams Suddenly Have A Broncos Decision Fans Will Want To Watch
Ronnie Rivers calf injury has created an immediate special teams opening for the Rams heading into their game against the Broncos, and Sean McVay said the club will turn to either Dean Connors or Jordan Waters to handle the spot. Rivers is expected to land on injured reserve with a recovery timeline of four to six weeks, so this is more than a one-game shuffle, even if the first decision arrives before the Denver matchup.
The choice comes down to special teams value, and both Connors and Waters are chasing their first NFL appearances. For a Rams roster trying to keep the bottom of the depth chart steady while one of its core special teams pieces recovers, the next call at that spot could offer an early look at how the team wants to manage the position over the coming weeks. [Read more 🡒]
Rams May Lose The Offensive Fix Sean McVay Just Found
The Rams found a useful wrinkle in their Week 2 win over the Giants, leaning more heavily on 13 personnel after Puka Nacua was out of the lineup. It gave Sean McVay another way to steady the offense and keep the structure of the passing game intact, with the tight end room helping bridge the gap as the receivers shuffled around the game plan.
Now the follow-up is whether that solution holds up for Week 3 against the Broncos. Colby Parkinson has missed practice this week because of a knee injury, leaving his status uncertain, while Terrance Ferguson was a full participant Thursday and is expected to play. If Parkinson cannot go, the Rams could be forced to keep adjusting on the fly just as they try to preserve the rhythm they found last Sunday. [Read more 🡒]
Rams Still Have One Big Malik Nabers Concern Before Sunday
Malik Nabers was back on the practice field Thursday after the right shoulder dislocation he suffered in a recent game, and the early signs were reassuring. X-rays showed no serious damage, which at least quieted one of the bigger injury worries on the Giants side as they move through the week preparing for their matchup with the Rams.
New Yorks quarterback situation took an even sharper turn when Jaxson Dart was placed on injured reserve because of a left knee injury, leaving Jameis Winston set to start this weekend. The Giants also had several other familiar names on the injury report, including Andrew Thomas and Brian Burns, who did not practice, so Los Angeles still has plenty to monitor even with Nabers trending in the right direction. [Read more 🡒]