Before the Seattle Seahawks ever kicked off against the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl, Mike Macdonald made a call that he still isn’t naming.
The Seahawks head coach said he reached out to one person for advice before the game, and that the conversation helped a lot. He wouldn’t identify the source because of what he described as a possible conflict of interest.
“Probably can’t mention one guy that really helped us out that had some conflict of interest,” he told Dan Patrick on his show.
Macdonald also made clear it was not Bill Belichick.
The detail adds another layer to Macdonald’s rise in Seattle, where he has already built a strong reputation for his defensive work. His schemes have drawn praise around the league, and the Super Bowl appearance stood out as a major milestone in his early run with the Seahawks.
He did acknowledge speaking with John Harbaugh, but said the key advisor remained confidential. For Macdonald, the point seemed to be the process: gather information, prepare thoroughly, and leave no angle untouched before facing a familiar opponent like the Patriots.
That fits the way he has approached the job in Seattle. Macdonald has earned respect for his strategic mindset, and his willingness to seek outside input only reinforces the collaborative style that has defined him so far. The Seahawks’ defense has improved under his leadership, and the organization now looks to keep building on that momentum.
The unnamed conversation may stay a mystery, but it’s another glimpse into the behind-the-scenes work that went into Seattle’s Super Bowl preparation.
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