Mike Macdonald says Sean Payton once came after the Seahawks over something that started with fans filming practice.
In an interview with Graham Bensinger, the Seahawks coach said the Broncos head coach got furious after Seattle used training camp clips that fans had posted publicly on Twitter, now X, ahead of their first meeting. Macdonald said the videos were already out there for anyone to see, and Seattle simply used them as scouting material.
“He's not my biggest fan,” Macdonald said of Payton. “So we play them (Broncos) in our first game.
So fans will tape, or post plays from training camp on Twitter, so it's public knowledge. So we took like 100 plays from their training camp; we were scouting them...
He got wind of it, and he lost it,” Macdonald said.
Macdonald said Payton then went further, threatening to make the situation public in a way that would mirror the Patriots’ Spygate scandal.
“So he called John (Schneider) and threatened to come out publicly and do a whole Patriot, like Spygate type of thing...”
Macdonald added that Seattle pushed back hard.
“So we had to counter with him, to say like, 'Hey, look, if you come out at us, we're going to sue you, because it's not true.' So he backed down, but he was killing John, our GM...” Macdonald said.
The story surfaced in the middle of a season where the Seahawks won the Super Bowl, beating the New England Patriots in a blowout. It also comes with the Broncos in a position they might not have expected to reach if Bo Nix had not suffered a season-ending injury, which would have changed the path to a possible playoff run for Payton’s team.
Macdonald’s point was simple: there was no hidden cheating here, just publicly available practice video that was already online. He said plenty of teams use that kind of fan-posted footage to get a read on opponents, and the Broncos are hardly the first team to have camp clips studied before the season.
Still, it’s the kind of story that sticks. And it should make for a lively buildup when the Broncos host the Seahawks in Week 6 on Thursday Night Football, with plenty of film on Bo Nix and Denver already available by then.
In Other News...
Eagles Suddenly Face A Week 3 Roster Jolt Fans Didn't Expect
The Eagles are coming off their Week 2 win over the Titans and moving into a Week 3 matchup with the Bears, but the roster has already taken on a different look. Philadelphia signed safety Kenny Moore to help the secondary and put tight end Dallas Goedert on injured reserve after an MCL sprain, a notable shuffle for a team trying to keep its early-season footing while juggling depth on both sides of the ball.
Zach Ertzs return adds another layer to the week, with the veteran back on the practice squad and expected to be active against Chicago. The timing matters, too, because the Bears may be forced to turn to Case Keenum at quarterback with injuries hitting their top two options, leaving the Eagles to sort through a reshaped game plan while also waiting to see how quickly their own roster settles in. [Read more 🡒]
Eagles Fans Are Furious Over A Tailgating Crackdown At The Linc
The parking lot scene around Lincoln Financial Field is getting a major reset just in time for the Eagles next home game against the Rams. The Sports Complex Parking Venture announced new guidelines that will take effect starting next Sunday, changing a pregame routine that has long been part of the experience for fans who treat tailgating as half the day.
Under the new rules, fans will no longer be able to pick out and hold parking spots in advance, and tailgating will have to stay within assigned spaces. Oversized vehicles will also come with added fees, a move that has already sparked criticism from some Eagles fans on social media, who see the crackdown as a hit to one of the most familiar parts of game day at the Linc. [Read more 🡒]
Eagles Just Lost Their Biggest Excuse In The NFC East
Week 2 of the 2026 season did the Eagles a favor in the NFC East race, even if nothing about Philadelphias own path got easier. Injuries to several young quarterbacks around the league, including Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels and Jaxson Dart, have already begun to reshape the division conversation, because the Eagles may now be staring at backup passers in games that could matter later in the year.
For a team that has built its standard around winning the East, the margin for error just got a little wider and a little more uncomfortable at the same time. If Philadelphia still cannot separate itself from the pack, the fallout could go beyond the standings and into bigger questions about the coaching staff, which makes the division no longer just a backdrop but a test the Eagles are expected to pass. [Read more 🡒]