Seattle Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald moved quickly Wednesday to clean up the fallout from a leaked video that captured him making candid remarks about Denver Broncos coach Sean Payton during a taped appearance on “In Depth with Graham Bensinger.”
Macdonald said he reached out to Payton to apologize after the clip circulated on social media Tuesday, saying the comments “didn’t intend for public use.” He also made clear that he viewed the situation as a reminder about accountability, even when a conversation feels off the record.
“It’s something that I didn’t intend for public use. (I) felt like it was the most appropriate thing to reach out to Sean and really just apologize to him for having that end up be public where it wasn’t meant to. … (It’s) something that they have to deal with in real time that wasn’t really on their end, so that’s really where you’re like, ‘Crap.’”
The video showed Macdonald sitting in a static shot with lighting equipment visible while speaking with Bensinger. In the clip, Macdonald said Payton is “not my biggest fan” and referenced a story from his first season, when Payton accused the Seahawks of cheating by using videos from Broncos training camp that fans had posted publicly on social media for scouting purposes.
Macdonald’s Seahawks beat the Broncos 26-20 in his first game as head coach in 2024, and the teams are scheduled to meet again on Thursday Night Football on Oct. 15 in Denver.
Macdonald said the episode was a wake-up call.
“It’s a lesson learned, honestly. I’ve got to be better in that moment for understanding, like, look, I’m responsible for what I say, really, no matter the circumstance, whether you’re mic’d up, whether you’re not, whether you have some certain type of understanding. So, you know, I fell short in that moment.”
He added that the situation has been uncomfortable, but one he intends to take something from.
“It stings for me, frankly, but it’s something that I’m definitely going to learn from and just a good example that we’ve got to take responsibility for the things that we say.”
Macdonald also spoke warmly about Payton, calling him “a phenomenal football coach” and saying he has enjoyed getting to know him at the owners meetings over the last couple of years.
“Sean was great. I respect the heck out of him and his program.
Always have. He’s a phenomenal football coach.
It’s been great to get to know him at the owners meetings the last couple of years, and he was awesome. So I know we’re both looking forward to moving forward from it, but I really appreciate how he handled it.”
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