The Seattle Seahawks are bringing in a familiar face to bolster one of the most quietly effective units from their Super Bowl run - the linebackers. In 2026, Zach Orr will join head coach Mike Macdonald’s staff as the team’s inside linebackers coach, reuniting with the man he once worked closely with in Baltimore.
Orr’s name had been buzzing around several defensive coordinator vacancies this offseason, but instead of stepping into a top DC role, he’s heading to Seattle to bring his expertise to a group that played a pivotal, if somewhat underappreciated, role in the Seahawks’ championship defense. According to reports, Orr is set to sign on with Seattle after being a serious candidate for the Giants’ defensive coordinator job - a position that ultimately went to Dennard Wilson.
This move is more than just a coaching hire - it’s a reunion rooted in shared defensive philosophy and chemistry. Orr and Macdonald spent two seasons working together in Baltimore, with Orr coaching the Ravens' linebackers under Macdonald’s direction as defensive coordinator in 2022 and 2023. That partnership paid dividends in Baltimore, and now they’ll look to replicate that success in Seattle.
Orr’s coaching journey has been deeply intertwined with the Ravens. After his playing career was cut short due to injury, he quickly transitioned into coaching, starting as a defensive analyst in Baltimore in 2017.
Aside from a one-year stint with the Jaguars as their outside linebackers coach in 2021, Orr has spent nearly his entire coaching career on John Harbaugh’s staff. He climbed the ladder there, eventually earning the defensive coordinator title in 2024.
Now, he brings that experience to a Seattle team that’s already shown it can win at the highest level. The Seahawks’ linebacker group was a key component of their defensive identity last season - fast, physical, and disciplined.
With Orr’s arrival, they’re getting a coach who not only understands the nuances of the position but also shares a defensive vision with Macdonald. That alignment matters, especially when you're trying to sustain success in a league that constantly evolves.
Macdonald himself knows the linebacker position inside and out. His coaching roots trace all the way back to Cedar Shoals High School, where he began as a linebackers coach. He later held that same role with the Ravens from 2018 to 2020 before stepping into the defensive coordinator spotlight - first at Michigan, then back in Baltimore.
For Orr, this marks just the third NFL team he’s worked for in his decade-long coaching career. But don’t let the short list fool you - it’s been a steady climb built on trust, relationships, and results. And now, in Seattle, he steps into a role where he can shape a talented linebacker room and help keep the Seahawks’ defense among the league’s elite.
With Macdonald and Orr back on the same sideline, the Seahawks are doubling down on a defensive foundation that’s already proven it can carry them deep into February.