Seahawks Shift Gears to Game Mode as Super Bowl 60 Practice Ramps Up
SAN JOSE, Calif. - The party’s been fun, but now it’s time for football.
After a whirlwind start to Super Bowl week filled with flashing cameras, international media scrums, and more interviews than most players are used to in a month, the Seattle Seahawks are finally settling into what they do best: preparing to play.
Head coach Mike Macdonald has embraced the pageantry of the week - and he’s encouraged his players to do the same. “Lean into it,” Pro Bowl quarterback Sam Darnold said, echoing his coach’s message. But now, with the media frenzy of Opening Night behind them, the NFC champs are back in their element: on the practice field, game-planning for the biggest showdown of the season.
Media Circus, Then Business
The NFL’s Super Bowl media obligations are no joke. Instead of the usual five-minute locker room chats during the regular season, players have been sitting under the lights at the San Jose Convention Center, fielding questions from reporters across the globe - from Germany to Australia and everywhere in between. Monday night’s Opening Night saw players on the podium for a full hour, followed by another 30-plus minutes of availability on Tuesday.
Veteran defensive lineman Leonard Williams, playing in his first Super Bowl after 11 seasons in the league, was equal parts amused and exhausted.
“That was a LONG time!” Williams said with a laugh after his marathon media session. “I’m not used to talking for that long!”
But with that behind them, the Seahawks are now back on a familiar schedule. Monday featured a light workout.
Tuesday was a rest day - just like a typical week between Sunday games. Wednesday through Friday will follow the regular-season rhythm, with daily practices and corresponding injury reports.
The official game status report will come Friday.
Seattle is holding practices at San Jose State University, with access limited to one league-assigned pool reporter and photographer. The rest of the week is about execution, not exposure.
Macdonald’s Moment
This is where Mike Macdonald thrives. The 38-year-old head coach has built his reputation on preparation, discipline, and defensive wizardry. Now, he’s focused on getting his team ready to take on the New England Patriots with a chance to bring home just the second Super Bowl title in franchise history.
“You try to be steadfast in your process,” Macdonald said Tuesday. “At some point, things are going to change.
Things are going to be different. What doesn’t change is our principles and the things that we’re about, on a moment-by-moment basis.”
His message to the team? Stay loose, stay focused.
“We’re going to enjoy these moments. We’re going to love being with our friends and family and enjoying our teammates,” he said.
“But we’re all going to be focused. We have an accountability to our process and the things that we need to do to go play our best.”
That balance - soaking in the moment while staying locked in - is something this team has embraced, especially on the defensive side of the ball. The Seahawks led the league in fewest points allowed this season, and Pro Bowl cornerback Devon Witherspoon says that’s no accident.
“We’ll have a great plan laid out,” Witherspoon said. “Then we will go out there and practice it over and over and over again, until you understand what you are going to do.”
No ICE Presence at Super Bowl
While the NFL’s main events and fan festivities are taking place up the road in San Francisco, the league’s security team made headlines Tuesday. NFL chief security officer Cathy Lanier confirmed that there are no planned operations involving federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) around the Super Bowl or related events.
“There are no known, no planned ICE or immigration enforcement operations that are scheduled around the Super Bowl,” Lanier said.
Back in San Jose, Macdonald was asked about the development. His response was brief, and to the point: “I have no comment on that.” His focus remains squarely on the Patriots.
How Do You Stop JSN?
One question Macdonald did entertain was a bit more in his wheelhouse: how would he go about defending Jaxon Smith-Njigba?
The All-Pro wideout has been nothing short of electric this season, leading the NFL with 1,793 receiving yards. So how do you slow him down?
“Can you put three guys on him?” Macdonald joked.
He then broke it down the way only a defensive mind like his can.
“You can allocate two guys to him - but he’s got vertical speed, too,” he said. “So, is it in-and-out double coverage?
Is it high-low double? Now I do that, now I am light in the box to defend the run.”
It’s a pick-your-poison dilemma for opposing defenses. Credit also goes to offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak, who’s reportedly headed to the Raiders as their next head coach. Macdonald pointed out how Kubiak has schemed Smith-Njigba into multiple positions across the formation, making him even tougher to cover.
“That’s a tribute to Jax, too, for learning all those positions,” Macdonald said. “There’s answers to how teams have played us.
And sometimes teams do a great job throughout the whole game taking him away, and other guys have to make plays. But man, he’s been incredibly consistent and a great player for us the whole year.”
Only three teams - the Cardinals (Week 5), Vikings (Week 13), and Panthers (Week 17) - managed to hold Smith-Njigba under 80 yards and out of the end zone. Seattle won all three games, thanks in part to a ground game that stepped up when the passing lanes were clogged. The Seahawks rushed for 155, 125, and 163 yards in those matchups, showing just how balanced this offense can be.
Surratt Activated for Super Bowl
In a quiet but potentially key roster move, the Seahawks activated linebacker and special teams ace Chazz Surratt from injured reserve on Tuesday. Surratt, who hasn’t played since injuring his ankle in a Week 12 win over the Titans, will be available for Sunday’s game.
To make room on the 53-man roster, the Seahawks placed rookie offensive tackle Amari Kight on injured reserve with a knee injury.
Surratt’s return adds depth and experience to Seattle’s special teams unit - a group that often plays a pivotal role in games of this magnitude.
The Seahawks are now fully locked in. The cameras may still be around, but the focus has shifted. The glitz and glamour of Super Bowl week is giving way to the grind - and that’s exactly where Mike Macdonald and his team want to be.