Who is the Seattle Seahawks new head coach Mike Macdonald?

SEATTLE — The Seattle Seahawks are hiring Baltimore Ravens defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald as their next head coach and giving him a six-year contract, sources told ESPN's Adam Schefter on Wednesday.

Macdonald, 36, becomes the NFL's youngest head coach and brings to Seattle a reputation as one of the league's best defensive minds, having led the Ravens to first place in points allowed, sacks and takeaways to take into 2023, his second season as Baltimore's coordinator. Macdonald will replace longtime coach Pete Carroll after the Seahawks announced earlier this month that Carroll, 72, would not return as coach in 2024. Carroll remains with the Seahawks as an advisor.

Taking a closer look, Seahawks reporter Brady Henderson answers some of the big questions surrounding the hiring, national reporter Dan Graziano talks about what he's heard about Macdonald and NFL Draft analyst , Matt Miller, presents him in the draft. Finally, front office analyst Mike Tannenbaum rates the Seahawks hire.

What makes Macdonald a good fit in Seattle, and why did the Seahawks move in this direction?

Henderson: The Seahawks won't return to their glory days of a decade ago unless they can stand out from the San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Rams, NFC West foes coached by brilliant offensive minds who had the Seattle number lately. San Francisco has been the far superior team in terms of talent in recent seasons, but the two division rivals have had a major advantage over Seattle in terms of offensive scheme.

This poses a central question in Seattle's coaching search: Hire an offensive coach who will help you score with Kyle Shanahan and Sean McVay, or a defensive coach who will help you stop them?

Who knows what the choice would have been if Lions OC Ben Johnson had still been in play, but with Johnson choosing to stay in Detroit, Macdonald seemed like an easy decision. After all, he has coordinated what has arguably been the best defense in the NFL over the past two seasons and arguably the best unit in 2023.

Baltimore became the first team in NFL history to allow the fewest points (16.5 per game), total the most sacks (60) and record the most takeaways (31) during of the same season, according to statistics and information from ESPN.

And perhaps most encouraging for the Seahawks is what this defense did to San Francisco in Baltimore's 33-19 win over the 49ers on Christmas Eve. The Ravens threw five interceptions from Brock Purdy, whose 7.1 QBR in this game was his worst in two NFL seasons.

How can Macdonald improve this struggling defense?

Henderson: Macdonald can help here by introducing an improved system and getting more out of his players than Seattle's previous defensive coaches. This has been a low-end unit over the past two seasons, especially against the run. And while the Seahawks were short-manned up front in 2022, their entire defense underperformed in 2023 after an offseason overhaul of their front seven, as well as the additions of cornerback Devon Witherspoon and safety Julian Love in the back row.

It was a much different story in Baltimore, where several Ravens defenders made major leaps and had career seasons. That includes former Seahawks edge rusher Jadeveon Clowney, who posted the fifth-best pass win rate and tied his career high with 9.5 sacks. Defensive tackle Justin Madubuike (13 sacks) and safety Geno Stone (seven interceptions) are two other examples of players having a blast.

All three will be free agents, as will inside linebacker Patrick Queen and edge player Kyle Van Noy. Queen and Madubuike might be too expensive for the Seahawks, considering they are currently projected to be around $4 million over the cap before subtractions or restructures. But the others might find themselves more in Seattle's price range.

And even if Macdonald doesn't bring several players from Baltimore's defense to Seattle, the Seahawks have to be excited about what he can do with Witherspoon, a versatile cornerback who reached the Pro Bowl after a strong rookie season.

What does Macdonald's hiring mean for Geno Smith's future and the quarterback situation?

Henderson: Smith has felt like less than a lock to stay put after his ups and downs in 2023, especially since Carroll's firing. Carroll was one of Smith's biggest supporters in the organization and had the final say on personnel decisions.

That power now rests with general manager John Schneider, and while he will ultimately decide what to do with Smith and the QB situation, he will weigh the input of his new head coach. It's worth noting in this regard that Smith's worst performance as a Seahawk came in the blowout loss to Baltimore in November, when he posted his lowest total QBR (12.1) in 35 starts with Seattle .

Smith has two years and $47.5 million remaining on the three-year, $75 million contract he signed last March after making the Pro Bowl and winning Comeback Player of the Year in the NFL in 2022. This includes a $12.7 million base salary for next season that will become fully guaranteed if he is still on the roster on February 16. His strong showing through 2023 may have put questions about his future in Seattle to rest, especially since the Seahawks don't have a top-10 pick (they pick at No. 1). 16) or a second round. But if Schneider and Macdonald decide to move on from Smith this offseason, February 16 is a logical deadline to cut him, but not necessarily trade him.

What are you hearing around the league about hiring?

Graziano: Over the past week, Macdonald was expected to be the guy targeted by Seattle, and it appears that is the case. Even though the Seahawks were impressed with the other candidates, most people I spoke to believe one of the reasons they moved on from Carroll was his apparent inability to adjust his defenses to consistently compete with the Seahawks' offenses. Shanahan and McVay twice per season in their division, as Brady mentioned. Macdonald's Ravens have stifled Shanahan's 49ers (not to mention the Seahawks) this season.

Seattle, which had Carroll as the oldest coach in the league, decided to go one step further and hire a promising young leader in Macdonald, who now becomes the youngest coach in the league. Macdonald seems universally appreciated in the NFL for the complexity, creativity and effectiveness of his defensive schemes.

As one front-office executive told me, “Remember, his defense is what won Michigan the national title this year.” (Macdonald was Michigan's defensive coordinator in 2021 and led the implementation of the system the Wolverines now use.) Ravens players have talked in recent weeks about how much he cares, and Macdonald seems like the kind of coach who gets the best out of everyone. individual player. This is a rookie that is going to receive a lot of praise from many corners of the league.

Which defensive prospect could be a good fit for Macdonald in the middle of the first round?

Miller: I like the fit of Texas defensive tackle Byron Murphy II here at No. 16 overall. Macdonald is headed to Seattle after transforming Ravens interior passer Madubuike into one of the league's best defensive tackles. And while the Seahawks have containment talent in the secondary and good youth on defense, they don't have an interior penetrator. Murphy has exceptional quickness and strength, and he has experience playing at and inside tackle in college.

Murphy, one of the top 20 players on my board – who had five sacks in 2023 – gives MacDonald his new version of Madubuike. In fact, that's my pro lineup for the 6-foot-1, 308-pound player. It's a perfect match in Seattle.

How would you rate this hire?

Tannenbaum: A. Macdonald is innovative, poised and perceptive beyond his years, and we've seen his defensive scheme work well in the NFL and in college. I see unlimited potential for Seattle here.