Seattle, WA

Hasselbeck: 'Something special' in Seattle Seahawks' Macdonald

Published

1 year ago

August 16, 2024

Hasselbeck: 'Something special' in Seattle Seahawks' Macdonald

New Seattle Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald got a ringing endorsement from one of the best quarterbacks in franchise history.

Five Seahawks position battles to watch in second preseason game

Matt Hasselbeck, a former three-time Pro Bowl quarterback with Seattle, was on hand for Thursday’s joint practice in Nashville between the Seahawks and Tennessee Titans. As he detailed Friday on Seattle Sports’ Brock and Salk, Hasselbeck said he met Macdonald for the first time on Thursday and was impressed by the 37-year-old coach’s overall approach and demeanor.

“He’s a first-time head coach,” Hasselbeck said. “This is the first time that this coaching staff has been together. They’re on the road for like four or five days in Nashville, Tennessee, which isn’t easy to do. And I just appreciated his organized approach. He’s not too high or too low.”

During his conversation with Macdonald, Hasselbeck said the first-time NFL head coach was laser-focused on areas where his team needs to improve.

“I gave him a couple things that I was impressed with,” Hasselbeck. “And he said, ‘We have a lot of work to do.’ Even though the (preseason opener against the) Chargers went pretty well for them in a lot of ways, I think he’s looking for like, ‘Hey, how can we do pregame better? How can we do everything better? How can we do our halftime better?’

“He’s very excited about some of the things that they have (and) he understands where they need to get better.”

Hasselbeck then dished out what’s becoming a familiar comparison in the football world, describing Macdonald as the defensive version of Los Angeles Rams coach Sean McVay. The 38-year-old McVay has developed a reputation as one of the brightest offensive minds in the NFL, while Macdonald has quickly earned a reputation as one of the top defensive minds after his success as the Baltimore Ravens’ defensive coordinator.

“He reminds me of a young version of a defensive Sean McVay vibe,” Hasselbeck said. “Probably less caffeinated than Sean McVay, but there’s something special there. You definitely can tell that he has it.”

Carroll’s fingerprints still there

The Seahawks’ decision to hire Macdonald this past January came after they made the stunning move to part ways with longtime head coach Pete Carroll, who guided Seattle to its greatest heights in franchise history during his legendary 14 seasons at the helm.

While plenty there are no shortage of changes and differences with the Seahawks under Macdonald, Hasselbeck said he thinks some of Carroll’s impact remains – particularly the fiery competition and never-ending energy that became staples of the program he ran in Seattle.

“I think Pete’s fingerprints are still on it,” said Hasselbeck, who helped deliver the first of Carroll’s 10 playoff wins with the Seahawks as the team’s quarterback in 2010. “The joyful energy, especially on the defensive side of the ball – or just the confidence and sort of like that moment of truth, like, ‘No, this ball is mine’ that you see from the guys on the offensive side of the ball – that competitiveness, that’s like Pete Carroll stuff to me.

“So like the fingerprints were still kind of there. But it’s almost like you get the benefits of all that like identity that’s still there, and yet there’s like a new fresh approach.”

Listen to the full conversation with Matt Hasselbeck at this link or in the audio player near the top of this story. Tune in to Brock and Salk weekdays from 6 to 10 a.m. or find the podcast on the Seattle Sports app.

More Seattle Seahawks coverage

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Seattle, WA

Seahawks Will Host Rams Or 49ers In Divisional Round

Published

5 hours ago

January 11, 2026

Press Room

Seahawks Will Host Rams Or 49ers In Divisional Round

The Seahawks will host an NFC West opponent in the divisional round of the playoffs.

Whether that opponent is the Rams or the 49ers will be determined on Sunday when the 49ers play the Eagles in Philadelphia. Also still to be determined is the date and time of the game.

The Rams, who are the No. 5 seed, beat the Panthers on Saturday to advance, and since Seattle, as the No. 1 seed, hosts the lowest-seeded team that advances out of the wild card round, the sixth-seeded 49ers would come to Lumen Field if they win on Sunday. If the Eagles win, however, the Rams would come to Seattle, while the Eagles would head to Chicago to face the Bears, who beat the Packers on Saturday night.

The Seahawks split the season series with both teams, losing to the 49ers in Week 1 and the Rams in Week 11 before beating the Rams in Week 16 and the 49ers in Week 18 as part of a seven-game winning streak that helped them win the NFC West and earn the No. 1 seed.

Next weekend’s game at Lumen Field will be the Seahawks’ first home playoff game with fans in the stadium—they hosted a wild card game in an empty stadium following the 2020 regular season—since they beat the Lions in the wild card round during the 2016 season. Prior to that empty-stadium loss to the Rams five years ago, the Seahawks won 10 consecutive home playoff games dating back to the start of their Super Bowl run in 2005. The Seahawks have reached the Super Bowl in each of the three previous seasons that they earned the No. 1 seed.

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Paul Arriola, Pedro de la Vega and the Seattle Sounders return in ‘Avengers: Doomsday’

Published

18 hours ago

January 10, 2026

Press Room

Paul Arriola, Pedro de la Vega and the Seattle Sounders return in ‘Avengers: Doomsday’

Forgotten. Absent. Inconsistently healthy. Weights of expectation.

These heroes offered glimpses and scenes of their greatness in 2025.

Paul Arriola, X Man

Paul Arriola gave us a glimpse of his former greatness before his injury. Once a DP, once the highest value transfer within MLS, once recruited to skip MLS entirely for what was at the time a much better league, Arriola’s all comps contributions per 90 would compare to wingback style players Jordi Alba and the now-gone Ali Ahmed.

Arriola slides right in that space, with his 0.57. Now, a discerning reader such as yourself will imagine small sample sizes and opponent quality. You would be correct. But Paul also put up similar numbers in MLS in 2018, 2021 and 2022. His time in MLS as a whole is .40/90 (in the realm of last season’s Christian Espinoza).

Defining Arriola’s role is always going to be hard. He’s played as many wide roles as exist in the modern game. With Seattle, he could be a left or right winger in a four-front if they choose to run a 3-2-4-1, or a wingback in a 3-4-2-1 or a conventional winger in a 4-2-3-1. No matter his role, he’s been strong. His calls to the US National Team ran every year from age 20-27, when he put up better numbers there than he did in league play. He’s now 30.

Pedro de la Vega, the injury saga

Sounders fans know how bright Pedro can burn. So do, Lanus fans, Argentina fans, Cruz Azul fans, Santos Laguna fans, Tijuana fans, Puebla, Galaxy, Inter Messi and a smattering of other MLS teams. The Leagues Cup player of the year and wonder goal nominee is absolutely thrilling, when available.

Lanus, Argentina and Seattle also know his history of injuries. Injuries are why he’s in Seattle.

PdlV only played 41% of available minutes in all competitions. A healthy winger of his quality should be around 66% or so. His absolutely stellar all comps performance of 0.72 is on par with Hany Mukhtar, at 20th in MLS play. Pedro is ahead of Diego Rossi, Djordje Mihailovic, and Dejan Joveljić.

When you think about how the Seattle Sounders will make up ground for the inevitable decline of Danny Musovski the names Arriola and de la Vega should be bandied about.

They weren’t merely better than the people who replaced them on the Sounders – they’re better than the majority of high-profile players in the league.

In 2025 Craig Waibel raised the floor and the peak. Injuries gave us only a few glimpses of that peak.

2026 is when the multi-competition heroic Sounders can once again show their prowess and why their presence as a top tier club is eternal.

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Catching up on Sounder at Heart

Here’s what you missed on the site this week.

Sounders

Next match: Sunday, February 22, 2026 v. the Colorado Rapids | 6 p.m. PT | Apple TV/FS1

Reign

Schedule to come next week.

Defiance

Schedule to come.

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Seattle, WA

Here’s why the Blue Angels in Seattle on Monday

Published

1 day ago

January 10, 2026

Press Room

Here’s why the Blue Angels in Seattle on Monday

SEATTLE – Known for their high-flying skills above the skies during air shows, the Blue Angels will be in Seattle once again on Monday.

But with Seafair not until the summer, many are wondering why the Navy pilots are in the Emerald City ahead of schedule.

Blue Angels F/A-18 Hornets are flying The Diamond Roll (four planes in formation), doing a 360-degree roll as one unit, flying at 400 mph over Lake Washington for the Seafair weekend in Seattle. (Photo by Wolfgang Kaehler/LightRocket via Getty Images)

Keep reading to find out why the U.S. Navy Blue Angels are in Seattle on Jan. 12.

Why are the Blue Angels in Seattle now?

The Blue Angels returned to Seattle on Monday to begin preseason planning for the 2026 Boeing Seafair Air Show.

Pilots will assess airshow locations, scouting the skies and getting familiar with the landscape ahead of the Seafair Weekend Festival, when they perform in three separate air shows. Their visit brings the iconic Blue Angels F/A-18 Super Hornets to the city, the aircraft pilots use during the air show.

Blue Angels pilots plan to stay in Seattle until Tuesday, coordinating with Seafair event organizers. Last year, only two Blue Angels pilots were in Seattle for preseason planning, instead of the entire squadron.

When are the Blue Angels coming back to Seattle?

The Blue Angels will fly back to western Washington for the 2026 Boeing Seafair Air Show, on Friday, July 31 – Sunday, August 2, 2026.

They’ll also be in town for two practice runs on Thursday, July 30.

When is the 2026 Seafair Air Show?

The U.S. Navy Blue Angels will perform in three air shows throughout Seafair weekend. They’re happening each afternoon on July 31 through Aug. 2 on Lake Washington and at Genesee Park.

The multi-day Seafair Weekend Festival also includes the Apollo Mechanical Cup Hydroplane Races, along with live entertainment, food and drinks, and family-friendly activities. Tickets for the festival go on sale in February.

Who are the Blue Angels?

The Blue Angels is a team of elite Navy flight demonstrators, showcasing their aviation skills in high-speed, precision aerobatic performances.

They perform in air shows across the U.S. each year, with the goal of inspiring a culture of excellence and service to country, displaying the teamwork and professionalism of the United States Navy and Marine Corps.

Formed in 1946, this year marks the 80th year of the Blue Angels. They take pride in performing for audiences both at home and abroad, showcasing the excitement, precision, and power of Naval aviation.

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The Source: Information in this story came from U.S. Navy Blue Angels, Seafair, and FOX 13 Seattle reporting.

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