The Emerald City just hoisted the league title, yet Seahawks Head Coach Mike Macdonald isn’t resting on those laurels one bit. He’s already laying down a massive statement, emphasizing that even after reaching the pinnacle, “this is a new team.” Macdonald is hyped on this year’s rookie class, calling them a “great” group with a “different personality” than last year’s squad, but still packed with that core “respect” and “honest work” we all crave from our Hawks.
Why This “New Team” Mentality Matters, Even After a Championship
It’s easy to think a reigning champ would just run it back, right? Nah. Macdonald is making it crystal clear that the expectation for every single player, rookies included, is to “add to who we’re gonna become.” This isn’t about fitting into last year’s mold. It’s about forging a whole new identity. Macdonald straight up said, “We’re going to need them this year,” which tells you everything about the immediate impact he expects from these new faces. He even dropped a Hard Knocks gem, reminding the team how Michael Jordan, supremely talented, didn’t dominate until Phil Jackson coached “team basketball.” Macdonald is looking for that three-peat energy, but built on fresh foundations. Our vets, like safety Julian Love, are totally on board, doing a “great job of fostering” these new guys.
New Faces Ready To Elevate The Best Defense In The World
Julian Love echoed Macdonald’s “new team” vibe, saying it would be “real easy to be like: ‘let’s keep on going with what we did last year!’” But that’s not the Seattle way. Love insists, “This whole unit,everyone is going to be incorporate in how we build things.” It’s a conscious choice to “shape this thing and learn it and start from ground level.” That means getting excited about guys like rookie running back Jadarian Price, defensive back Bud Clark, and Julian Neal making their pro debuts. Plus, new additions like Emmanuel Wilson at running back, Noah Igbinoghene as an inside/outside DB, and Dante Fowler Jr. as a fourth established edge rusher are all gunning for contributor roles. Fowler Jr. made it clear he “wanted to be here” and is ready to do “whatever I gotta do to make this defense upgrade a little bit more” because, let’s be real, last year’s defense “won a Super Bowl” and was the “best defense in the world.”
The preseason isn’t just a tune-up for this Hawks squad; it’s the proving ground for this “new team.” We’re about to see how these pieces start to gel, how the rookies step up, and how this championship-winning unit evolves. Get ready, 12s, because what’s coming next is going to be electric.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Field Gulls.
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