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The Seattle Seahawks are in the midst of a major restructure under new head coach Mike Macdonald. However, it’s not just the roster changing, it’s also the team’s headquarters in Renton, Washington.
Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, April 17, Leonard Williams, who signed a three-year $64 million extension with Seattle in March, talked about the biggest shift since Pete Carroll’s exit.
ESPN’s Brady Henderson posted, “The removal of the basketball hoop inside the auditorium at Seahawks HQs isn’t the only notable change to the VMAC under Mike Macdonald. Leonard Williams told us the wall that previously showed blown-up pictures of star players/famous moments from the Carroll era is now blank.”
“This wall is in a hallway adjacent to the indoor practice facility. It showed over a dozen pictures, like Sherman’s tip; Chancellor’s pick-six vs. Carolina; Carroll/John Schneider/Paul Allen celebrating with the Lombardi Trophy, Russell Wilson teary-eyed after the ’14 NFCCG, etc.
Williams said they’re “obviously going to respect tradition and the history of the Seahawks, but I think it’s given us a clean foundation to create whatever we want to be. We’re not chasing to be like any other team that’s been here before. We want to create our own identity.”
The stark change elicited a strongly mixed reaction on X. The San Francisco Chronicle’s Michael Silver posted, “This is dumb.” A Seahawks fan wrote, “I don’t understand this, celebrate your past.”
However, several 12s and analysts supported the change. One fan posted, “Good. Make your own story. Every time we get someone good in the secondary it’s the ‘next LOB.’ Anytime a RB runs hard it’s ‘Beastmode Jr.’ I’m tired of it. The league is different, we are different. Living in the past will get you in the middle of the road.”
Mike Macdonald Left 1 Photo Remaining in the Seahawks’ Hallway to the Locker Room
Macdonald left one picture up in the hallway that leads to the locker room at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center. The News Tribune’s Gregg Bell reported, “The only photo remaining in the hallway, on either side of it: A framed one of team chair Jody Allen. She is pictured smiling in a Seahawks 12 jersey while standing overlooking Lumen Field as she was raising the 12 flag before a home game a couple years ago.”
While the removal of Carroll’s legacy on the walls is painful for many fans, especially since he’s staying on as an advisor, the players have no complaints. Left tackle Charles Cross told reporters of Macdonald on Wednesday, “I love him. He brings a tenacity to the building. He’s very blunt. He wants to get the job done.”
Cornerback Devon Witherspoon added, “He’s different. He’s different than Pete, what we’ve been around, what I’ve been around since I’ve been here. But it’s a nice, little change, though.” As for the transition of the new coaching staff, which includes 21 new assistants, “It’s been smooth so far.”
While learning all new terminology and game plans can take time, the task is uniting the players. “You can just tell there’s a sense of urgency right now,” Williams said. “In a way, that’s kind of bringing everyone together. That’s making everyone be so locked in.
“In meetings, in the weight room, on the field, it’s like, you can tell there’s a different sense. Everyone’s locked in on a different level.”
Seahawks News: Uchenna Nwosu Threw Shade at the Former Coaching Staff
Seahawks safety Julian Love was highly complimentary of Macdonald while speaking to reporters last week, as was linebacker Uchenna Nwosu, whose comments raised some eyebrows.
Nwosu, who signed a three-year, $45 million extension with Seattle last offseason, Nwosu gushed over Carroll and the entire staff. But something must’ve shifted during the 2023 NFL season.
“I feel like we’ve got the right coaches now,” Nwosu said of Macdonald’s staff.
“Last year was kind of frustrating,” Nwosu said. “And sometimes when you get change, it can bring out the best in everybody. I see a lot more smiles on people’s faces. They’re more happy, they’re more energetic… I don’t know if that’s just because it’s the new year, new season, or it could be the coaching changes and new opportunity. But everybody is kind of coming along together and everybody’s talking more, everybody’s hanging out more and I feel like it’s bringing the locker room closer.”
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