Seattle Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald just got a major national nod.
The NFL and The Associated Press announced Macdonald as a finalist for AP Coach of the Year for the 2025 NFL season, with the winner set to be revealed at NFL Honors on Thursday, Feb. 5 in San Francisco.
According to the league’s release, NFL Honors will be held at the Palace of Fine Arts and will air at 9 p.m. ET on NBC and NFL Network, with streaming available on Peacock and NFL+. The NFL Honors Red Carpet Show will air at 8 p.m. ET on NFL Network.
Mike Macdonald Joins Loaded AP Coach of the Year Finalist Field
Macdonald was named a finalist alongside Liam Coen (Jacksonville Jaguars), Ben Johnson (Chicago Bears), Kyle Shanahan (San Francisco 49ers), and Mike Vrabel (New England Patriots).
Coach of the Year is often a “total program” award, a reflection of a team’s identity, consistency, and trajectory across the regular season. For Seattle, Macdonald’s finalist nod is a major stamp of national recognition and puts the Seahawks front-and-center heading into the league’s awards night.
Macdonald, hired to usher in a new era in Seattle, now has a resume line that immediately changes how outsiders talk about the Seahawks: he’s not just a new head coach with a defensive background; he’s a Coach of the Year finalist. And for Kyle Brandt, who has consistently riffed about how nobody in America knows who the Seahawks coach is, maybe this helps turn that narrative.
What It Means for the Seahawks Moving Forward
From a team-building standpoint, this kind of recognition matters because it strengthens the Seahawks’ overall “direction” story. When the head coach is in the Coach of the Year conversation, it’s usually because the league believes the team’s approach is working, on the field, in the locker room, and in game management over a full season. In this case, it also coincides with the Seahawks being the favorite to win the Super Bowl.
It also gives Seattle a stronger national platform going into the offseason and the next stage of the Macdonald era, especially as fans look for signs the franchise is positioned to contend in the NFC.
More Seahawks Names on the AP Awards Finalist List
The same NFL/AP announcement also included more Seahawks representation, which adds to the significance of the moment for Seattle.
Wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba was named a finalist for AP Offensive Player of the Year, putting him among the league’s top offensive standouts. JSN had 1,793 receiving yards on 119 receptions and 10 touchdowns during the regular season.
Seattle also had Klint Kubiak named a finalist for AP Assistant Coach of the Year, giving the Seahawks recognition on the staff side beyond Macdonald. Kubiak, of course, has been a hot name in head coaching interviews.
NFL Honors Details and What Fans Should Know
NFL Honors will also feature the announcement of Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year, the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2026, and the league’s new Protector of the Year Award, per the release.
For Seahawks fans, though, the headline is clear: Mike Macdonald is one of five finalists for AP Coach of the Year, and the final result will be revealed Feb. 5 in San Francisco.
Seahawks Get Major Mike Macdonald News Ahead of NFC Championship