The Seahawks showed up to Nashville with a full-blown linebacker crisis and left with a new cult hero in Patrick O’Connell. The practice-squad call-up stepped into an emergency role against the Titans and racked up a big tackle total plus his first career sack in Seattle’s 30–24 win over the Tennessee Titans.
From Ready Squad Joke to ‘Winning Football’ in Nashville
Head coach Mike Macdonald admitted there’s been a running joke among the Seahawks’ “ready squad” that nobody can block O’Connell during practice. Sunday, he did the same thing to the Titans. O’Connell piled up nine tackles, four solo and registered a sack.
“We have an ongoing joke on our ready squad that we can’t block Patty on a daily basis,” Macdonald said. “I’m glad he had his opportunity today… he went out and played winning football for us and made some great plays.”
O’Connell wasn’t just a warm body filling a jersey. With Surratt ruled out and the Titans stubbornly hanging around, he became one of the emotional engines of a defense that had to close out a game with very little margin for error.
Macdonald added after the game that “Pat’s been ready” every week and that nobody in the locker room was worried when his number got called. Based on the tape and the stat sheet, they had good reason to be confident.
Inside Patrick O’Connell’s Big Day Filling a Brutal LB Void
Seattle’s linebacker room was already in bad shape before kickoff. Jones and Knight, both starters, were inactive. That left Drake Thomas and O’Connell to handle the bulk of the work, with Surratt as the only backup — until he limped off on a special teams play with an ankle injury and was ruled out.
From there, O’Connell just kept showing up.
Macdonald repeatedly praised the overall effort level on defense, but O’Connell’s name came up as a symbol of the “next man up” vibe the Seahawks have been preaching since training camp. In a week where Seattle lost even more bodies — Ty Okada (oblique), Surratt (ankle), George Holani (hamstring) — O’Connell was one of the few injury stories that actually went in the Seahawks’ favor.
Who Is Patrick O’Connell?
Patrick O’Connell is a 6-foot-1, 227-pound linebacker for the Seattle Seahawks. The 26-year-old Montana product originally joined Seattle as an undrafted free agent and has bounced between the practice squad and active roster.
What It Means for Seahawks Linebackers Going Forward
The question now: was this a one-week emergency performance, or did O’Connell just earn himself a permanent role?
Seattle might not have much of a choice. With Jones and Knight still on the mend and Surratt now battling an ankle injury, the Seahawks are dangerously thin at the second level. Macdonald has shown he isn’t afraid to lean on young and unproven players if they practice well and play fast. O’Connell just checked all those boxes in a real game that actually mattered.
The Seahawks have quietly won five of their last six to move to 8-3, but there’s nothing quiet about how they’re winning. Macdonald’s defense leans into chaos, bringing pressure and trusting guys like O’Connell to hold up when the bullets are live.
If he keeps flying around and finishing plays the way he did against Tennessee, that “we can’t block Patty” joke on the scout team might turn into something much more serious for opposing offenses on Sundays.
Seahawks Turn to Practice-Squad Linebacker in Emergency — and He Steals the Show vs Titans