Sunday’s playoff game was lost by the Baltimore Ravens.
On Wednesday, they lost their highly valued defensive coordinator.
Multiple reports state that Ravens DC Mike Macdonald will be the next head coach of the Seattle Seahawks. At 36 years old, Macdonald will become the youngest head coach in the league, as noted by ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Although the agreement is still being finalized, it should be finished shortly. It’s a six-year deal, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network.
Pete Carroll, one of the NFL’s coaches with the longest tenure, was fired by the Seahawks front office after the team missed the playoffs. Macdonald will take over for Carroll. It prompted General Manager John Schneider to launch his first head-coaching search, which the group handled cautiously and patiently. With the Washington Commanders holding the lone opening, the Seahawks are now the second-to-last team to appoint a head coach.
As a brilliant coordinator, Macdonald produced his best work in 2023. With 60 sacks, Baltimore led the NFL in sacks and led the league in scoring defense, giving up little over 16 points per game. Their aggressive approach and well-thought-out game preparation made life difficult for opposition offenses, and they had skill at all three levels. Even in the Chiefs’ defeat on Sunday in the AFC Championship Game, the Ravens managed to hold them to just 17 points, which is the second-lowest total in a postseason game for Patrick Mahomes (his lowest came in a 31-9 Super Bowl loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers).
In 2014, Macdonald made his NFL debut with the Baltimore Ravens as a coaching intern. Except for a brief period with the Michigan Wolverines as their DC in 2021, when he joined Jim, the brother of John Harbaugh, in Ann Arbor, he has remained a member of the team ever since. In 2022, Macdonald made a comeback to the Ravens, taking over as defensive coordinator after Wink Martindale left. Baltimore needs to replace Macdonald now. Although he’s still a contender to take over as the Commanders’ next head coach, maybe it will be handled by DL Coach Anthony Weaver.
The hiring of Macdonald marks the second layoff for the Ravens personnel in as many days. Joe Hortiz went on to replace Jim Harbaugh as general manager of the Los Angeles Chargers, where he partnered with him in the west. Following the exits of Macdonald and Hortiz, a longstanding front office member, Baltimore has lost key players who will be difficult to replace.
