If you’re going to hire the youngest head coach in the league, he better be a good one. Mike Macdonald is definitely a good one. When Macdonald left Michigan in 2021, they were eighth in the country in defense, and he planted the seeds for their nation-leading, near-historic performance in 2023. He then joined the Baltimore Ravens coming off a season they finished 28th in defensive DVOA. In the two years under Macdonald, the Ravens finished eighth in 2022 and first in 2023. What Macdonald excelled at most this year is attacking Shanahan offenses. Baltimore wreaked havoc on the 49ers, Dolphins and Texans, all directly pulling their offense from the Shanahan system. That’s a great hire for a team that has to face off against Kyle twice a season. Does he get the Roquan Smiths, Jadeveon Clowneys, and Kyle Hamiltons Baltimore was equipped with? Certainly not, but the Seahawks’ consistent investment in defensive talent has left Macdonald with a strong starting core to work with. Not only that, but the hire comes as a complete pivot from 72-year-old Pete Carroll. Swinging from the league’s oldest coach to the league’s youngest allows Seattle to put down a foundation at the head coaching spot for a long time if the hire pans out.
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Cale Clinton
