Newly-minted Seattle Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald was a popular head coaching candidate before the team got him to the state of Washington. Apparently, it was another Washington that may have wanted him first.
According to ProFootballTalk, Macdonald actually had an offer from the Washington Commanders to be their new head coach. Per the report, the team extended him the offer after Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson opted to stay in Detroit.
“Per a league source, new Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald also had an offer from the Commanders. It was extended after Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson removed his name from consideration for the job,” PFT’s Mike Florio wrote.
The Commanders ultimately hired Dan Quinn after Macdonald was announced as the new head coach of the Seahawks. That effectively means that Quinn was the Commanders’ third choice – at best.
Mike Macdonald had offers from the Seahawks and Commanders. https://t.co/lOFuvFhhqs
— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) February 2, 2024
Now, Mike Macdonald is heading to the Seattle Seahawks, where he’ll have the unenviable task of being the follow-up act to Pete Carroll.
He takes over a team that’s coming off back-to-back winning seasons but has plenty of room for improvement, if not an impending rebuild.
Should Macdonald have taken the Commanders job instead, or will he find more success with the Seahawks?