Macdonald Apologizes to Payton Over Public Dispute

Seattle Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald said Wednesday that he apologized to Denver Broncos coach Sean Payton after private remarks about a 2024 dispute between the teams became public. Macdonald said he accepted responsibility for what he said and contacted Payton because the comments were not intended for public use. The remarks surfaced after Macdonald recounted the dispute in a conversation with interviewer Graham Bensinger. Macdonald said he had believed the portion about Payton would remain private. The material later circulated publicly, prompting Macdonald to address the episode. He did not speculate about how it became public. The underlying dispute arose before Seattle’s 2024 season opener against Denver, Macdonald’s first game as the Seahawks’ head coach. He said Seattle’s staff used about 100 plays from Broncos training-camp footage recorded and posted by fans to prepare for the game. The footage was publicly available, according to Macdonald’s account. Macdonald said Payton suspected the Seahawks had obtained the footage through more than public posts and threatened to make a Spygate-like accusation.