Mike Macdonald credits John Schneider ‘masterclass’ for Seahawks’ rise

In just two seasons, the Seattle Seahawks went from finishing third in the NFC West to reaching Super Bowl LX. Most of the credit for the turnaround has gone to head coach Mike Macdonald, but he believes general manager John Schneider deserves more recognition.

While Macdonald has proven to be the perfect hire after the Seahawks fired Pete Carroll, the 38-year-old believes Schneider and the front office deserve more credit for building the team’s roster. Macdonald called the Seahawks’ quick turnaround a “masterclass” from Schneider’s staff during his Super Bowl LX media session on Tuesday.

“It’s a masterclass by John and our personnel folks,” Macdonald said, via NFL reporter Albert Breer.

Schneider made strides ahead of Macdonald’s first season by acquiring Laken Tomlinson, Tyrice Knight, Johnathan Hankins, AJ Barner, and Connor Williams, while re-signing Leonard Williams. However, the Seahawks truly began to take form in the 2025 offseason.

After deciding to trade quarterback Geno Smith and leading receiver DK Metcalf, a pair of moves that seemed questionable at the time, Schneider’s biggest move of the offseason came when he signed Sam Darnold to a three-year, $100 million deal. He also notably added DeMarcus Lawrence and Cooper Kupp in a successful free agency period.

The Seahawks’ ensuing draft class was arguably even better. Seattle boasted one of the best rookie draft classes in the league in 2025, with Grey Zabel, Nick Emmanwori, Elijah Arroyo, Tory Horton and Robbie Ouzts each proving themselves as starter-level talent right away.

Many already credit Schneider for building the roster that led to consecutive Super Bowl appearances in 2013 and 2014. Over a decade later, he is still at the top of his game and on the verge of his second championship.

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