Aug 15, 2025; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald stands on the sideline during the fourth quarter against the Kansas City Chiefs at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images

Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald sounds positive despite loss to 49ers

Originally posted on Seattle Seahawks on SI
By Jon Alfano | Last updated Sep 9, 2025 9:00 AM ET

Losing the first game of the season after months of anticipation is never a good feeling, especially when it's against a division rival.

Unfortunately, the Seattle Seahawks now find themselves in this situation following Sunday's 17-13 loss to the San Francisco 49ers. The new-look offense especially had a rough day, only accounting for 230 total yards with two turnovers as the two big offseason additions - quarterback Sam Darnold and wide receiver Cooper Kupp - both had forgettable debuts.

Obviously, one loss this early won't derail the season, but it is disappointing and could come back to haunt the Seahawks later in the year. However, head coach Mike Macdonald is choosing to maintain an optimistic outlook despite the loss.

Mike Macdonald expects Seahawks to bounce back

Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images

"Well, it was a really hard-fought, physical football game," Macdonald told reporters after the game. "Obviously very disappointed about the outcome, but got to look at the process as well. I think our guys played incredibly hard; played all 60 minutes; gave ourselves a chance to win at the end. I think we have a really good football team and we're not there yet, so let's go work, figure out things we can do better, and move forward. Which we will.

"We're a good team now. We're only going to get better. So the guys will respond and let's go have a great week and go to Pittsburgh."

Adding to the disappointment is the fact that it came at Lumen Field, just after the Seahawks posted a 3-6 home record in 2024, their worst in over 15 years. Even for this, however, Macdonald seemed relatively unfazed.

"Yeah, absolutely," Macdonald said when asked about the home loss. "Our first drive giving up a touchdown was a bummer. But our guys rebounded. I don't know what the stats are after that first touchdown, but nobody batted an eye. Went right back to work. And I thought we played really good defenses for the remainder of the game."

With so many new pieces, the Seahawks were always going to be a bit of a wild card this season, but it turns out they're a work in progress as well. That's not necessarily the end of the world, so long as they actually improve as the season goes on.

This article first appeared on Seattle Seahawks on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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