Mike Macdonald addresses supposed help from Tom Brady in Super Bowl

IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Mike Macdonald addresses supposed help from Tom Brady in Super Bowl

Originally posted on Larry Brown Sports | By Grey Papke | Last updated Jul 11, 2026 6:30 PM ET

Seattle Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald briefly caused an uproar when he suggested his team got some help from a mysterious figure before their win in Super Bowl LX.

In an appearance on The Dan Patrick Show, Macdonald revealed that he had received valuable advice from an individual who “had some conflict of interest” in the outcome of the game. The Seahawks coach denied that he was alluding to Bill Belichick, prompting many New England Patriots fans to speculate that Tom Brady had given the Seahawks some help.

Macdonald later clarified that he had not been alluding to Brady either.

I reached out to Mike Macdonald to get clarification on his comments on the @dpshow. I asked if @TomBrady was the person with the “conflict of interest” that gave input to the Seahawks before the Super Bowl. Mike told me it wasn’t Brady that he was talking about in the interview. https://t.co/v6CYahtHpC
— Zach Gelb (@ZachGelb) July 10, 2026

Brady, of course, has longstanding ties to the Patriots. He also knows Macdonald well from when the Seahawks coach was working at Michigan. Furthermore, he annoyed a lot of Patriots fans by claiming impartiality before the game due to his duties as a FOX broadcaster.

We have no idea what Macdonald was talking about when he mentioned a “conflict of interest.” It does not make a lot of sense for Brady to have been tipping the Seahawks off to any secrets, but as long as Macdonald won’t say who it is, the door is open for speculation.

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