How Mike Macdonald selects Seahawks’ captains for each game | Notebook

by · The Seattle Times

How captains are selected is at the discretion of any team’s coach.

And throughout the Seahawks’ previous 48 years, coaches have employed a few different methods.

Chuck Knox for a while named season captains for offense and defense but game captains for special teams.

Mike Holmgren began his Seattle career in 1999 naming game captains, then in 2001 — after the disastrous 6-10 record in 2000 — named season captains. But he did the naming himself, deciding that year he wanted to assure some players had to accept the responsibility of being considered leaders and, “I wanted to put it on some guys.”

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During the Pete Carroll era, captains were selected in a vote of teammates — typically one each for offense, defense and special teams, though a few times there were ties (or votes that were really close) and two captains on one side of the ball or the other were selected.

But with a new coach also came change to how the team’s captains are being selected.

Instead of naming captains for the season, Mike Macdonald has opted to name captains for each game.

That’s also how John Harbaugh does it in Baltimore, where Macdonald spent all but one season since 2014 as an assistant.

The Seahawks have been announcing the captains at some point before the game, and they typically have included one player on offense, defense and special teams. They also have tended to include someone with a tie to the opponent or to the locale of the game.

The captains for Sunday’s game against Miami are center Connor Williams — who spent the past two seasons with the Dolphins — cornerback Devon Witherspoon, who grew up in Pensacola, Fla., and kicker Jason Myers, who hit game-tying and game-winning field goals last Sunday against the Patriots.

Macdonald said this week: “There’s no secret formula behind it. It’s a combination of guys who are doing a great job, guys who are trying to build up and give an opportunity to have a voice with the rest of the team, guys you want to recognize that deserve an opportunity to do those things. So, that’s really the thought behind it. It’s pretty much that simple. The guys know who the leaders are. You don’t need the title to be the leader of the team. But it’s important to build everybody else up, I think.”

The captains represent the team for the opening coin toss. As for other responsibilities, Macdonald said it’s based on what’s needed each week.

“Well, we’re working on the messaging after practice,” he said. “Some guys are better than others. So, it’s cool. There’s nothing formal about it. It’s just more of a recognition type thing. Just, ‘Hey, shout out to these guys that are operating the right way, playing the right way, preparing the right way.’ Things like that. Doing it the way that we need to do it to win.”

The captains for the Week 2 game at New England were safety Rayshawn Jenkins, receivers Dareke Young and Jake Bobo and quarterback Geno Smith. Bobo grew up in North Andover, Mass., about 30 miles from Boston. 

Smith was also a captain for the opener against Denver, joined by defensive linemen Jarran Reed and Dre’Mont Jones. Jones spent four seasons with Denver before signing with Seattle in 2023.

Smith also handled the coin-toss duties before overtime last Sunday.

Macdonald, though, said that had nothing to do with Smith having been a captain for the game. Instead, Smith just happened to be close by.

“We literally got to overtime, I saw Geno, he was like, ‘I got it,’ I was like, ‘OK,’” Macdonald said. “Then we told him what we wanted to do, and we made it happen from there.”

Smith called tails. It came up heads and the Patriots got the ball first. But Seattle forced a three-and-out and the Seahawks went on to win.

Still, it brought back memories of Smith’s early years with Seattle when he was the designated coin-flip caller for overtimes, a responsibility Carroll gave to the backup quarterback.

Macdonald said he wasn’t aware of Smith’s coin-toss history.

“I didn’t know that,” Macdonald said. “So maybe Geno, that’s part of his deal. That’s good.”

Seahawks place George Fant on injured reserve 

The Seahawks made a handful of roster moves Saturday, notably placing injured offensive tackle George Fant on injured reserve and signing McClendon Curtis off the practice squad to take his place on the 53-man roster.

Fant injured his knee in the first half of the season opener against Denver. He tried to come back this past week, listed as limited in practice Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. 

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But Macdonald said after practice Friday that Fant wouldn’t play against the Dolphins and the team then officially declared him as out.

Going on IR means Fant must miss at least four games before he can return, starting with Sunday’s contest against Miami.

With Fant out, Stone Forsythe will start again at right tackle. Curtis appears in line to serve as the backup at both tackle spots. Seattle also has rookie Michael Jerrell on the 53 as a backup tackle. But Jerrell was inactive last week while Curtis was active after being elevated off the practice squad, indicating he’s ahead on the depth chart right now.

Seahawks elevate two off practice squad 

Seattle also elevated inside linebacker Patrick O’Connell and outside linebacker Tyus Bowser to add depth at spots where the Seahawks are dealing with some injuries.

Inside linebacker Jerome Baker is doubtful with a hamstring injury. Rookie Tyrice Knight is expected to start if Baker can’t play. But Macdonald also hinted at the team maybe using some different inside-linebacker combinations, and O’Connell could fit into that or just serve as depth and special-teams help.

At outside linebacker, Seattle remains without Uchenna Nwosu, already declared out for a third straight game due to a knee injury.

Seattle on Friday also listed both Boye Mafe (knee) and Derick Hall (hip) as questionable.

Macdonald said Mafe was “trending positively’’ toward playing Sunday, and he was listed as taking part in practice on a limited basis Thursday and Friday after sitting out Wednesday with an injury suffered late in last week’s game.

Hall was added to the game status report after Macdonald talked to media. Hall was listed as a limited participant in practice all week. Hall briefly left last Sunday’s game to be evaluated for a concussion.

Bowser, an eight-year veteran, signed with Seattle’s practice squad Aug. 30. He played from 2017-23 with the Ravens, during which time Macdonald was an assistant there for every year but 2021. 

Bowser had a career-high seven sacks in 2021 but suffered an Achilles tendon injury nine games into the 2022 season and missed all of 2023 with a knee injury.

Seattle could also use veteran Trevis Gipson at OLB if either Hall or Mafe has to sit out.

Notes

— Seattle also re-signed safety Marquise Blair to the practice squad to fill the spot opened when Curtis signed to the active roster. Blair was released off the practice squad earlier this past week.

— Right guard Anthony Bradford was fined $6,200 for the unsportsmanlike-conduct penalty he received in the second quarter against the Patriots.

— Seattle did not elevate a running back off the practice squad, meaning the Seahawks have only Kenneth Walker III, Zach Charbonnet and Kenny McIntosh available for Sunday’s game. However, Walker is listed as doubtful with Macdonald saying Friday that it was “not looking great” that he could play against the Dolphins, which would leave the Seahawks with just Charbonnet and McIntosh. Seattle last week elevated George Holani off the practice squad to add RB depth. But he suffered an ankle injury on a punt return against the Patriots.

— Miami elevated receiver Dee Eskridge to its active roster for Sunday’s game to add depth at a position where the team is battling injuries. Eskridge was Seattle’s first pick in the 2021 draft in the second round but was waived by the Seahawks in August and then signed to Miami’s practice squad. Sunday will be his Miami debut.