From Honeymoon Epiphany to Super Bowl Glory: Can the Seahawks Repeat as Champions?

Honeymoons are for newlyweds celebrating love — and for future NFL head coaches plotting Super Bowl glory. Such is the case with Mike Macdonald, who has turned to the Chicago Bulls as his blueprint for a repeat championship.

Mystic Macdonald went viral earlier this year when the Seattle Seahawks released footage of his first team meeting after being appointed in 2024. In it, he strayed from his script to forecast a place in the NFC Championship Game and described an “inevitable” feeling behind a “won’t die, won’t quit” machine.

“It probably came to me about 30 minutes before the meeting,” Macdonald tells Sky Sports of his viral speech.

Between some fine fortune-telling and a relentless winning formula, that vision became reality 21 months later as Seattle beat the Los Angeles Rams to reach Super Bowl LX.

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It all culminated in Macdonald’s skyward gaze amid the cloud of confetti and fireworks honouring his Seahawks as NFL champions after their victory over the New England Patriots at Levi’s Stadium in February.

“The message wasn’t winning the NFC Championship — it was the feeling of our team we were trying to create: the trust, the bond, the connection and toughness. I wanted them to feel compelled by where we wanted to go, and to understand the daily inputs and habits needed to make that vision real.”

“Everybody worries about their first team meeting. I overthought it tremendously. It’s like your wedding speech — you write something crazy, toss the paper in the garbage, and end up speaking from the heart.”

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This year, Macdonald relayed a similar message, retaining the same united principles as Seattle chased successive Super Bowl appearances. It came with a reminder that the Chicago Bulls represented far more than their prized No. 23.

“The ’91 Bulls — you think it’s the first year of the three-peat,” Macdonald explained. “It was from the first time Phil Jackson took over and the vision he had: the spirit and energy behind their offense, the team basketball, the flow state they were trying to create.”

“It’s from a book called Sacred Hoops. I read that back on my honeymoon in 2021, and it was the first time I had the vision of what it would look like if I was in charge of a team.”

“That was the grassroots origin story of ’12 is One’ — the synergy behind the team. It explains how that vision came to life with Phil Jackson and how everybody had to buy in. They had the best player in the world, but to become the best team, they all had to buy in rather than just defer to Michael Jordan every play.”

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JSN: Darnold shut up the doubters

Central to Seattle’s success was Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who led the NFL with 1,793 receiving yards and won Offensive Player of the Year. His connection with Sam Darnold buried any doubts about the quarterback’s ability to steer Seattle toward a championship.

Darnold signed with the Seahawks during the 2025 offseason after resurrecting his career with the Minnesota Vikings the previous campaign.

“It was awesome to be a part of his journey,” Smith-Njigba told Sky Sports. “His journey is definitely crazy — a lot of ups and downs; that’s how life is. With the quarterback position, you get a lot of publicity and media attention. If we lose, it’s on you; if we win, it’s the team. For me to just be out there with him, staying open, catching the ball, doing my job — it felt great. I was happy we could shut a lot of doubters and naysayers up; they can’t say too much now. The proof is in the pudding.”

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Smith-Njigba was rewarded with a four-year, $168m contract extension, making him the highest-paid wide receiver in league history.

“It’s a blessing. I want to be here. I love putting on the Seahawks helmet and being in this facility around great people. For me to add a few years to this extension is a dream come true.”

“I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else. Getting it done early lets me lock in and focus on the next step. I think this offseason was a great time for me to figure myself out and grow as a player and person. I think you’ll see a different level from me coming into the season.”

The only notable changes to the Seahawks this offseason came on offense. Super Bowl running back Kenneth Walker III signed with the Kansas City Chiefs in free agency, while offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak was hired as the new head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders.

Kubiak’s departure paved the way for a fresh voice in Brian Fleury, previously San Francisco 49ers run game coordinator and tight ends coach.

“I’ve been lucky enough to deal with great football minds; he’s definitely one, and it’s exciting to be around that,” said Smith-Njigba.

While Macdonald continues to preach the same values that inspired Seattle’s Super Bowl run, he too has welcomed fresh outlook and encouraged Fleury to stamp his mark.

“Brian has done a great job. The challenge he has is coming into a team with a lot of continuity within the staff and personnel. The easy thing to do is fall in line, but that’s not how we want to operate — we want him to add his vision and empower him to add what he sees and his talents to the whole engine, and see where it takes us.”

Smith-Njigba recalls the moment the clocks hit zero at Super Bowl 60 and the ensuing rush to find a teammate to embrace. He came across cornerback and draft classmate Devon Witherspoon — screaming and “I love yous” amid Seattle euphoria.

“I was very, very confident going into the Super Bowl,” he reflected. “The Patriots are a great team, and in football anything can happen, but I was just really confident. I knew we were going to win the game. I knew our gameplan was good — we just had to go out there and prove it. It was an unbelievable experience.”

But this is a new story, a new Seahawks team, and a new opportunity. As far as Macdonald, Smith-Njigba, and the champions are concerned, the celebrations are over.

“We really just want to be in the moment,” he said. “We’ll take it one step at a time and let the story tell itself.”

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