Seahawks Pause Practice After Multiple Fights

Several Seahawks players contributed to a fight-fueled team practice Wednesday, leading new head coach Mike MacDonald to temporarily stop practice. Though MacDonald had to take time to talk sense into his players, he still expressed optimism about the team later in the day.

“We’ve been getting after it,” MacDonald said. “I’m proud of how we responded today. We came out and we were ready to practice. I don’t know what the numbers are, but we’ve been out here, I don’t know, 14 of the past 16 days … I think we’re tired of going against one another, but the guys are spirited.”

The first hints of a larger altercation began when an interaction between wide receiver Jake Bobo and cornerback Tre Brown went to blows, with Brown eventually giving Bobo a bloody nose.

Later on, possibly in a moment of attempted retribution, wide receiver DK Metcalf approached Brown in the end zone and removed the defender’s helmet. Metcalf then swung the helmet, hitting safety K’Von Wallace. Macdonald said that the star wide receiver eventually calmed down after practice stopped, and even delivered a uniting message.

“Definitely don’t want people fighting out here and stuff, especially against our own teammates,” Macdonald said. “DK gave a great message at the end of practice, just kind of putting everything into perspective. The guys finished out the right way. Proud of our guys.”

The Seahawks are coming off a frustrating season in which they played well enough to earn a 9-8 record but missed the playoffs. The team has benefitted from high-caliber quarterback play from Geno Smith, and Metcalf and running back Ken Walker are also efficient offensive contributors. Seattle’s defense suffered costly lapses, however, leading to inconsistent results. The team is expected to be a contender again in 2024, but the areas of improvement are clear.