During an appearance on "In Depth with Graham Bensinger" that was dropped on Tuesday, Seattle Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald recounted a story that he thought was off the record for the interview that involved Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton. Macdonald and his staff used fan videos of Broncos practices during training camp to help the Seahawks prepare for the season opener against Denver in 2024, arguing that the videos were in the public domain. Seattle wound up winning the contest 26-20.
Following the game, Payton figured out the Seahawks used the fan videos to help them prepare, and was upset that Seattle used that to its advantage. He called Seahawks general manager John Lynch to threaten to unleash a Patriots' "spygate" type of scandal. In return, Seattle threatened to sue.
More News: Exclusive: Breakout NFL Executives Who Could Become Future General Managers More News: 4 QBs Generating Serious Trade Buzz Weeks Before NFL Regular Season Starts On Wednesday, Macdonald said he apologized to Payton after Bensinger released the interview. "I gotta be better in that moment for understanding I’m responsible for what I say no matter the circumstance.” On Wednesday, Payton told reporters everything was "good" with Macdonald after their chat on Tuesday night. He said Denver has altered its approach to training camp and fan videos after what happened with the Seahawks.
Macdonald learned a tough lesson by sharing something that he thought was off the record. Certainly, he'll be more cautious about what to share with the media in the future. For Bensinger, sharing parts of the interview with Macdonald that was expected to be kept under wraps could hurt his opportunity to earn the trust of subjects he'd like to speak with in the future.
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