While the Seattle Seahawks will be playing their fourth Super Bowl on February 8 against the New England Patriots, the responsibility to prepare the team for the big game will be upon head coach Mike Macdonald. However, the 38-year-old is only in his second season as a head coach. So it’s fair to wonder: where will Macdonald turn for advice when preparing for a Super Bowl? 

Not surprisingly, Mike Macdonald recently announced that he will turn to John Harbaugh, his former Baltimore Ravens mentor, for consultation regarding the high-stakes game.

“I haven’t talked to John [Harbaugh] yet, but at some point probably will [consult him],” Mike Macdonald said while addressing the media on January 26.

Mike Macdonald spent eight seasons working under John Harbaugh in Baltimore. It was in 2014 that Macdonald started working as an intern under Harbaugh.

Then, in 2022 and 2023, he was promoted to work as the Ravens’ defensive coordinator. So, obviously, the majority of what Macdonald knows about coaching in the NFL comes from the knowledge he gained from Harbaugh.

Interestingly, Mike Macdonald joined the Ravens after their only Super Bowl appearance under Harbaugh back in 2012. That year, Harbaugh led Baltimore to a dramatic 34-31 win over the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl XLVII. Over 18 seasons, he guided the Ravens to 12 playoff appearances and six AFC North title wins. 

But after another missed playoff run this past season, Baltimore decided it was time for a change with Lamar Jackson still in place as the franchise quarterback. So, earlier this month, the Ravens fired Harbaugh after wrapping up an 8-9 season. But Harbaugh didn’t stay hanging for long. 

Just days after leaving Baltimore, John Harbaugh landed a new head coaching job with the New York Giants. At 63, his coaching experience and his 180-113 regular-season record with Baltimore clearly played a major role in the Giants giving him a five-year deal. Harbaugh’s experience could also help Mike Macdonald significantly, since he will become the third-youngest HC in Super Bowl history, after Mike Tomlin and Sean McVay.

For now, Seattle’s HC revealed that he has barely dipped his toes into game-planning for the Super Bowl matchup. Macdonald mentioned that he’s watched only about five plays of Patriots tape so far. But he also made it clear that he doesn’t want to overcomplicate things or change what’s been working for Seattle.

“I think one of the differences between how we’ve run our program this year and the last few years is we don’t have a ‘Hey, this is the Super Bowl handbook,’” Mike Macdonald said. “This is how you handle all the things.’ Our mentality is, ‘Hey, look, we’re all in this together going into this experience, and this is how we want to take it day by day and kind of get through all these hurdles, so to speak.’ Those guys will be right along there for the ride and leading the charge.”

Macdonald further stressed that the process stays the same in Seattle, win or lose. But even if the mindset doesn’t change, the Seahawks’ schedule certainly does.

What did Mike Macdonald say about the Seahawks’ schedule this week?

After beating the Rams, the Seahawks now have two weeks to prepare before facing the Patriots in Santa Clara. When a reporter asked Mike Macdonald what the team’s schedule would look like after the NFC Championship win, his answer revealed that the Seahawks will first take a breath before ramping things up again.

“The guys are going to be off,” Mike Macdonald said. “Well, they are in today for some logistic stuff. We just kind of put last night’s game to bed. Got food trucks out there, which is exciting. Off for a couple of days, and then we’ll start like a normal cadence on Thursday. I believe we are travelling on Sunday.”

That short break could be crucial, especially when you look at Seattle’s injury situation. The biggest question mark remains over Seattle’s quarterback, Sam Darnold, who dealt with an oblique injury leading up to the NFC title game. Even though there won’t be any official injury reports from the Seahawks until next week, Mike Macdonald shared an update on Darnold’s injury coming off Sunday night’s win.

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“I don’t know what the trajectory is, how many reps he’s [Darnold] going to need, or how much he’s going to want to take,” Macdonald said. “I don’t know that yet.”

Sam Darnold, of course, looked anything but limited during the NFC title clash. He threw for 346 yards and 3 touchdowns in a back-and-forth win over the Rams. But it remains uncertain whether Darnold will be able to practice fully this week or next week in Santa Clara. For now, the Seahawks are trying to balance rest, recovery, and preparation in the days leading up to Super Bowl LX.