AP writers just dropped their NFC West head coach rankings, and get this: our World Champion Mike Macdonald is somehow rated only the second-best coach in the division. You read that right. The man who literally brought the Lombardi Trophy home to the Emerald City in February, thumping the New England Patriots 29-13 in Super Bowl LX, is somehow playing second fiddle to Sean McVay. It's an insult, plain and simple, and it shows just how much these national writers miss the boat.
Macdonald earned that "World Champion" title by dispatching division rivals, the Los Angeles Rams and the San Francisco 49ers, earlier in the postseason. He led our Seahawks to glory. Yet, McVay, head coach of the Rams, got the nod above him. Sure, McVay has a longer track record, and both coaches now have one Super Bowl victory. McVay won Super Bowl LVI way back in 2021 against the Bengals. But let's be real: since that 2021 win, the Rams have managed just three postseason victories in four seasons. Our man Mike Macdonald, on the other hand, won three postseason contests in the 2025 season *alone* on his way to our Super Bowl LX triumph. Oh, and our Seahawks beat McVay and the Rams two out of the three times they faced off in the 2025 season. How does any of that add up to McVay being better *now*?
The top spot in the entire NFL rankings went to Andy Reid, which, okay, makes sense. Even with the Chiefs missing the postseason in 2025 with a 6-11 record, Reid's done enough to earn that leeway: nine consecutive division titles, seven straight conference championship games, and three Super Bowls. His track record speaks for itself. But McVay getting the number two NFL West spot ahead of Macdonald just feels like a slap in the face to every 12 out there. These offseason coach rankings are mostly for bragging rights and us fans getting a little heated, but it still stings when our guy, our *World Champion*, gets disrespected like this.
We're still about five and a half months away from these two coaches hitting the field against each other again, but mark your calendars. The Rams come to Lumen Field on Christmas Day for a Week 16 showdown. By then, with training camps starting up and the season underway, there will be plenty more data points. These AP voters will have to reckon with the best coach in the division showing them exactly why he's got that ring.
This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.