Seahawks GM John Schneider: ‘I don’t feel a step back’ in ’24

There are a lot of changes coming to the Seattle Seahawks in 2024.

Report: Seahawks keeping QB Geno Smith, guaranteeing ’24 salary

In head coach Mike Macdonald, offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb and defensive coordinator Aden Durde, the three most visible members of the Hawks’ staff are taking on roles they have never had at the NFL level before. To break it down a little further, Macdonald hasn’t been a head coach above the high school level, Grubb has never been on an NFL coaching staff before, and Durde is taking on DC duties for the first time.

Knowing all that, it’s not surprising that some may think the Seahawks are in for a step back in 2024 with so many new faces coming in. One person who is definitely not thinking that way is John Schneider, Seattle’s longtime general manager who just added president of football operations to his title.

“I don’t feel a step back,” he said Thursday on the return of Seattle Sports’ John Schneider Show.

Schneider understands that line of thinking, but he went on to explain why it doesn’t line up with what the Seahawks have going on behind the scenes.

“I think when you have all these new ideas… and philosophies, ways to teach, schematics, what have you – all the coach-speak and football talk that goes into this, all the football knowledge –  everybody coming together, of course it’s gonna take time,” he said. “It’s gonna take time for everybody to get to know each other and that sort of thing, but I think really when you look at it, how can we bring this together and really merge this as quickly as you possibly can?

“The coaches at this time of the year are usually going through, getting ready for free agency. They’re kind of getting some names for draft guys to study, right? So I’m sure there’s gonna be a little anxiety from that point of view for the coaching staff. But it’s like, hey, we got that right now. We’ll get caught up with that later, let’s get the staff together. Let’s build this continuity and build this whole philosophy that we’re going to be working through together, and then that’ll come together.”

There may be an adjustment period for Macdonald and his staff, but in the world of today’s NFL, adjustment is the name of the game regardless of the experience on the sideline.

“I think based on open lines of communication, the way it’s gone so far, I don’t see a lot of hindrances to what would lead to success on the field,” Schneider said. “… I could see where people would think, well, people are gonna have to adjust. Yeah, everybody’s gotta adjust, but everybody’s gotta adjust every year. And if you’re not adjusting, you’re falling behind.”

The John Schneider Show airs at 4 p.m. each Thursday during Seattle Sports’ Wyman and Bob leading up to the NFL Draft, including on April 25, which is the day of the first round of the draft. Find podcasts of every episode at this link, on the Seattle Sports app, or by subscribing wherever you get your podcasts.

To hear this week’s edition, click here or listen in the audio player near the top of this post.

More on the Seattle Seahawks

• How role of Seahawks’ John Schneider changes with new title
• What We Learned from Aden Durde’s 1st interview as Seahawks DC
• Report: Seahawks keeping Geno Smith, guaranteeing ’24 salary
• Seahawks Draft: Analyst breaks down two key positions
• Bumpus: What a successful 2024 Seattle Seahawks season looks like

Follow @BrentStecker