Do Shanahan and 49ers have a Mike Macdonald problem?

When Mike Macdonald was hired in January 2024, one of the new head coach’s biggest tasks was helping the Seattle Seahawks solve their problems against the San Francisco 49ers and head coach Kyle Shanahan.

Seattle Seahawks lose RB Charbonnet to ‘significant’ knee injury

The Seahawks went 0-5 against Shanahan’s 49ers while surrendering an average of 29.6 points and losing by an average of 15.2 points in Pete Carroll’s final two seasons.

But the tide has been turning for the Seahawks under Macdonald. In Macdonald’s past four meetings against Shanahan dating back to last season, the Seahawks have held the Niners to just 10.8 points per game, which includes Saturday night’s 41-6 divisional round thrashing.

“I saw somebody asking on Twitter this weekend if (49ers quarterback) Brock Purdy has a Mike Macdonald problem. I don’t think he does. Maybe he does, maybe not, but I don’t get the sense he does,” Mike Salk said on Monday morning during Seattle Sports’ Brock and Salk. “I think Kyle Shanahan has a Mike Macdonald problem. I think Mike Macdonald is in Kyle Shanahan’s head, and I think he is living there rent-free. I think Kyle Shanahan has a big Mike Macdonald problem.”

Former NFL quarterback Brock Huard described why the Seahawks are able to give Shanahan’s offense fits.

“This whole system is predicated on your five guys up front being able to beat the four in front of them, and that’s in the run game, that’s in the passing game, that’s in the play-action scheme. And when all of a sudden that cannot happen … San Fran and Shanahan can’t handle that,” Huard said. “… (He) can’t get to all the other chapters that he is able to get to against a lot of other people. You can’t do it against these guys because my group up front just can’t move them. We can’t beat them. We can’t block them.”

Huard pointed to San Francisco’s decision to run a speed option with its fullback on fourth-and-1 early in the first quarter, a play that the Seahawks stuffed, as an example of Shanahan realizing his team wasn’t going to be able to stick with its usual game plan while trying to best the Seahawks’ defense.

The Seahawks stop the 49ers on fourth down 👀

📺 FOX pic.twitter.com/WRChI9ER6E

— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) January 18, 2026

“An option play is me trying to get a one-on-one (or) like a two-on-one on somebody because the other stuff ain’t good enough,” Huard said. “Like, we can’t just go mano a mano. … You just can’t block ‘em. So yeah, that was a bit of a tell right there from the jump.”

For Salk, that moment signaled the game was already over.

“Honestly, 11:16 left in the first quarter, so not even 4 minutes into the game, you’re like, this game is over. He doesn’t know what to do. It’s like the Mike Tyson (quote of) everybody’s got a plan until you get punched in the mouth,” Salk said. “That’s your plan? You don’t have a plan anymore.”

“You gotta give credit to the defense for taking care of the play, but if you’re running option with your fullback, you’re admitting you don’t know what to do, that you just can’t beat them,” Salk added. “So you’re trying to change your own plan. You’re trying to do something out of your norm, that your normal isn’t good enough, that Mike Macdonald and his defense have your number and you’re gonna have to go back to the drawing board and come up with something else.”

Hear the full conversation here or in the audio player in this story. Listen to Brock and Salk weekdays from 6-10 a.m. or find the podcast on the Seattle Sports app. 

More Seattle Seahawks coverage

• Macdonald shares update on Seattle Seahawks QB Sam Darnold’s status
• Seahawks-Rams Part III: Seattle to host rival in NFC title game
• Seattle Seahawks’ trade deadline masterclass on display in 49ers rout
• Seahawks Injuries: What Macdonald said about Cross, Charbonnet
• Instant Reaction: Seattle Seahawks dominate 49ers in Divisional Round

Related

The Seahawks’ most impressive player at training camp is clearHuard: 3 thoughts on Seahawks’ interest in CB Terrion ArnoldHuard: The Seahawks ‘what-if’ question nobody is askingSeahawks CB Jobe in new territory heading into 2026‘The ninja’: Seahawks players, coaches rave about Byron Murphy IISalk: Could benches-clearing scuffle wake up the Mariners?