Macdonald reveals how Seahawks will shuffle OL after Quenton Nelson trade

The Seattle Seahawks are keeping recently acquired eight-time Pro Bowl left guard Quenton Nelson at his longtime position and moving 2025 first-round draft pick Grey Zabel from left guard to right guard, head coach Mike Macdonald said during his news conference on Thursday.

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That leaves Anthony Bradford, who has been Seattle’s right guard for the better part of the past four seasons, as the odd man out on the team’s starting offensive line.

An O-line shuffle was in the cards after the Seahawks acquired Nelson from the Indianapolis Colts in a blockbuster trade on Tuesday. Nelson, a three-time All-Pro, is widely considered one of the NFL’s best offensive linemen. He has started all 136 career games at left guard.

Macdonald said the team is planning for Nelson to start against the Chicago Bears on Monday night.

“The style of play is the first thing you think of when you think of Quenton,” Macdonald said. “Obviously, he’s got incredible ability, but the physicality, the relentless play – we always talk about decisive, shocking, relentless, and I think that’s probably a good way to sum up what it looks like on tape.

“And it’s gonna a process. We’ve put a lot of time and effort into the chemistry of our offensive line, and we’ve got a couple things shaken up right now. But the guys will do a great job of meshing and getting on the same page, and I think we’ll be better for it.”

Zabel started all 24 games at left guard since being drafted in 2025, but showed impressive versatility while playing all five offensive line positions at North Dakota State. He made 18 college starts at left tackle, 17 at right tackle, four at left guard and three at right guard, while also logging snaps at center for NDSU, according to Pro Football Focus.

“The thought is that he’s had a lot of experience playing on the right side, so that’ll help with the learning curve,” Macdonald said. “But these things, there’s a process that has to be had. And we’ve got the right guys for the job, but we understand it’s a process and we’ve gotta attack the heck out of it.”

Bradford, a 2023 fourth-round pick, started 40 games at right guard for Seattle over the past four seasons, including every game of last year’s Super Bowl-winning campaign. He had some struggles along the way, ranking 71st out of 79 guards in PFF grading last season.

After suffering a knee injury in last month’s season opener, Bradford missed five games before returning to the starting lineup for the Seahawks’ win over the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday night. Bradford’s return coincided with Seattle’s best offensive line performance of the season.

“Anthony played really good football for us, and he’s earned a significant role on our team, a starting-level role,” Macdonald said. “… We don’t expect him to be jumping over joy in the situation, because that’s not realistic. But he’s gonna be a great teammate and he’s gonna stay ready.

“And we know how this league works. I mean, you’re a play away from him playing every play again. So it’s not an easy situation, but he’s a tough cookie, and the guys will have his back as well.”

With all five starters returning, Seattle’s offensive line was expected to be a strength this season. However, the unit struggled with Bradford out of the lineup. The low point came earlier this month, when quarterback Sam Darnold was sacked five times apiece in back-to-back losses to the San Francisco 49ers and Denver Broncos.

With Bradford back at right guard on Sunday night – and the offense employing a quick passing attack – Darnold didn’t take any sacks.

“I think our offensive line probably played their best game of the season this past Sunday night, and I just want to be clear that (adding Nelson) isn’t a commentary on any of our personnel or anything like that,” Macdonald said. “We love our guys. It’s a situation where you understand how it affects the guys that have been here working really hard and have earned a great role on our team.

“But also, two things can be true at the same time. It’s an opportunity to bring along probably a surefire Hall of Fame guard with a great track record. And from our understanding about the type of person he is to join our locker room, it was just an opportunity that’s going to make the Seahawks better.”

At full health, Seattle’s newly configured O-line will feature Charles Cross at left tackle, Nelson at left guard, Jalen Sundell at center, Zabel at right guard and Abraham Lucas at right tackle.

Cross exited with an injury against Kansas City and is expected to miss time, according to a report earlier in the week from NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. However, Macdonald said the Seahawks aren’t planning to place Cross on injured reserve. Macdonald confirmed that veteran backup Josh Jones would start at left tackle if Cross is sidelined.

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