Report: Mike Macdonald is NFL’s highest paid first-time coach

The Seahawks were very, very determined to land Macdonald at all costs.

The Seattle Seahawks have their new head coach, and they were willing to pay what it took to land former Baltimore Ravens defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald.

NFL insider Mike Garafolo, currently at the Senior Bowl in Alabama, revealed that the Seahawks have made Macdonald the highest paid first-time head coach in the league.

“My understanding is this is the highest paid—I don’t know what the number is exactly—but he’ll be the highest paid first-time coach ever,” Garofalo said. “He had two teams there—when you have two bidders, you can bid one against the other one. That’s the kind of stuff that can happen there. So Mike Macdonald got himself not only a long deal, but also a lucrative deal.”

That other bidder, by the way, was the Washington Commanders. Much like the Seahawks, they were interested in both Ben Johnson and Macdonald, ended up with neither, and hired former Seahawks DC Dan Quinn. According to PFT’s Mike Florio, Washington did offer Macdonald the job, but obviously we know what Mike decided to do.

Garofalo also reported that as part of the ongoing search for a new offensive coordinator, former Atlanta Falcons head coach Arthur Smith was “in contention,” but he took the OC job with the Pittsburgh Steelers.