Seahawks Coach, Players Praise God After Super Bowl
Most NFL coaches go through their entire careers without winning a Super Bowl. Last Sunday, Mike Macdonald won a championship in just his second season as head coach of the Seattle Seahawks.
Macdonald became a head coach for the first time in 2024 when Seattle hired him away from Baltimore, where he had served as defensive coordinator. After narrowly missing the playoffs in his first season, the Seahawks rebounded to finish 14-3 this year and rolled through the postseason.
In the moments after securing the franchise’s first title in more than a decade, Macdonald pointed upward.
“I believe God called me to be a coach, and I listened to him, and I thank Him,” Macdonald told NBC during the live postgame broadcast. “We are incredibly blessed to be Seahawks … and now we’re world champions.”
In his postgame press conference, Macdonald expanded on the role faith has played in his life and in the locker room, crediting team chaplain Jonathan Rainey for fostering spiritual growth among players and staff.
“My faith hasn’t always been strong,” Macdonald said. “You have doubts, you have kind of a roller coaster ride. And over the last few years, it’s been really strengthened. You see what our players do – and what Jonathan Rainey does every day – and how he brings people together.”
READ: Super Bowl players talk about faith
Rainey has served as Seattle’s team chaplain for more than a decade, leading optional Bible studies and prayer gatherings during the season. The Fellowship of Christian Athletes has highlighted the Seahawks in past years as one of several NFL teams with strong voluntary faith participation among players.
“It’s a journey that we’re in together,” Macdonald said. “And it’s empowering, and it’s inspiring to pursue that part of your life that’s so important.”
The team’s leading receiver, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, also pointed to his faith during the nationally televised postgame news conference.
“Jesus is everything,” he said. “When I put it on His shoulders, He takes it off my shoulders. He never fails me. He’s never failed me, whether we would have won or lost today. You know, Jesus won, and I’m just happy to give Him the glory today.”
Public expressions of faith have long been part of the NFL’s championship stage. Former Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Nick Foles famously told reporters after Super Bowl LII that “all glory to God” following his MVP performance, as reported by ESPN. Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes likewise told reporters after Super Bowl LIV, “God is the greatest,” according to The Associated Press.
For Seattle, faith had been a recurring theme throughout the season. One of the team’s most widely shared locker room moments came after a regular-season win over Minnesota, when linebacker Ernest Jones was handed the game ball after a two-interception performance and delivered an emotional testimony.
“I’ve been through a lot this year,” Jones told teammates in video later shared on social media by the team. “Earlier this week, I found myself feeling stuck … and what I was missing was God. I got back on my knees. I started back praying – and just look at what we got. It’s bigger than this interception. It’s bigger than that. I got my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, back, and I’m with my boys.”
Such remarks reflect a broader culture within professional football where personal faith is often expressed publicly, particularly at pivotal moments. While the NFL maintains a neutral stance on religion, players and coaches regularly use the league’s largest platforms to articulate deeply personal beliefs – especially when the confetti falls.
–Alan Goforth
