Seattle Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald apologized to Denver Broncos coach Sean Payton after his comments from a conversation with Graham Bensinger were made public on Tuesday.
Before an interview with Bensinger this offseason, Macdonald, on a hot mic, recalled when Payton accused the Seahawks of cheating after they acquired fan videos from training camp practices in 2024. Bensinger initially published that story about Payton before editing the video and removing it.
"It's something I didn't intend for public use," Macdonald explained on Wednesday. "But I felt like it was the most appropriate thing to reach out to Sean and just apologize to him for having that end up be public where it wasn't meant to.
"It's something they had to deal with in real
time that wasn't really on their end. That's where you're like, 'crap.' It's a lesson learned, honestly. … I'm responsible for what I say no matter the circumstance."
Macdonald said Payton's reaction was "great," and he respects the coach.
Here’s Macdonald’s comments: https://t.co/zAlKIwWrdY pic.twitter.com/tzWK9Nh8xW
— Andrew Destin (@AndrewDestin1) September 23, 2026
The Seahawks defeated the Broncos 26-20 in their season opener in 2024, and Denver's security has been stricter about enforcing a no-phone policy at training camp over the last two summers. Broncos coach Sean Payton is scheduled to speak to the media after Wednesday's practice.
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This article originally appeared on Broncos Wire: Mike Macdonald apologized to Sean Payton after hot mic story about cheating allegations
