In Week 16, during a monumentally important game for the Seattle Seahawks, edge rusher Derick Hall stepped on the leg of Los Angeles Rams guard Kevin Dotson. Dotson was injured on the play, but before Hall stepped on him. Hall's move likely still did not feel good.
The NFL suspended the edge rusher for a game and upheld the suspension after appeal. Fans can answer for themselves whether what Hall did was intentional or not. It appeared to be, at least according to the league. The player will have to sit out Week 17 against the Carolina Panthers.
Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald was not buying that Derick Hall was trying to hurt someone, however.
Seattle Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald stands firmly behind Derick Hall
Speaking with the media in the days before Week 17, the coach said, "We accept what the league did. I don’t necessarily agree with it just because we know Derick as a player and as a person. Since he’s been here, he’s been nothing but an A-plus-plus teammate, A-plus-plus football player, and a member of our community....I just really refuse to believe there was ill intent in that play."
Mike Macdonald is honest enough that if he thought that Hall had definitely attempted to maim someone, the head coach would point it out. The coach is also great at standing up for his own players, sometimes by not giving out much information about the latest news on them. That he emoted so much about Hall speaks volumes.
For the team, the edge rusher could be missed against an improved Panthers team that is in first place in the NFC South and fighting for its playoff life. A loss at home to Seattle could certainly cripple those hopes.
Hall is seeing far fewer snaps this season than in 2024, but the biggest reason for that is that the Seahawks try to keep all of their edge rush group fresh. Hall's absence means more snaps for Boyfe Mafe, DeMarcus Lawrence, and Uchenna Nwosu. All are good players, but as Seattle has already clinched a playoff spot, the wish would be that they aren't suddenly playing more.
One facet appears certain, however. Neither Derick Hall nor Mike Macdonald believes that the player did anything wrong enough to get suspended for a game. This could mean Hall comes back extra motivated in Week 18 when the Seattle Seahawks play the San Francisco 49ers. That obviously isn't a bad thing.