There are many things to consider and look back on as they relate to the elements that lead to success for the Seattle Seahawks, but one element that shouldn't be overlooked does not involve the players on the field.
Sure, when it comes to wins and losses on the football field, the players will always be up front and center due to their direct involvement. Players play and coaches coach; this is just how it is in all sports, not just the NFL.
That said, some coaches draw more or equal attention beside their players due to their success, and Mike Macdonald is one of those coaches. Additionally, this applies to another non-player whose decisions off the field shape how successful a team can be. Together, in Seattle's case, this is the case for Macdonald and Seahawks general manager John Schneider.
Mike Macdonald and John Schneider are the Seattle Seahawks' long-term threats
There's no denying the elite connection between Sam Darnold and Jaxon Smith-Njigba, or the strength of brotherhood and continuity between the Seahawks' defense. Those connections are on the field, though, while the clock is running down, between the hashmarks, between the players putting their bodies on the lines for their teammates.
As a roster, the Seahawks have one of the best, if not the best, in the league, and it's a significant part of what keeps the team great. However, the one connection that actually might be more important than any is that of Macdonald and Schneider, the former, whose two years into his role, and the latter, who is in his 16th year.
Schneider and Macdonald have a solid, trustworthy relationship. It has been evident for years that Schenider's ability to draft and construct rosters is elite, if NFL general managers have an "elite" category. Macdonald, in a much smaller time frame, has shown his own eliteness in play-calling and leading men.
Together, Schneider and Macdonald have formed one of the top head coach-general manager partnerships in the league, and it's a significant reason why the Seahawks will be contenders for as long as both men remain at their posts.
That said, the same can be said for the situations with the Seahawks NFC West division rivals, the Los Angeles Rams and San Francisco 49ers. Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch also form a solid partnership, and their relationship has never reported any turbulence.
Additionally, the 49ers have done well under their leadership, despite significant injuries seemingly every year, and of course, no Super Bowl wins.
In LA, a partnership that has delivered a Super Bowl and contention every year since, Sean McVay and Les Snead are also among the NFL's best coaching and front-office partnerships. All three teams and all three head coach-general manager tandems have seen success, and all continue to do so, under the umbrella of the same division.
McVay has dabbled in walking away in the past and may again in the near future. Shanahan has yet to win the big game, and who knows how many more seasons go by without that big win before he potentially moves on is something to think about. Macdonald is just getting started, and that's what makes his place in the league so intriguing, alongside Schneider.
The NFC West is crowded with elite coaching minds and general manager intellects. That said, the future of the Seahawks seems more concrete than the futures of the Rams or 49ers, for various reasons.
With that in mind, a continued partnership between Schneider and Macdonald could be the No. 1 reason why Seattle remains not only at the top of its division but also a championship contender beyond this past season.