Coaches typically spend several minutes on pleasantries and shop talk before each NFL game. But that may not be the case on October 15, when the Seahawks face the Broncos.
In an interview with Graham Bensinger, Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald said Broncos head coach Sean Payton was ready to file a “Spygate”- type accusation against his team after learning the Seahawks had used fan videos to prepare for Denver’s offense.
In all, the Seahawks used dozens of videos posted by fans on social media. The videos showed plays run by the Broncos offense at training camp.
To hear Macdonald’s telling of the event, Payton was furious about what the Seahawks did and accused them of cheating.
The tactic worked, as the Seahawks beat the Broncos 26-20 in the 2024 opener.
To Payton, however, the fight was not over. He threatened to go public with what he saw as Seattle’s cheating tactics and reportedly became furious with Seattle General Manager John Schneider. The Seahawks then threatened to sue Payton, and that apparently ended it.
Given the timeline, this came shortly after the Conor Stallions scandal at Michigan, a multi‑year, off‑campus in‑person scouting and sign‑stealing scheme tied to Michigan football from 2021–2023 that resulted in Level I NCAA violations.
However, there’s a key difference between what Michigan did and what Payton accused the Seahawks of doing: The Seahawks didn’t send anyone to Broncos games to video, as the Wolverines did to their upcoming opponents.
Furthermore, videos uploaded to social media by private citizens are in the public domain and are not the Denver Broncos’ protected property. Meaning, had the Seahawks sued Payton, they likely would have won, which is also likely why the threat of a suit brought the issue to an end.
In any event, don’t expect a handshake at the end of the Broncos-Seahawks game on October 15.