Seahawks Lose a Coach for the Season as Mike Macdonald Keeps Details Private

The Seattle Seahawks will be without running backs coach Kennedy Polamalu for the remainder of the 2025 season after the team announced he’s taking a personal leave of absence. In the meantime, Justin Outten and Michael Byrne will take over the running backs room, Mike Macdonald confirmed at his latest press conference. 

Seattle did not provide details on why Polamalu stepped away, and Macdonald declined to elaborate when asked about it, focusing instead on how the staff will cover the responsibilities moving forward.

The timing is notable: the Seahawks are in the middle of a playoff push and sit at 10-3, with critical December football ahead and the run game often becoming even more important as the weather turns and the stakes rise.

Seahawks keep details private, but Macdonald signals it’s season-long

Seattle’s public messaging has been consistent: Polamalu’s leave is “personal,” and the organization isn’t offering further explanation.

However, Macdonald indicated the expectation is that Polamalu will be away for the remainder of the season, which at least provides clarity for how the Seahawks will structure the running backs operation week-to-week.

Polamalu, 62, joined Macdonald’s initial Seattle staff in February 2024 after previous NFL stops that included coaching running backs with both the Minnesota Vikings and Las Vegas Raiders.

What it means for Seattle’s backfield during the stretch run

A position coach leaving doesn’t change the Seahawks’ playbook overnight, but it can affect the details that matter most in December: weekly prep, individual fundamentals, blitz pickup, and the small situational decisions that show up in the red zone and on third down.

That’s why this hits as real news for Seahawks fans — especially with Kenneth Walker III and Zach Charbonnet sitting at the center of Seattle’s offensive identity and workload decisions each week.

One reason Seattle may feel it can keep the room steady is that Walker has already carried visible leadership responsibilities. He was even named an offensive captain recently, a sign the Seahawks trust him to set the tone inside the building.

Why Justin Outten and Michael Byrne are logical fill-ins

The staffers stepping in aren’t random assistants being thrown into the deep end.

Outten was hired by the Seahawks in February 2025 as the team’s run game specialist/assistant offensive line coach, and his background includes time as the Denver Broncos’ offensive coordinator along with multiple NFL stops. That résumé matters in a moment like this because it suggests Seattle is prioritizing continuity in the run-game structure and weekly planning.

Byrne, hired as an offensive assistant in February 2025, gives Seattle another day-to-day voice in the room to keep teaching, walkthrough communication, and drill work organized.

One other detail worth noting: Polamalu had been a clearly valued piece of the staff. He even received a game ball earlier this season after a Seahawks win over the Arizona Cardinals — the type of acknowledgment that typically reflects behind-the-scenes impact.

For now, Seattle’s message is simple: the Seahawks are moving forward with Outten and Byrne handling the running backs duties, while keeping Polamalu’s situation private and personal.

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