{"id":858621,"date":"2026-09-24T05:58:10","date_gmt":"2026-09-24T05:58:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/858621\/"},"modified":"2026-09-24T05:58:10","modified_gmt":"2026-09-24T05:58:10","slug":"graham-bensinger-expresses-regret-over-viral-mike-macdonald-clip","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/858621\/","title":{"rendered":"Graham Bensinger expresses regret over viral Mike Macdonald clip"},"content":{"rendered":"

Seattle Seahawks<\/a> head coach Mike Macdonald<\/a> gave a tremendous interview to Graham Bensinger for Bensinger\u2019s acclaimed In Depth\u00a0series. The final version, which published to Bensinger\u2019s YouTube channel<\/a> on Monday, lasted nearly an hour and 45 minutes.<\/p>\n

The most talked-about portion of the interview, however, is a story about Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton losing his cool over Macdonald using fan-taken videos of the Broncos\u2019 training camp to scout the team ahead of their Week 1 matchup in 2024. \u201cIt was like the Cold War,\u201d Macdonald said, in part.<\/p>\n

The two-minute clip went viral Tuesday:<\/p>\n

Mike MacDonald talking about a \u201cbehind the scenes cold war\u201d between Sean Peyton\u2019s Broncos and Mike\u2019s Seahawks. It was over the use Twitter videos of the Broncos training camp reps by the Seahawks prior to their week 1 matchup in 2024.<\/p>\n

( video from @GrahamBensinger<\/a> ) pic.twitter.com\/cRyX7WnZQt<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Nikko\ud83d\udc7e (@LegionBoomerTN) September 22, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

Macdonald and the Seahawks presumed the exhange was \u201cmore off than on<\/a>\u201d the record, per Mike Florio<\/a>. While Broncos and Seahawks fans ate up the story itself, Macdonald\u2019s hot mic moment stirred up a conversation about journalistic ethics and what is fair game, on or off the record, among sports media types.<\/p>\n

Bensinger spoke for himself by posting a statement<\/a> on Wednesday night, as relayed below.<\/p>\n

pic.twitter.com\/yICamkxA0B<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Graham Bensinger (@GrahamBensinger) September 23, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cDue to ongoing media requests for comment, I want to clarify the timeline surrounding a portion of our recent interview with Mike Macdonald that has received attention this week.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe complete Mike Macdonald interview, including the conversation now at issue, was provided to Seahawks PR last Wednesday, Sept. 16 \u2014 five days before it was published on YouTube Monday. During that time, no concern was raised about the exchange, and we were never asked to remove it. For the last couple of years, our typical practice with long-form interview releases has been to include some of the pre-interview conversation.<\/p>\n

\u201cCoach Macdonald reached out to me directly yesterday morning expressing concern. I immediately told him we would remove that portion, and we did. Unfortunately, it had already been clipped from our interview by online outlets and circulated elsewhere. I told Coach, in hindsight, I regretted allowing that exchange to be included and that it was my error in judgment.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have tremendous respect for Coach. We spent significant time together in Seattle, and I came away impressed not only by what he has accomplished in such a short period of time, but by the person he is. The last thing I want is for one exchange to overshadow that story. I also have great respect for Sean Payton, whom I had the opportunity to profile previously.\u201d<\/p>\n

Earlier Wednesday, Macdonald addressed<\/a> the clip during his usual press conference.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s something that I didn\u2019t intend for public use,\u201d Macdonald told reporters<\/a> in Seattle, later adding, \u201cI\u2019ve got to be better in that moment for understanding \u2014 look, I\u2019m responsible for what I say. Really, no matter the circumstance. Whether you\u2019re mic\u2019d up, whether you\u2019re not, whether you have a certain type of understanding. I fell short in that moment. It stings for me, frankly, but it\u2019s something that I\u2019m definitely gonna learn from. It\u2019s just a good example that we\u2019ve got to take responsibility for the things that we say.\u201d<\/p>\n

Macdonald disclosed that he had spoken directly to Payton and emphasized that he \u201crespect[s] the heck out of him and his program.\u201d Despite this hiccup (and their tiff in 2024), the respect is mutual.<\/p>\n

#Broncos<\/a> HC Sean Payton says he and #Seahawks<\/a> HC Mike Macdonald are \u201cgood\u201d and that the incident actually taught Denver how to better handle training camp with so many videos being made public by fans.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt helped us to some degree. \u2026 The conversation last night was good.\u201d https:\/\/t.co\/6qiadnwHjZ<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/wwZMTSpwsS<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) September 23, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cWe spoke,\u201d Payton said Wednesday<\/a> at his usual media availability, noting \u201ca ton of respect\u201d for Macdonald and the Seahawks organization. \u201cHe and I are good. Lord knows I\u2019ve been in his position where you\u2019re talking about something.\u201d<\/p>\n

You win some, you lose some. On the football field, Macdonald and the Seahawks have won 12 straight games, including Super Bowl LX in February. If Seattle rides a 15-game winning streak into Denver on Oct. 15, Payton and the Broncos can settle the score.<\/p>\n

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