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The Seahawks are adding another major Ravens name to Mike Macdonald’s staff, with ESPN’s Adam Schefter reporting Seattle is hiring former Baltimore defensive coordinator Zach Orr as inside linebackers coach.
Per Schefter, Orr had been in the defensive coordinator interview mix in recent weeks — and the Raiders requested to interview him for their DC job — but he ultimately chose to reunite with Macdonald in Seattle. Cowboys reporter Clarence Hill Jr. also reported the move and added that Orr had an opportunity to take the same position in Dallas.
Per sources, Former Baltimore Ravens DC Zachary Orr is headed to the Seattle Seahawks as an inside linebackers coach. Orr will be reunited with Mike Macdonald who preceded him as Ravens DC.
He had a opportunity to take the same position in Dallas
Why this Zachary Orr hire matters for Mike Macdonald’s defense
This isn’t just “another coach hire.” It’s a very specific Baltimore-to-Seattle pipeline move, and it reinforces what Macdonald appears to be building: a staff that speaks the same defensive language he’s trusted at the highest level.
Here’s the key timeline:
Macdonald served as the Ravens’ defensive coordinator in 2022-23.
Orr was Baltimore’s inside linebackers coach in 2022-23, working directly under Macdonald.
Orr was then promoted to Ravens defensive coordinator ahead of the 2024 season and ran the defense the past two seasons.
So Seattle isn’t just hiring an “inside linebackers coach.” The Seahawks are hiring someone who recently called NFL defenses, then opting back into Macdonald’s system in a role that can directly shape the middle of the defense, communication, checks, fit discipline, and coverage landmarks.
And that matters because, in Macdonald-style defenses, the inside linebackers are often the traffic controllers.
Seattle’s Ravens reunion tour is speeding up
Orr isn’t the only Baltimore hire hitting the wire.
Earlier Friday, reports said Daniel Stern is leaving the Ravens to join the Seahawks, after a decade in Baltimore and most recently holding the title director of football strategy/assistant quarterbacks coach. ProFootballTalk noted the early reporting also suggested he “could be” a pass-game strategist in Seattle, though the exact Seahawks title hadn’t been finalized publicly in that report.
Put together, the Seahawks have now landed:
A former Ravens defensive coordinator (Orr) to coach inside linebackers
A longtime Ravens offensive/strategy assistant (Stern) to help on the pass-game/strategy side
That’s the kind of staff-building that can shorten install time after losing an offensive coordinator (and potentially more coaches): fewer translation issues, fewer “new terminology” delays, and more plug-and-play continuity.
The DC carousel angle: Orr had options
Orr’s landing spot is also notable because it comes after he was actively tied to coordinator openings. One example: the Chargers’ team site published a “5 things” explainer during their DC search that framed Orr as a 33-year-old coach who had spent the last two seasons as Baltimore’s defensive coordinator.
Schefter’s report that the Raiders requested to interview Orr for their defensive coordinator job underscores that Orr wasn’t taking the Seahawks job due to a lack of interest, he was electing to join Macdonald’s staff.
Hill’s report adds another layer: Dallas was also in the picture for Orr in an inside linebackers role, but Seattle won the decision.
What happens next for Seattle
The practical question now: how quickly can Macdonald’s defense accelerate with trusted Ravens infrastructure in place?
With Orr coaching the inside linebackers, Seattle is putting a recent NFL play-caller in charge of a position group that typically handles:
front/coverage communication
run-fit discipline
middle-of-the-field spacing in zone structures
week-to-week opponent-specific adjustments (a huge part of what separates “good” from “top-10” defenses)
And with Stern arriving from Baltimore on the strategy/QB support side, it’s clear Macdonald is stacking coaches he already knows, and betting that familiar process produces faster results.
If this “Ravens-to-Seahawks” pipeline keeps rolling, don’t be surprised if Seattle continues to show up in reporting on experienced assistants who have history with Macdonald, especially as the league’s staff movement ramps up after the Super Bowl and into the spring.
Erik Anderson is an award-winning sports journalist covering the NBA, MLB and NFL for Heavy.com. He also focuses on the trading card market. His work has appeared in nationally-recognized outlets including The New York Times, Associated Press , USA Today, and ESPN. More about Erik Anderson
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