Thursday's game between the Denver Broncos and Seattle Seahawks will mark the first matchup between the two sides since Sean Payton accused Seattle of cheating after the Seahawks' 26-20 win over the Broncos in 2024.
Before an interview with Graham Bensinger this offseason, Seattle coach Mike Macdonald recalled his staff finding videos of about 100 plays from Denver's 2024 training camp practices that fans posted on social media. Payton eventually found out the Seahawks had videos from Broncos practice and accused them of cheating, believing that they had planted a fan to film practice.
Macdonald revealed that story to Bensinger while on a hot mic, but he later explained that he did not realize — and did not intend for — that part of his conversation to be made public. After the story went viral, Macdonald called Payton and apologized to him.
Payton said he's "all good" with Macdonald after their conversation, and he noted his respect for the coach. Payton also noted that the Broncos are rooting for Seattle this season besides Thursday's matchup.
"[W]e’re pulling for them except for one game," Payton said. "They’re playing our division."
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This article originally appeared on Broncos Wire: Thursday marks first Broncos-Seahawks game since Sean Payton accused Seattle of cheating