Seahawks rookie Grey Zabel’s trash-talking game is beyond his years, too
Grey Zabel is a mauler.
That much has been true since his first NFL start, when he pushed around Las Vegas Raiders starting defensive linemen last month.
The rookie left guard, an instant starter from day one, is also behind why the Seahawks are quickly becoming a left-leaning offense.
The Busch Light-drinkin’ first-round draft choice from North Dakota State and Pierre, South Dakota, Seattle’s highest-drafted interior lineman since Hall of Famer Steve Hutchinson in 2001, is also ... a trash-talker?
“I’ve heard him say a couple things to some guys,” quarterback Sam Darnold said of his left guard three games into his NFL career, “and I admire the trash talk.”
That, from a QB his Seahawks teammates praise for having spice of his own.
“The thing you love about Sam is, he’s just a dude, man,” coach Mike Macdonald said this summer of Seattle’s new quarterback. “He’s, like, one of the guys. He’s one of the guys, so he’s right there with them in all the things. That’s him.
“But there’s some s*** to him. He’s like...don’t mess with him.”
So apparently Darnold knows some of what he speaks about Zabel and his on-field woofin’.
“I think Grey is smart with it,” Darnold said. “He is not going to say anything that crosses the line.
“But he is a good trash talker, I will say.”
Zabel smartly got the Seahawks 15 yards, a first down and their first touchdown in their last game.
On third and 8 from the New Orleans 24-yard line last Sunday at Lumen Field, Darnold threw incomplete on a pass over the middle. As the play ended, Zabel was in a word fight with Saints defensive tackle Bryan Bresee. Zabel got Bresee so mad he head-butted Zabel, thrusting his face mask into the Seahawks guard’s face mask.
They were right in the middle of the field. Officials penalized Bresee for unsportsmanlike conduct. Instead of kicking a field goal, Seattle had a first down, at the New Orleans 12.
On the next play, Darnold threw a touchdown pass to Jaxon Smith-Njigba. And the rout was on. The Seahawks scored 35 points in the first 1 1/2 quarters of a 44-13 runaway from the Saints.
Rookies in their first NFL weeks are known as timid. Or overwhelmed, trying to adjust.
Zabel is the opposite of timid and overwhelmed. He’s so well-adjusted, he’s barking at opponents like he’s been playing 10 years, not three games.
Tuesday, before a half-hour, walk-through practice the Seahawks (2-1) had to prepare to play at the Arizona Cardinals (2-1) Thursday, The News Tribune asked Zabel about trash-talking being the latest standout part of his game.
Zabel denied culpability in making Bresee go off.
“I think we were both just playing until the whistle,” he said.
The 23-year old’s smack-talking on the field represents one of Macdonald’s many credos, the coach’s favorite: “Chasing edges.”
Zabel says it’s an integral part of playing his position.
“Sometime you’ve just got to play with an edge,” Zabel said.
“Yeah, it’s the only way to play offensive line.”
His teammates and coaches keep raving about how poised Zabel is, as if he’s a 10th-year and not a first-year player. For him, there’s been seemingly nothing to his jump from North Dakota State in the Football Championship Subdivision to the NFL. There seems to be nothing to Zabel’s rise from last year at this time preparing to play Illinois State in Normal, Illinois, on WDAY in Fargo to now readying to face 18-year veteran Calais Campbell and the Cardinals in Arizona on the NFL’s Thursday Night Football featured national telecast.
“It doesn’t feel like he’s a rookie,” Macdonald said. “I guess that’s probably the biggest compliment I could give him.”
Zabel’s offensive coordinator is like Darnold. He loves that Zabel talks smack to back up his standout blocking, which the Seahawks need more of in what’s been a sputtering running game so far this season. Seattle is averaging 96 yards rushing per game. That’s tied with the Giants for 22nd in the NFL.
Kubiak says Zabel’s trash talking isn’t just him wildly popping off. It’s done with intelligent intention, like everything else in his game.
“I just think Grey is a very steady player,” Kubiak said following the players’ walkthrough practice in T-shirts Tuesday. “He’s focused on getting better all the time. He’s not satisfied with where he’s at. And obviously he’s a very talented young man.”
“Between the ears, you have to have that as a guard, as a center especially. The closer you get to the ball, the more intelligent you’ve got to be and the quicker reactor you’ve got to be. And I think Grey has some natural instincts in there.”
This story was originally published September 24, 2025 at 6:26 AM.
