The Seattle Seahawks moved quickly to address a troubling incident that unfolded just before kickoff of their NFC Divisional Round matchup against the San Francisco 49ers.
Following multiple videos showing a Seahawks fan being removed by security for hurling offensive insults at 49ers players, Seahawks general managerJohn Schneider issued a public apology to San Francisco and made it clear that the organization would not tolerate that behavior.
Schneider confirmed that the incident involved direct harassment toward 49ers players as they entered the stadium tunnel, crossing a line well beyond normal rivalry banter.
“We reached out directly to the 49ers organization and their players,” Schneider said. “What happened before the game was unacceptable, and it does not reflect who we are.”
The Seahawks GM emphasized that the franchise prides itself on passion, energy, and one of the loudest home-field environments in the NFL — but never at the expense of respect.
https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2012694762927575152&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Ffanhub.feji.io%2Fblog%2Fseahawks-gm-john-schneider-issues-apology-to-49ers-vows-lifetime-bans-for-fans-who-crossed-the-line&sessionId=3ec93610d765840698e08463cc6ef05f68b70386&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px
“Those individuals do not represent the spirit of the Seattle Seahawks, our locker room, or our fan base,” Schneider added. “There’s a difference between rivalry and harassment, and this clearly crossed that line.”
According to Schneider, the team is working closely with stadium security and the NFL to identify those involved. Fans found to have engaged in abusive or inflammatory conduct toward players will facepermanent bans from Lumen Field.
“We are committed to making sure this never happens again,” Schneider said. “Anyone who comes into our stadium and disrespects players, especially during moments like that, will not be welcome back.”
The apology was well received by many around the league, including fans on both sides of the rivalry. While emotions run high during playoff football, Schneider acknowledged that responsibility starts at the organizational level.
“Our players compete with intensity. Our fans should support with the same passion — not hostility,” he said.
The Seahawks reiterated that playoff atmospheres should be loud, intimidating, and electric — but always rooted in sportsmanship. For Schneider, the message was simple: rivalry fuels the game, but respect protects it.
