Weaver To Face Former Ravens Colleagues Back-to-Back

The Dolphins defensive coordinator will coach against his former Baltimore colleagues in consecutive weeks.

Jun 4, 2024; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; Miami Dolphins defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver talks to cornerback Jalen Ramsey (5) during mandatory minicamp at Baptist Health Training Complex. / Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

On Sunday, it will be like an old home week when Anthony Weaver, the Miami Dolphins defensive coordinator, looks across the field and sees Seattle Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald. Weaver was on Macdonald's defensive staff as a member of the Baltimore Ravens in 2023.

Macdonald went on to get the top job in Seattle in the offseason, while Weaver left for greener pastures as the new defensive coordinator in Miami.

Weaver will also face former Ravens defensive backs coach Dennard Wilson next Monday night when Miami takes on the Tennessee Titans on September 30th. Wilson is now the Titans' defensive coordinator.

Miami has to compete with the Seahawks on Sunday before they can worry about Tennessee.

Weaver said he has the utmost love and respect for Macdonald and cherishes the time they spent together.

"First off, I love Mike Macdonald. The two years we spent together, we played really good defense and just who he is from a leadership standpoint as a teammate every day, we're very similar in our philosophical approach," Weaver said. "I was so happy for him when he got this opportunity, and to see them at 2-0 right now is not shocking to me just because I know what his foundational principles and beliefs are."

Weaver said the defense he runs in Miami comes from the same principles of the defense the two ran with the Ravens,

"In terms of who we are on defense, yeah, I think the roots are the same," Weaver said. "Probably how we call games is different obviously just because he's going to see it through his lens, I'm going to see it through mine, but how we believe the game needs to be played from a defensive perspective is the same."

Macdonald disagrees with their defensive schemes. However, he has the utmost respect for Weaver and the Dolphins' personnel.

"It's not a carbon copy. This is the Miami Dolphins defense led by Anthony Weaver. I think they are doing a really great job," Macdonald said. "A lot of respect for those guys and the coaches on that staff. And then obviously they got some really good players too."

Finally, Macdonald relented and agreed to a limited extent with Weaver. He said many of the concepts are the same.

"So there's a lot of concepts that you see that are similar to what we do and things we've installed here," Macdonald said. "But no, it's their defense."