Anthony Bradford ‘Blocks Out Noise,’ Opponents as Seahawks’ Bullying Guard Finds His Rhythm

In the social media era where anyone can make their opinions known and accessible to everyone with the instantaneous click of a mouse or tap of the touch screen, NFL players face the near-impossible task of avoiding their critics and the vitriol spewed on X, Instagram, Tik Tok, and other platforms.

For fourth-year guard Anthony Bradford, his first three seasons with the Seattle Seahawks have tested that fortitude trying to weather a constant barrage of criticism sent his way by fans and to a lesser extent, analysts. Selected in the fourth round of the 2023 NFL Draft, he stepped into the starting lineup early in his rookie season, enduring plenty of ups and downs as he acclimated to trying to block the best defenders in the world.

Along the way, Bradford has seen his fair share of posts and videos, including short clips that went viral highlighting a few missed blocks and using those miscues to create a narrative about his overall play for barn-storming 12s to grab their virtual pitchforks and torches and rally around. But as he has matured under the guidance of coach Mike Macdonald and offensive line coach John Benton, he has been able to drown out that static and maintain a clear, level head, leading to vastly improved performance last season as he helped Seattle march to a Super Bowl LX victory.

While the laid back Bradford doesn’t see it as vengeance or redemption per se, he admitted it felt pretty damn satisfying to hoist the Lombardi Trophy and eventually receive a Super Bowl ring to silence the naysayers.