Read the full transcript from DL Zach Sieler's media availability on August 4, 2026.

This morning Coach Hafley talked about your production particularly on pick stunts and running rush games, and you get so much from that where it's a selfless rep where you're not trying to necessarily pick a quarterback. But what leads to the production off of that when you do have that selfless rush and you wind up making the play?

Zach Sieler: I think we talked about one time when I sat with you, how you've got to rush this unit, all four up front. With the quarterbacks in the league, how good they are, how mobile they are, if you don't, they'll find an opening. They'll take it. Having that repetition with the guys up front with me from last year, as well as the new guys that come in and have fully just bought in and just dove into the system and just been like, very excited to play and just eager to just learn and rush as a unit. And obviously all that goes with coverage. I mean, if it's the right coverage, we get back there. That's what we preach is we work as one, we work as a unit and we fly around.

So there's a better level of comfort now with Jordan Phillips, with Kenneth Grant, with Zeek Biggers all being in Year 2?

Zach Sieler: Absolutely. I mean, everyone hopefully takes a big jump from one to two, and we're counting on those guys. I fully expect them to, and I've seen them make great strides in what they're doing out there. It's really exciting to see them grow and early in camp, so I'm really excited to kind of push them throughout the rest of camp and them push me.

Did you play much basketball before settling in in football?

Zach Sieler: No, I'll be honest, I didn't. I wrestled.

Jeff Hafley earlier today described you as more of a point guard, somebody who's not afraid to create success for his teammates and they take a lot of pride in doing so. I was just hoping that you could elaborate on that.

Zach Sieler: Well, I hope I know what a point guard is, right, I mean, without playing? My wife played so like, I have to know something, right? (laughter) So anyways I do take pride in the fact of being a captain. Me, Jordyn (Brooks), all these guys are stepping up, T-Dot (Tyrel Dodson), (Jacob) Rodriguez and just you got to be out there. You got to be a leader. You've got to be vocal, but you can't be selfish. The better we do as a unit, the better we do as a team, the better you'll do individually, and I fully believe that. I believed that from day one. And I tell these guys, trust the process, trust the journey. If someone's making plays one day and you're not, the plays will come. Don't stress. When you stress and try to force a play, that's when bad things happen. We just got to play as eleven and be as one.

You obviously had a batch of rookies last year. I'm assuming seeing growth from them now, but what do you say to the rookies that you might see struggling or head down?

Zach Sieler: I mean, I was there. It feels like yesterday, but it was nine years ago. I was there and it's like, look again, trust the process. Be a sponge, follow the vets, get through the day. If they're going to give you advice, give you tips, take it. I tell guys like, hey, look, if you're cramping and stuff, like make sure you're drinking. I mean, that's the one thing coming down here. I don't care where you're from. I asked guys from Texas, Taaffe, 'hey man, what's different?' He goes, 'this is hotter.' It is, and it's our edge. It's our advantage. So practicing out there, being ready for it every single day, that's our edge and we got to take advantage of that. So telling these guys to be a sponge in the meeting rooms, be a sponge from the guys and just to learn from them and understand football in the NFL is completely different from college. You're looking for any little inch of advantage, whether it be from tightening down or loosening up with a three tech, or backing off or tightening down at the safe position, whatever that may be. Guys are good enough to see those little tips, so if you give those tips away, we'll take them and use them to our advantage.

You've had some reps against Jonah Savaiinaea today and yesterday. How have you seen him?

Zach Sieler: Obviously he's changed sides now, and I think Jonah's done a great job of keeping his hands inside and he's doing a good job of working as one across the line. All five of them, obviously with (Kadyn) Proctor being in there as a rookie and them all working together has been really exciting. (Aaron) Brewer has been a point guard and really taken a role in a vital, critical part of just getting all five of them on the same page and working as one. I mean, we all know o-line is the first ever position that people were like, you got to work as one, and those guys work together and they keep working as a unit. I think they're just gonna have some good growth this year, I'm really excited to see them play.

Jeff Hafley talked about a play on Friday where you guys ended the practice with a sack, and you call it a rush game, and he kind of gave you a look and said to call the rush game to the man's side of the formation. Just what's it been like for you to have a defensive coach that has that insight for you, that you guys can kind of go back and forth on in practice?

Zach Sieler: It's just very exciting. Shoot, I think (Vic) Fangio, Weav (Anthony Weaver), Haf (Jeff Hafley), all these guys – just being able to sit down and Haf with his just defensive mind, how he sees it and how he sees the defense working to the advantage of each player and the players working to the best ability of those calls and the defense has been really exciting. To understand what games open up and what calls and how he's calling what and why he's calling it to understand what we can get out of that and how we can take advantage of it, is how you play fast and physical each play. It's been really exciting learning. I'm excited to keep going. We got a lot of defense left to install.

This time of the year, when you're beating young guys out there, I won't name names or anything. When that's happening, do you take more satisfaction in the fact that you're accomplishing what you're trying to do out there and passing that that single test or that it's a learning moment for them?

Zach Sieler: Obviously you want to win every rep. We're competitors at heart. You've got to be out here, right? I'm trying to win every single rep. There's no hard feelings if they stuff me or stop me on a rush and they do whatever, and I don't get by or I get by and I win the rep, it's what did I do, how did you see that, how'd you beat me, or vice versa and just learning off each other. No hard feelings. Obviously it's going to get chippy. We're going to fly around out there and there could be some scuffles and all that. But end of the day, man, we're one offense defense. We're a team, and the better the offense does, the better defense has a chance to do so. We play as one, we don't play as two halves. That's the big thing that Haf has preached is we're all in this together, it's not offense versus defense. I know camp obviously is tough. It's chippy. We're only going against each other, so it'll be exciting to take it up to Washington and keep growing from there.

What did you say to Kadyn Proctor, if anything, after that end of practice play Friday? Like what could he learn from that?

Zach Sieler: What day is it, whatever Friday was – I know what you're talking about though. And it's not just (Kadyn) Proctor, but a lot of the guys on defense too is what we hit on. It's hot down here, take advantage of it. Late in the downs, fourth quarter, that's when you win the games. And that's when you got to take advantage of guys being tired or guys not being as sharp as they typically are and you get those extra little tips. He's done a great job of just having consistent sets, consistent feet and just keep working, so just keep working through it. As we grow as a unit up front, offense, defense, just keep understanding where Brewer's going to sit, where Pat's going to sit, how you guys can work together to stop the games and vice versa, how we take advantage of that.

Who put you on the ground yesterday?

Zach Sieler: I didn't get put on the ground.

Yeah, they got you.

Zach Sieler: No, watch the tape, come on. I think there was a running back in there too, wasn't there? (laughter) No, it's been a lot of fun playing with these guys and working with them. It's chippy, man. It's a good game, so I love it.

These young tight ends, Seydou Traore and Will Kacmarek, get a lot of those insert reps coming up against you guys and the edges as well. What are you seeing from those two guys in the blocking game?

Zach Sieler: Well you know what we always say is d-line shouldn't get blocked by a tight end, right? They've been doing great. Coach Bobby's scheme and the system, how he's playing, how he's using the tight ends so multiple in different ways has been really exciting. Obviously the more you can do with them as a tight end perspective from blocking, receiving, running, all that stuff, it's a huge asset to keep the offense multiple. So it's exciting to see those guys grow and keep building on that.

Patrick Paul just called you a dawg. Can you talk a little bit about the level of intensity you bring to practice and what kind of impact that has on the locker room?

Zach Sieler: It's just preaching just be the same guy every day. Just be consistent. Consistency is key. Trust the process. Keep growing every day. And if that means going out there and chirping and scuffling around and guys going on the ground or not, but me and Pat, it's been awesome seeing him progress in his career and learn from T. Stead (Terron Armstead) early on and just kind of evolved into the role he's in right now. He's been a great asset to us, and I'm excited to see him play this year.