Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald announced that Rayshawn Jenkins would be activated from injured reserve, per Michael-Shawn Dugar of The Athletic. Seattle is expecting their veteran safety to take the field on Sunday against the Cardinals for his first appearance in Week 6.
Jenkins started the Seahawks’ first six games, racking up 38 tackles and a 102-yard fumble return touchdown, the longest in the NFL this season. He played with a cast over his left hand in Weeks 5 and 6, but landed on injured reserve on October 16 to allow his injury to fully recover. The 2017 fourth-round pick returned to practice this week and quickly got back up to speed in the defense.
Jenkins arrived in Seattle this past offseason on a two-year, $12MM contract to pair with Julian Love as starting safeties in Macdonald’s new defense. In Jenkins’ absence, third-year defensive back Coby Bryant has stepped up at safety, ranking fifth on the team with a 73.2 overall defensive grade from Pro Football Focus (subscription required).
While Jenkins is expected to return to a starting role this weekend, Bryant’s emergence will give Macdonald more options in a defense that prioritizes interchangeability between versatile defensive backs. All three players are capable of playing deep safety or sliding into the slot. Jenkins also saw plenty of time in the box in dime packages, so Macdonald could also call more three-safety formations.
The Seahawks currently have 52 players on their active roster, so they will not need to make a corresponding move to accommodate Jenkins’ activation.