HEADLINES

Seattle Seahawks News & Rumors

Seahawks Work Out LB Reuben Foster

July 31st, 2022 at 10:32am CST by Rory Parks

The Seahawks will work out free agent linebacker Reuben Foster today, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Foster has not seen game action since the 2018 season.

A first-round pick of the 49ers back in 2017, Foster lived up to his billing in his first professional season, appearing in 10 games (all starts) and racking up 72 total tackles en route to a third-place finish in Defensive Rookie of the Year voting. Pro Football Focus was especially fond of his performance and assigned him a terrific 81.2 overall score, including high marks for his work as a run stopper and in coverage.

Things began to go south in 2018, however. Foster was arrested three times that year, and after the third arrest in November 2018 — which stemmed from a domestic violence charge — the 49ers waived him. Washington made the highly controversial decision to claim him off waivers, and he spent the remainder of the campaign on the commissioner’s exempt list.

In January 2019, Florida prosecutors dropped the November charge due to insufficient evidence, and Foster was reinstated several months later. It seemed the Alabama product would have a chance to reestablish himself as a frontline ‘backer in the nation’s capital, but in his first practice with Washington, Foster suffered a torn ACL, LCL, and MCL. He also dealt with nerve damage that left him without feeling in his toes for several months. He missed all of the 2019 season, and though he finally returned to the practice field in August 2020, it was clear that he was not anywhere close to his old self, and he spent all of 2020 on IR.

Foster took a few workouts last September and also auditioned for the Dolphins this April, but he remains on the open market. The Seahawks currently have 2020 first-rounder Jordyn Brooks penciled in as their middle linebacker without much proven depth behind him, so it can’t hurt to see if their former division rival still has anything to offer.

NFL Injury Updates: Woods, Patrick, Adams, Stingley

July 30th, 2022 at 2:17pm CST by Ely Allen

With Tennessee trading wide receiver A.J. Brown during the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft in order to select Arkansas wide receiver Treylon Burks, the Titans will now look to former Bills and Rams wide receiver Robert Woods to serve as the team’s No. 1 receiving option. This puts lots of pressure on Woods as he continues to recover from a torn ACL suffered in practice last November. 

While Woods was acquired for a sixth-round pick and Burks was acquired with a first (via the Brown-trade), Woods nine years as a starter and veteran experience places him atop the depth chart over the rookie, Burks, for now. Woods had been experiencing a run of the best football of his career over the last four years. Since 2018, Woods has recorded season receiving totals of 1,219 yards, 1,134 yards, and 936 yards, all higher than any totals from his first five years in the league. He also reached six receiving touchdowns twice in that span, setting new career highs there, as well. At a pace of 61.78 receiving yards per game before his injury last year, Woods was set for his third 1,000-yard season in four years, and, with five total touchdowns, was on pace to set a new career high in scoring, as well.

The good news is that Woods has been full-go at Titans camp so far this month, according to Ben Arthur of The Tennessean. Not only is Woods out there taking live reps at practice, but he’s using the off-periods to work with quarterback Ryan Tannehill on timing and chemistry.

“It’s strong enough. It’s repaired. It’s healed,” Woods said in regards to his knee. “So my mentality going out here and practicing is push it and go. You almost want to like push it to the limit and see what you can do and that’s what I’m trying to do.”

Here are a few more injury updates from around the NFL this preseason, starting with an update out of the Windy City:

  • It appears that Bears center Lucas Patrick will require surgery on his right hand, according to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune. The former Packer is expected to start for new Chicago offensive coordinator Luke Getsy, as he did during their time together in Green Bay. While surgery will take him out of the lineup for a few weeks, the hope is that, by treating it this early in training camp, Patrick will be able to possibly return before the season opener.
  • While it was originally expected that Seahawks safety Jamal Adams would miss time while dealing with previous hand injuries, further reports reveal that he is expected to return to practice soon, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. Adams has been dealing with finger injuries for quite some time and, recently, broke a finger when it got stuck in a helmet during practice. Any surgery that may be required will be pushed to the offseason and, for now, he will return to the field “with a club and a special cast for games.”
  • The Texans’ No. 3 overall pick in this year’s draft, LSU cornerback Derek Stingley Jr., is attempting to bounce back from nagging injuries that limited him to only 10 games of action in his final two years of college. Houston was impressed enough with his freshman year numbers of six interceptions and 21 passes defensed to make him the first cornerback off the board from an impressive group of defensive backs. They also are hoping his injury woes have ended as head coach Lovie Smith said he expects the 21-year-old to be ready for the regular season opener, according to Mark Berman of Fox Sports.

G J.R. Sweezy To Retire With Seahawks

July 29th, 2022 at 3:48pm CST by Sam Robinson

3:48pm: This agreement may not be for Sweezy to give it another go in Seattle. Not long after signing K.J. Wright to a ceremonial deal to let him retire as a Seahawk, the organization is doing the same for Sweezy, Brady Henderson of ESPN.com tweets.

Part of the draft class that included Bobby Wagner and Russell Wilson, Sweezy served as a regular on a Seahawks O-line that helped move Wilson toward the Hall of Fame track and give Marshawn Lynch a career-defining second act. Behind 1,200-plus-yard seasons from Lynch, the Seahawks ranked as a top-10 offense from 2012-14. Being part of this group helped Sweezy eventually top $30MM in career earnings.

3:31pm: J.R. Sweezy has not played since the 2020 season, but the former Seahawks draftee is going home. The Seahawks will give the veteran guard another chance, per Field Yates of ESPN.com (on Twitter).

This stands to be Sweezy’s third Seattle stint. He arrived as a 2012 seventh-round pick and, after his Buccaneers free agent deal did not pan out, wound up back with his original team in 2018. The Seahawks let Sweezy walk in 2019, and he ended up starting two seasons with the Cardinals.

Sweezy, 33, caught on with the Saints in 2021 but did not make their 53-man roster. Despite Sweezy having missed two full seasons since 2016, the prior one because of injury, he has made 104 career starts. Sixty-four of those have come with the Seahawks, who deployed him as a first-stringer during each of their Super Bowl campaigns.

A starter in both Super Bowl XLVIII and Super Bowl XLIX, Sweezy commanded a five-year, $32.5MM deal from the Bucs in 2016. An injury wiped out his first Tampa Bay season, and the Bucs eventually moved on after the 2017 slate.

The Seahawks used Sweezy as a starter again in 2018, after giving him a one-year deal worth just $1.5MM. He parlayed Seahawks stint No. 2 into a two-year, $9MM Cardinals pact and was part of the team’s first two Kyler Murray-protecting O-lines. Considering Sweezy’s full-season absence in 2021, his latest Seahawks agreement is likely at or close to the veteran minimum.

Injury Updates: Packers, Seahawks, Jaguars, Colts, Giants

July 28th, 2022 at 10:03pm CST by Ben Levine

Packers second-round wide receiver Christian Watson was placed on the PUP before training camp opened, and ESPN’s Rob Demovsky writes that the rookie could miss a chunk of training camp. Watson continues to recover from minor knee surgery that took place following minicamp.

“I think there was kind of a thought process [of] do you want to try to push through the season and finish this after the (2022) season or should we just go ahead and do it now?” said Packers GM Brian Gutekunst said. “And we just did it now. So he’ll miss a little bit of time in camp, but it’s nothing long term.

“When we invest what we invested in Christian, we’re obviously looking out for the long term. We always do. He’s a young player who’s got a big career ahead of him, so we want to make sure we protect that. It’ll be how he responds through the rehab. As soon as he’s ready, we’ll get him out there.”

The Packers used the No. 34 pick on the rookie wideout. This naturally led to high expectations for the wideout, especially with Davante Adams out of the picture. The rookie has had only three opportunities to practice with Aaron Rodgers, and the wideout will miss out on chances to click with his QB during the early parts of training camp.

More injury notes from around the NFL…

  • Seahawks safety Jamal Adams underwent left shoulder surgery for the second-straight year, but he also underwent multiple finger surgeries during the offseason. Adams will be sidelined for “some time” while he gets his previously-injured hand checked out, coach Pete Carroll told ESPN’s Brady Henderson (Twitter link). “Yesterday his hand just wasn’t right, so he’s getting some opinions about it,” the coach said.
  • Jaguars running back James Robinson didn’t start training camp on PUP, but he won’t be a full participant right away, tweets ESPN’s Michael DiRocco (on Twitter). The hope is that Robinson will be fully cleared to participate in games by mid-August, meaning he could be active for the start of the regular season. Robinson tore his Achilles in Week 16 of the 2021 campaign, putting his early-season availability in doubt. Meanwhile, DiRocco notes that linebacker Devin Lloyd tweaked his hamstring during a conditioning test and will be sidelined for a few days.
  • Colts All-Pro linebacker Shaquille Leonard (previously Darius Leonard) was placed on PUP following offseason back surgery. The intent of the procedure was to relieve pressure on nerves in his back, and there was hope the surgery would also improve “functionality issues” in his left leg. Fortunately, Leonard said he immediately noticed a positive difference following the operation, and he said he’s focused on his rehab as training camp starts. “I’m not putting a timetable on it, but when I’m ready, you’ll see me on the field after that,” Leonard said (via Joel A. Erickson of the Indianapolis Star). “I’m ready to continue with my rehab, I’m happy with where I’m at right now, and hopefully we’ll continue to go forward with this process.”
  • Giants wideout Sterling Shepard was placed on PUP as he continues to recover from a torn Achilles. According to Dan Duggan of The Athletic, the goal is for Shepard to be ready for the start of the regular season, but it’s still unclear if the receiver will be ready by then. Offensive lineman Nick Gates is also on PUP as he recovers from a lower-leg fracture suffered last September. Duggan passes along that coach Brian Daboll was “surprisingly optimistic” about the status of the OL, revealing that there’s no guarantee that Gates will be forced to miss any time.

Seahawks, DK Metcalf Agree To Extension

July 28th, 2022 at 6:06pm CST by Ben Levine

DK Metcalf is sticking around Seattle for the foreseeable future. The receiver has agreed to an extension with the Seahawks, reports ESPN’s Adam Schefter (via Twitter). Jordan Schultz of Boardroom was first with the news (on Twitter).

The former second-round pick got a three-year extension worth $72MM, including $58.2MM guaranteed. The deal also includes a $30MM signing bonus, the largest ever for a wide receiver (per Schefter). By May 2023, Metcalf will have collected $43MM from this deal, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk adds.

Metcalf’s agent, Tory Dandy, finalized the deal with Seahawks GM John Schneider and exec Matt Thomas this afternoon. Interestingly, Dandy is also the agent for 49ers wideout Deebo Samuel, another star receiver from the 2019 draft who’s awaiting an extension.

Metcalf had one year remaining on his rookie contract at just under $4MM. He’ll now be signed through the 2025 campaign, allowing him to get another stab at free agency before his age-28 season. As ESPN’s Brady Henderson points out on Twitter, the Seahawks prefer longer deals when it comes to first-time extensions for players. Ultimately, Metcalf’s camp got their way, leading to a shorter extension that could have been partly inspired by fellow ’19 draft mate Terry McLaurin.

The 24-year-old Metcalf now leads the WR position in guaranteed money, topping the $56.4MM that A.J. Brown got from the Eagles. The total value of the contract ranks 10th at wide receiver (alongside Kenny Golladay and Christian Kirk), and the $24MM average annual value on the three-year extension would rank sixth at the position (tied with Stefon Diggs).

Metcalf sat out mandatory minicamp in pursuit of a new contract. This move surprised some in the organization, and it may have been a bigger shock when the receiver reported to training camp this week but staged a “hold in” while refusing to participate in drills. There seemed to be some optimism that a deal would eventually be signed, although it wasn’t expected to materialize this quickly. Now, the Seahawks will have their top offensive weapon back on the practice field as they prepare for a transitional season on offense.

It didn’t take long for Metcalf to make a name for himself in Seattle. After finishing with 900 receiving yards as a rookie, the wideout earned a Pro Bowl nod and second-team All-Pro recognition in 2020 after finishing with 83 receptions for 1,303 yards and 10 touchdowns. While he hauled in a career-high 12 touchdowns during the 2021 campaign, he saw a dip in his other key numbers (75 receptions, 967 yards). Still, Metcalf was listed 14th among 115 eligible receivers on Pro Football Focus’ ranking of the position.

With a pair of mainstays (Russell Wilson, Chris Carson) now out in Seattle, Metcalf will be relied on as the leader of a shaky offense. Fortunately, the receiver has had success with Geno Smith under center, at least in the red zone. In Smith’s three starts last season, Metcalf had 14 receptions for 197 yards and three touchdowns.

Minor NFL Transactions: 7/27/22

July 27th, 2022 at 5:45pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s minor NFL transactions:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Chicago Bears

Cincinnati Bengals

Dallas Cowboys

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Kansas City Chiefs

Miami Dolphins

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

New York Jets

Pittsburgh Steelers

Seattle Seahawks

  • Signed: OL Keenan Forbes, G Eric Wilson

49ers WR Deebo Samuel, Seahawks WR DK Metcalf Staging Hold-Ins

July 27th, 2022 at 5:20pm CST by Ben Levine

A pair of high-profile wideouts are staging “hold-ins.” ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports (on Twitter) that 49ers wideout Deebo Samuel and Seahawks receiver DK Metcalf will not be practicing at training camp due to contract disputes. Both players reported to training camp earlier this week.

The two receivers are heading into the final year of their respective contracts. Metcalf didn’t attend mandatory minicamp, but he incurred only a $90K fine. Samuel reported to minicamp but didn’t participate in on-field work, leaving the door open to a potential hold-in scenario. If the two players engaged in a traditional holdout, they’d face fines worth $40K for each day they were absent. The CBA’s recent holdout crackdown also includes a measure that would strip players of a year of service time toward free agency after barely a week’s worth of absences. Samuel and Metcalf will avoid these penalties by attending training camp but refusing to participate.

According to Cam Inman of the San Jose Mercury (on Twitter), Samuel conditioned on the sideline while the rest of his team participated in drills today. Meanwhile, the 49ers front office and Samuel’s agent considered to negotiate a deal.

“Hopefully we can figure something out soon, but we’re in a good place today,” Kyle Shanahan told reporters shortly after speaking with Samuel (via Inman).

Samuel is expected to join the ever-growing club of receivers signing deals averaging at least $20MM per season. Bridging the gap between Samuel’s original asking price and the team’s best offer to date has, naturally, been seen as a key milestone in helping repair relations between the two sides after the 26-year-old’s April trade request. Still, there’s a clear divide when it comes to the player’s value.

Metcalf doesn’t have to look very far to find inspiration for his hold-in, as teammate Jamal Adams staged his own last offseason. Adams returned to the field once he received a record-setting contract. Metcalf shouldn’t expect to reset the market at receiver, but the impending free agent should still be able to secure a lucrative multiyear deal. Metcalf’s decision to skip minicamp surprised some in the organization, but both Metcalf and Pete Carroll have expressed optimism about an extension being finalized. Though, this process is not expected to be wrapped up early in camp. Late last month, a report emerged indicating a Metcalf deal “hardly seemed like a slam dunk.”

LB K.J. Wright Retires After 11 Seasons

July 27th, 2022 at 1:55pm CST by Sam Robinson

K.J. Wright said earlier this offseason he would retire if a deal to return to the Seahawks did not transpire. A middle ground of sorts emerged Wednesday. The Seahawks signed Wright to a one-day contract, allowing the veteran linebacker to retire with the team.

Wright will walk away from football after 10 seasons with the Seahawks and one with the Raiders. He ends his career having signed four contracts, including two Seattle extensions. Wright, who turned 33 last week, is one of the longest-tenured defenders in Seahawks history.

Playing alongside Bobby Wagner for most of his career, Wright also became one of the better off-ball linebackers of this era. He started 148 games; his 140 starts as a Seahawk are the eighth-most by a defender in franchise annals. Wagner and Wright represent one of the longest-running linebacking tandems in modern NFL history. The organization has said goodbye to each in the past two offseasons, letting Wright walk in 2021 and releasing Wagner in March. The team is expected to use Cody Barton alongside 2020 first-round pick Jordyn Brooks this season.

Wright’s 934 tackles are the third-most in Seahawks history — behind only Wagner and safety Eugene Robinson — and he added 111 more in the playoffs. This included an 11-tackle performance in Super Bowl XLIX. The Mississippi State alum totaled 68 tackles for loss, 13.5 sacks and 11 forced fumbles.

Being part of one of this generation’s defining defenses will be a major part of Wright’s legacy. He joined the Seahawks as a fourth-round pick in 2011 and was on a defense that housed impact players up front (Michael Bennett, Cliff Avril), at linebacker and in the secondary (Earl Thomas, Richard Sherman, Kam Chancellor). Wright outlasted all of them but Wagner in Seattle. The Seahawks became the first team since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger to lead the league in scoring defense in four straight seasons, doing so from 2012-15.

The Seahawks gave Wright a four-year, $27MM extension in December 2014, locking him down not long after extending Thomas and Sherman. They decided on a third Wright pact in 2019, keeping him off the free agent market by doing a two-year deal worth $14MM. Wright recorded a career-high 132 tackles in 2019, his age-30 season, and held off Brooks to keep his job as a full-time player throughout the 2020 campaign. Last year, however, the Seahawks opted not to pair Wagner’s top-market contract with another Wright deal.

The Raiders gave Wright a one-year deal worth $3.5MM just before last season but used Wright as a part-time player. Although the SEC product played in all 17 Raider games, he was on the field for just 37% of Las Vegas’ defensive snaps. That will be a footnote for Wright, who will retire after making nearly $50MM during a career that included two Super Bowl starts and a Pro Bowl nod in 2016.

Seahawks Sign Three Picks, Finalize Draft Class

July 26th, 2022 at 9:11pm CST by Ben Levine

The Seahawks entered the day with three unsigned draft picks, but they finished signing all of their rooks today. The team announced that they’ve signed second-round linebacker Boye Mafe, second-round running back Kenneth Walker III, and fourth-round defensive back Coby Bryant.

Mafe was selected with the No. 40 pick following a standout career at Minnesota. That includes a 2021 campaign where he compiled 26 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, and seven sacks en route to second-team All-Big Ten honors. In Seattle, he should temporarily provide some depth behind the projected starting linebacker trio of Jordyn Brooks, Cody Barton, and Uchenna Nwosu.

Walker had a breakout season at Michigan in 2021, finishing with 1,636 rushing yards and 18 touchdowns. That performance earned him a long list of awards, and the Seahawks ended up using the No. 41 pick on him, making Walker the second RB off the draft board. With Chris Carson retiring, the rookie will immediately see a role on Seattle’s offense alongside running back Rashaad Penny.

Bryant earned the Jim Thorpe award as college football’s top defensive back in 2021 after finishing with 34 tackles, two interceptions, and 11 passes defended in 14 games with Cincinnati. The Seahawks used the No. 109 pick on him, and he’ll provide some depth at cornerback.

With the signing, the Seahawks have signed their entire draft class:

Round 1: No. 9 (from Broncos) Charles Cross, OT (Mississippi State) (signed)
Round 2: No. 40 (from Broncos) Boye Mafe, DE (Minnesota) (signed)
Round 2: No. 41 Kenneth Walker III, RB (Michigan State) (signed)
Round 3: No. 72 Abraham Lucas, OT (Washington State) (signed)
Round 4: No. 109 (from Jets) Coby Bryant, CB (Cincinnati) (signed)
Round 5: No. 153 Tariq Woolen, CB (Texas-San Antonio) (signed)
Round 5: No. 158 (from Dolphins through Patriots and Chiefs): Tyreke Smith, DE (Ohio State) (signed)
Round 7: No. 229 Bo Melton, WR (Rutgers) (signed)
Round 7: No. 233 (from Vikings through Chiefs): Dareke Young, WR (Lenoir-Rhyne) (signed)

Minor NFL Transactions: 7/26/22

July 26th, 2022 at 7:56pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s minor NFL transactions, including a handful of notable names landing on the physically unable to perform list and the non-football injury list as teams open up camp:

Arizona Cardinals

Chicago Bears

Cleveland Browns

Denver Broncos

Green Bay Packers

Indianapolis Colts

Kansas City Chiefs

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers

Miami Dolphins

  • Released with NFI designation: WR Cody Core

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

Pittsburgh Steelers

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Washington Commanders

Load More Posts