The Seattle Seahawks appear to have answered one of their biggest remaining questions ahead of training camp next month.
Seattle is reuniting with veteran cornerback Shaquill Griffin on a one-year deal, as first reported by NFL insider Jordan Schultz on Wednesday morning. The deal carries a $3 million base salary and is worth up to $4 million, according to reports from ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler and NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo.
Bump: Why Seahawks signing Shaquill Griffin is ‘good move’
Griffin, 29, adds a veteran to Seattle’s cornerback room behind the talented starting duo of two-time Pro Bowler Devon Witherspoon and one-time Pro Bowler Riq Woolen, who are both still on their rookie contracts.
Griffin, a four-year starter in Seattle from 2017 through 2020, figures to compete with Josh Jobe for the third cornerback role in head coach Mike Macdonald’s defense. Seattle often plays with three corners when Witherspoon slides inside to the nickel spot, which he did on 48.1% of his snaps last season, according to Pro Football Focus.
The possibility of Seattle adding a veteran cornerback had lingered ever since Griffin and fellow 29-year-old corner Rasul Douglas reportedly both took free-agent visits with the Seahawks last month.
A third-round draft pick by Seattle in 2017, Griffin started 53 games as a boundary corner for the Seahawks over his first four seasons in the NFL, which included a Pro Bowl selection in 2019. He totaled six interceptions, 48 pass breakups and nine tackles for loss over that span.
Griffin departed during free agency in 2021 and spent the past four seasons with four different teams. He started 14 games for the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2021 and five games for them in 2022 before landing on injured reserve with a back injury. Then after splitting 2023 with the Houston Texans and Carolina Panthers, he spent 2024 with the Minnesota Vikings.
Griffin appeared in all 17 games with the Vikings last year, including three starts. He had two interceptions and six pass breakups, while ranking 64th out of 116 qualified cornerbacks in PFF grading.
Jobe began last season as a practice-squad member before surging up the depth chart and taking over the third cornerback duties midway through the year. Other players who could be in the mix for the third corner spot or for additional cornerback depth are veteran free agent addition Shemar Jean-Charles and 2024 fifth-round pick Nehemiah Pritchett.
After the Seahawks’ final minicamp practice two weeks ago, Macdonald was asked about the cornerback depth behind Witherspoon and Woolen. Macdonald said there are “great battles” for those roles, but hinted that the team could still make a signing in free agency.
“These are great battles going into the offseason,” Macdonald said. “Now, I mean, are we not going to look to always improve our team in any aspect? No, we’re always going to be out there and try to be in everything and chasing edges on making us better.
“But the guys that are with us right now kind of in that three, four, five spot is exciting. The guys are doing a great job, but go nail it this summer and come back and go compete your butt off.”
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