Shaquill Griffin arrived in Seattle and the NFL eight years ago as a kid.
He was 21 years old. He constantly flashed a huge, boyish smile. Eventually his roommate in Seattle became his Seahawks teammate, his soul mate and best friend: his twin brother Shaquem. They studied playbooks. They did carpool karaoke videos together. They were living away from their native St. Petersburg, Florida, for the first time. By the summer of 2018, they were on the Seahawks’ starting defense together. They had each other, and an entire pro football career, ahead of them.
Shaquill Griffin left the Seahawks at the end of his rookie contract, before the 2021 season. He signed with home-state Jacksonville.
Then he played for Houston. Then for Carolina. Last season, for Minnesota.
Now he’s back. And he’s changed.
Griffin is 30 now. Almost suddenly, he’s been in the league for eight years.
His brother is out of football; Shaquem retired in 2022. The first one-handed player drafted into the modern NFL is starting a motivational speaking company while doing work with technology companies.
Shaquill? The Seahawks signed him back to Seattle six weeks ago. He’s no longer a starter. He’s trying to win a job as a backup to young Devon Witherspoon and Riq Woolen, who have already made Pro Bowls in their brief NFL careers.
Griffin is no longer single. He’s not living with Shaquem. Shaquill has three kids: a 5-year-old son Amir, a 2-year-old daughter Amor, plus he and his fiancee rap singer Tokyo Jetz welcomed a baby boy three months ago.
That was around the time Vikings let him go after his one season as a fifth, nickel defensive back in Minnesota. He made a free-agent visit this summer with Pete Carroll, the coach who drafted him and his brother into the NFL in 2017 and ‘18, and the Las Vegas Raiders. He eventually chose to return to the Seahawks.
He signed a one-year, $3 million with $1.75 million guaranteed the last week of June.
“Oh, man...a lot of decisions,” Griffin said this week. “It was a tad bit different when I first got here, (I was) telling people, getting a chance to play with my brother for over three years.
“Now, coming back here, with a fiancé and three kids, it is a tad bit different. A lot of equations that I had to think about before making the final decision. So, one thing about it, my fiancé, my kids are right behind me, so made this decision easy to come right back home where it all started.”
His still has his boyish smile. He still has his easy disposition, and his laugh.
Yet he has a new perspective that new fathers everywhere can relate to.
“It is definitely different. It’s a little different when you have three babies running around,” he said. “But, they give me an extra spirit to come out here and continue to do what I got to do.
“Being over here nine years now in this league and continue to do it at a high level, man, it feels great.”
Richard Sherman, mentor
One of Griffin’s mentors when he got to the NFL in 2017 was Richard Sherman. Seattle’s All-Pro cornerback and Super Bowl champion was in final Seahawks season when Griffin was a rookie with Seattle.
Sherman was at Seahawks training camp again this past weekend, as he’s been a couple times recently.
Griffin went up to Sherman, now 37, on the sideline during practice Sunday.
It was a full-circle moment for Griffin.
“I (was) talking Sherman on the sideline earlier and I said, ‘I finally get what y’all was saying,’” Griffin said. When you get a little older, your warmups get a little longer. I have got the daddy strength now. I understand that part.
“So, it’s cool. It’s a different perspective of getting a chance to do things. continue provide for my kids and showing the best way to do things to continue to be that leader.”
That’s what he is to this Seahawks secondary. He’s the oldest, by three years, among the 11 cornerbacks on the 90-man preseason roster.
Griffin has some catching up to do on the field. He missed all but the first day of camp’s first two weeks. He was away attending to an unspecified personal issue that seems to have cleared.
Saturday and Sunday during practices he worked with a trainer on a side field on conditioning drills and running laterally. He’s trying to get his legs back into football shape to play in one of the Seahawks’ two remaining preseason games, Friday against Kansas City at Lumen Field and Aug. 23 at Green Bay. Seattle also has a joint practice against the Packers in Wisconsin Aug. 21 that coach Mike Macdonald sees as even more valuable for veterans than preseason games they most rest and watch.
Saturday, Griffin was on the third unit at right cornerback in 11-on-11 scrimmaging. It was more than he was supposed to work that day.
“Yeah, he snuck in an extra couple of reps. That wasn’t necessarily part of the plan,” Macdonald said.
Griffin got the message Sunday.
“I wasn’t trying to get my coaches in trouble. I’m excited to get my feet back running around in the grass,” he said, grinning. “I got myself a few reps in there. Just a quick burst here and there. Nothing crazy but I definitely don’t want to get my coaches in trouble. “I dialed it back (Sunday), and I’ll get my reps (Monday). I’m taking it slow again. I don’t want to get my coaches in trouble.” The 16th practice Monday was like the seventh two weeks ago. It was one of Macdonald’s ultra-light “ACT” practices focusing on “alignment, communication and technique” while players wore T-shirts and bucket hats. At it, Griffin was on the third-team, at right cornerback.
Josh Jobe is the third outside cornerback right now. Jobe was that last season when Macdonald put Witherspoon inside at nickel in five defensive-back schemes.
Griffin is also in competition with Nehemiah Pritchett, a fifth-round pick by Seattle in 2024. Pritchett had an interception in one of Macdonald’s disguised pass coverages against the Raiders in the first preseason game last week. Griffin watched from the sideline wearing diamond necklaces that glittering in the evening lights.
Macdonald said it’s “great to see” Griffin now readying to join the competition. Roster cuts from 90 to 53 players for the initial roster of the regular season are Aug. 27.
“He looks good out there,” Macdonald said.
So far this summer, the older Griffin has been chasing his young kids more than young Seahawks receivers. That’s about to change, though.
“You all can probably have a guess who runs the house. The middle child,” Griffin said of his 5-year old, 2-year old and 3-month old.
“But yeah, she’ll be here (at training camp) soon. “She said she is ready to meet her fans.”