Geno Smith arguments are boring. Instead, let’s cheer Seattle’s most exciting player

Not everything needs to be an argument.

I had to remind myself after the first draft of this column. You see, I had planned to use this space to explain how the Seahawks’ comeback on Sunday erased any lingering reservations I had about Geno Smith being the team’s quarterback beyond this season. In other words, I was going to pick a fight by grabbing hold of the most divisive topic among Seahawk fans and giving it a vigorous shake to see how much pushback I could generate.

This seems to be a pretty solid approach as far as modern media strategies go. There are two national cable stations whose entire slate of daytime programming is dedicated to people like me providing declarative opinions on a whole range of sports topics in an effort to spit out the one take that will attract the most attention.

This is not, however, the only way to cover sports, and I’m increasingly of the belief it’s not the best way to cover them, which is why I’m going to steer this column away from the quarterback that Seahawk fans are most likely to argue about and onto the one player I believe every Seahawk fan should be excited over: Devon Witherspoon.

He’s a second-year cornerback who plays defense like an absolute maniac, and I mean that as a compliment.

It’s quite possible that you have already noticed this. Witherspoon is as fast as anyone on a football field and not just willing, but eager to throw his 185-pound frame at anything that moves.

Seattle chose him with the fifth pick in last year’s draft, and to be honest, I was shocked. Not because I questioned Witherspoon’s ability, but because general manager John Schneider had demonstrated the ability to find good, and in some cases great cornerbacks in the later rounds of the draft. I figured the Seahawks would use their first-round pick – the highest they’ve held in Schneider’s 15 seasons as GM -- on a position where it’s been harder for Seattle to find stars.

Halfway through Witherspoon’s second season, I not only understand why Schneider chose Witherspoon, but I’m thankful he did. Currently, one of my absolute favorite activities is scouring the Internet to find instances of Witherspoon being a complete and total menace. Like the truly diabolical hit he applied to Arizona’s Rondale Moore last year or when he ran down Pittsburgh’s Jalen Warren and deposited him in a heap on the sidelines. I cackled when I found this play of Witherspoon sprinting 25 yards so he could throw a block at a guy who outweighed him by more than 100 pounds, a block that just so happened to allow teammate Derick Hall to return a fumble for a touchdown.

I’m fairly certain that Witherspoon did not see the stop that gave the Seahawks a chance to win Sunday’s game. The reason I say this is because Witherspoon was upside down, having been flipped heels over head by a block from the 49ers’ Kyle Juszczyk. You see, Witherspoon – who was blitzing on the play – had leapt in the air to try and deflect Brock Purdy’s pass, showing absolutely no concern for the risk that blocker posed to his own safety. I’ve watched the play at least 50 times from a variety of angles, and Witherspoon’s recklessness makes me laugh every time. Witherspoon is a heedless maniac whose instincts and impulses remind me of Earl Thomas.

As far as I know, there is no statistic to quantify just how enjoyable it is to watch a specific player. However, I believe that Witherspoon is the kind of player who – even in these divided times – can unite Seahawk fans through his insistence on mucking things up for opposing offenses.

To be clear, this is an opinion I’m stating. It’s just not the kind of opinion that is generally used as the foundation for a sports column these days. You’re more likely to read about how this one win may be a turning point for this regime or how a comeback proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that the Seahawks should be looking to extend the contract of Smith this offseason if not sooner.

That’s how we’ve become accustomed to covering sports, and by “we” I mean me. I covered the Seahawks as a beat reporter for eight seasons. I talked about them on the radio for just as long, and over that time I’ve learned that the best way to create traction with your audience is to find the topic that generates the most passionate disagreement, and then argue one side against the other. That formula is exactly why I was preparing to use this space to say that Seattle should absolutely be willing to keep Smith beyond this season.

I do feel that way. However, I also recognize this a question Seattle is unlikely to address until the offseason, the next seven regular-season games may have a significant impact on what that decision may be, and while we could spend the next five months arguing about it, we could also use some of that time to celebrate something we all can enjoy.

I’ve always said that the reason I loved covering sports so much is that it is one of the best ways to bring a community together. We share a passion and enthusiasm for our teams, and while this certainly can lead to some spirited debates about what the team should do at a given position, it shouldn’t obscure the things we can all agree are absolutely awesome.

Devon Witherspoon is one of those things, and honestly, I don’t think that’s really debatable.

Danny O’Neil was born in Oregon, the son of a logger, but had the good sense to attend college in Washington. He’s covered Seattle sports for 20 years, writing for two newspapers, one glossy magazine and hosting a daily radio show for eight years on KIRO 710 AM. You can subscribe to his free newsletter and find his other work at dannyoneil.com.

This story was originally published November 20, 2024 at 6:00 AM.