Top pick L.J. Collier inactive for Seahawks’ opener at Colts, Army’s Jon Rhattigan active
L.J. Collier is another first-round pick not producing for the Seahawks.
Now, he’s not even in uniform for games.
Seattle left its top choice from its 2019 draft inactive for the season opener at the Indianapolis Colts Sunday — on his 26th birthday, no less. Drafted as a defensive end and beset by injuries as a rookie, Collier has been working this preseason into regular season as a hybrid, inside defensive tackle on passing downs. He’s listed as a starting defensive end on the team’s unofficial depth chart issued by the Seahawks’ public-relations staff, not their coaching staff.
Kerry Hyder has been the more impacting and starting end on the strongside opposite weakside, “Leo” end Carlos Dunlap during practices all summer. The Seahawks signed Hyder this offseason as a free agent following his 8 1/2-sack season with San Francisco in 2020.
The Seahawks had nine defensive linemen active for Sunday’s game.
On the pregame show on the Seahawks’ radio network Sunday, general manager John Schneider said: “We are changing things up a little bit schematically” on the defensive line. Schneider also cited the fact the Seahawks were fully healthy for the opener, after coach Pete Carroll rested almost all his starters during the three preseason games.
Seattle’s other inactive players for the opener: running back Alex Collins, recently signed cornerback Bless Austin, third quarterback Jake Luton, recently added third center Dakoda Shepley and rookie left tackle Stone Forsythe (with Pro Bowl veteran Duane Brown back this past week from his “hold in”).
Seattle’s top draft choices the last five years:
2016: Germain Ifedi: Started 13 games as a rookie at guard. Started the next three years for the Seahawks at right tackle. The team let his rookie contract expire in the spring of 2020. He signed with Chicago on a one-year deal for 2020, started 16 games for the Bears last season, then re-signed with them for one year and $4.25 million for this season.
2017: Malik McDowell: Never played in a game, not even a preseason game or a training-camp practice, following his ATV accident and serious head injuries months after the Seahawks drafted the former Michigan State defensive end.
2018: Rashaad Penny: a broken finger as a rookie. Reconstructive knee surgery in December 2019 sidelined him until December 2020. He remains a backup running back to Chris Carson. Sunday was the first game of the final season of Penny’s rookie contract. The team declined its fifth-year option for 2022 on Penny this past spring.
2019: Collier.
2020: Jordyn Brooks. Started at weak-side linebacker next to All-Pro Bobby Wagner Sunday. The former Texas Tech tackling machine started six games as a rookie. The coaches liking Brooks’ speed, tackling and promise is part of the reason the Seahawks chose not to re-sign K.J. Wright this offseason. Wright, the longest-tenured Seahawks through January, signed last week with the Las Vegas Raiders.
Rhattigan active
On Saturday, the Seahawks promoted undrafted rookie linebacker Jon Rhattigan from the practice squad to be active for the game. If he entered Sunday, likely on special teams, the former Army middle linebacker would become the first West Point graduate to play for the Seahawks.
Rhattigan is playing while the U.S. Army gives him a service waiver from being a second lieutenant in the infantry.
This story was originally published September 12, 2021 at 9:14 AM.
