Devon Witherspoon returns to Seahawks practice, GM acknowledges some concern
Devon Witherspoon was back on the field, just in time for the Seahawks’ first game week of the regular season.
The fifth pick in this year’s draft was dancing and swaying to Michael Jackson’s 1979 hit, “Don’t Stop ‘til You Get Enough,” roaring through the team’s speakers alongside the practice field. Then he began fully participating Monday in the initial portion of practice that was open to the media.
It was the cornerback’s first time on the field with his teammates since Aug. 7, when he injured his hamstring.
Witherspoon’s return to practicing doesn’t necessarily signal he will play Sunday in Seattle’s opening game, against the Los Angeles Rams at Lumen Field. Coach Pete Carroll told KJR radio in an interview that aired Friday, “It’s going to be a race to get him for the opener. Might not get that.”
On Monday general manager John Schneider said before practice the team is going to have to see how this week goes with him before knowing when he will be making his Seattle and NFL debut.
At least now Witherspoon can rejoin the competition with Tre Brown and the Seahawks’ Michael Jackson to start at left cornerback, opposite 2022 rookie Pro Bowl star Riq Woolen on the right. Witherspoon is also returning to competition with Coby Bryant as the primary fifth, nickel defensive back inside. Bryant had that job last season.
Edge rusher Darrell Taylor, out since Aug. 3 with a shoulder injury, was fully participating Monday in the beginning of practice open to the media. So was rookie defensive lineman Mike Morris. The rookie fifth-round pick had been out 2 1/2 weeks with his own shoulder injury.
Schneider acknowledged Monday the last month with Witherspoon, the team’s highest-drafted cornerback since Shawn Springs in 1997, being sidelined has been a concern.
“A concern? I would say that ... yeah. Yeah, a little bit,” Schneider said before practice. “He had a hamstring (issue) in the spring, got himself ready to run his 40(-yard dash at a 4.42 at his private workout at Illinois the first week of April). Had a little bit of a setback during camp. We’ve got to be smart with it.
“He’s doing great. We’ll see how he does this week, now.
“Physically? I guess, yes, because it’s a hamstring. Mentally? No, because he’s such a tough, gritty competitor, he’s going to go for it. If anything, we’re probably going to have to govern him a little bit.”
Witherspoon held out the first two days of training camp July 26 and 27, before he signed a four-year, $31.8 million rookie contract that the NFL already slotted in value per the collective bargaining agreement with players. The issue was the timing of payments of Witherspoon’s signing bonus. He wanted it all paid up front, as quarterbacks Bryce Young with Carolina and C.J. Stroud with Houston got this summer as the league’s first- and second-overall picks this year.
The Seahawks, with Schneider and contract/salary-cap executive Matt Thomas negotiating with Witherspoon’s representatives, ended up settling the impasse by paying him 73% of his signing bonus, just over $14.72 million, up front and the rest in coming months, per figures from espn.com’s Brady Henderson through a league source.
Schneider was asked how he can keep Witherspoon’s contract situation and timing of signing-bonus guaranteed money from being a precedent, or even if he minds if it becomes a precedent for Seattle’s future first-round picks.
“It’s basically the way we’ve always done things,” Schneider said of Witherspoon’s deal, “so we weren’t going to change anything that we did.”
Monday was the first step in Witherspoon returning to the business of paying off the Seahawks’ investment in him, on the field with prominent, still-to-be-settled roles in their defense.
Whether that’s Sunday against the Rams, week two at Detroit, or later remains to be seen.
“He was taking reps inside,” Schneider said of Witherspoon before his injury, “and (what) we talked about it around the draft is his route anticipation and his feel for crossers and people behind is really impressive.”
Roster moves
The team put wide receiver Dareke Young on injured reserve. He must miss a minimum for four games.
Schneider said Young had groin surgery about a week and a half ago by a specialist in Philadelphia. The GM said he hopes to get back the 2022 draft choice “down the road” this season, which sounds past the minimum four weeks he must be on IR.
The Seahawks have five wide receivers on the active roster: Tyler Lockett, DK Metcalf, Jaxon Smith-Njigba (two weeks out of his wrist surgery), Jake Bobo and Cody Thompson.
Seattle signed guard Ben Brown from practice squad to the active roster.
The team signed rookie quarterback Holton Ahlers and safety Brady Breeze (back) to the practice squad. It teleased from the practice squad running back Bryant Koback.
This story was originally published September 4, 2023 at 3:43 PM.
