Seahawks Exploring Reunion With Former Pro Bowl CB Shaquill Griffin
Over the years, under the leadership of general manager John Schneider, the Seattle Seahawks have brought back several former starters who began their careers with the franchise before departing as free agents, and they could be in the midst of doing so again.
According to NFL Insider Jordan Schultz, the Seahawks will welcome veteran cornerback Shaquill Griffin to town for a free agent visit on Monday, opening the door for the former third-round pick out of UCF to return to his old stomping grounds. He last played for the Vikings in 2024, appearing in all 17 games with a trio of starts as a rotational defender who subbed in on nickel and dime packages.
Taking the torch from Richard Sherman as Seattle’s new No. 1 cornerback after arriving in 2017, Griffin started 11 games as a rookie that season, producing 59 tackles, one interception, and a sack. The team released Sherman the following March, vaulting the ascending young talent atop the depth chart, and he recorded a pair of interceptions and six pass breakups while starting all 16 games in 2018.
Griffin and his twin brother Shaquem, who the Seahawks drafted in the fifth-round in 2018 after an impressive collegiate career of his own at UCF while playing without a left hand, became fan favorites during three seasons together with the franchise.
Interestingly, Griffin made his first and only Pro Bowl in 2019 despite not having a single interception, finishing the season with 65 tackles and 14 pass breakups for the playoff-bound Seahawks. Missing four games due to injury in 2020, he still reeled in a career-high three interceptions, though Pro Football Focus did charge him with seven touchdowns allowed in coverage, which may have contributed to the franchise deciding to let him go in free agency.
While reports surfaced indicating Seattle attempted to bring back Griffin on a new deal, Jacksonville ultimately offered more money than Schneider and the front office were willing to pay, bringing the Florida native back to his home state on a three-year, $44.5 million contract. The move didn’t fare well for him or his new team, however, as he didn’t intercept a single pass in two seasons with the Jaguars before being released in March 2023 with a year still left under contract.
Since being jettisoned by Jacksonville, Griffin has bounced around the past two seasons, splitting time with the Panthers and Texans in 2023 before landing with the Vikings last summer. He enjoyed a bit of a rebirth in Minnesota, finishing with multiple interceptions for the first time since 2020 while holding opposing quarterbacks to just a 54.5 percent completion rate, the lowest allowed in his entire career.
Still just 29 years old, Griffin showed last season that he still has plenty left in the tank, and coming back to the Seahawks would make sense for both sides. Schematically, the ninth-year veteran would be a solid fit for coach Mike Macdonald’s defense with the speed to take away vertical shots and a willingness to defend the run, and at this stage of free agency, he likely would be signing on a veteran minimum contract that could include incentives.
Following the departure of Tre Brown and Artie Burns in free agency, there also could be an opportunity for Griffin to start in a homecoming to Seattle, as he would be thrust into a battle against Josh Jobe, who started 10 games last season and re-signed on a new one-year deal after not being tendered as a restricted free agent. Jobe would be the favorite after playing at a high level last season, but Macdonald didn’t commit to him as the starter during the league meetings last month, hinting that the team was keeping options open to bring in competition for him.
If the Seahawks do sign Griffin during his visit, he will join the likes of Bobby Wagner, Bruce Irvin, and Jarran Reed as players who recently re-joined the team after spending time elsewhere, continuing a trend that has been a consistent one for Schneider and the front office throughout his 16 seasons at the helm. All three of those players returned as starters or key rotational reserves, including Reed recently signing another multi-year contract with the organization.
