Seahawks Reinforce Return Game With Klint Kubiak Pupil
Washington Commanders kick returner Steven Sims Jr. slips through a tackle against the San Francisco 49ers in a road game at Levis Stadium. Credit: All-Pro Reels Photography
Continuing to lean heavily on previous connections to their revamped coaching staff, the Seattle Seahawks added to their receiving corps and bolstered their kick and punt return units by signing veteran wideout Steven Sims Jr. on Tuesday.
The second depth signing by Seattle in as many days, the 27-year old Sims will be reunited with new offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak, who coached him for one season with the Kansas Jayhawks back in 2015 before returning to the NFL. The contract will be a one-year deal with financial details yet to be disclosed.
Going undrafted after a four-year career at Kansas, Sims initially signed with the Washington Commanders in 2019 and made the 53-man roster out of training camp, suiting up for 16 games with a pair of starts. Playing far more than expected on offense, he caught 34 passes for 310 yards and four touchdowns while adding a rushing touchdown and a kick return for a score on special teams.
Sticking on Washington’s roster, Sims wasn’t quite able to replicate his surprising numbers from his rookie season in 2020, but still contributed 27 receptions for 265 yards and a touchdown in 12 games and also caught a touchdown in a wild card loss to the Buccaneers. The Commanders released him the following August and after briefly latching on with the Bills, he signed with the Steelers practice squad, eventually playing in 12 games with 14 receptions for 104 yards and 13 carries for 70 yards as a dual-threat gadget weapon.
After Pittsburgh opted not to re-sign Sims, he changed teams again in 2023, starting the season on Houston’s practice squad and playing in just three regular season games. However, he made his presence felt in a 34-10 loss to Baltimore in the Divisional Round, returning a punt 67 yards for a touchdown. Last season, he appeared in nine total games with the Texans and Ravens, primarily contributing as a return specialist for both teams with minimal offensive snaps.
Heading into the 2019 NFL Draft, Sims didn’t test well at Kansas’ pro day workout, posting subpar numbers for a 5-10, 176-pound receiver. However, he has demonstrated far more explosiveness and quicks as a return man in the league with over 1,500 career kick return yards and a pair of special teams touchdowns, a skill that the Seahawks could certainly use after mixing and matching numerous return specialists last season.
