Seahawks want to sign Jermichael Finley if he passes his physical
Oct 6, 2013; Green Bay, WI, USA; Green Bay Packers tight end Jermichael Finley (88) is tackled by Detroit Lions safety Louis Delmas (26) in the first quarter at Lambeau Field. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports
Jermichael Finley has had an interest in joining the Seahawks since arriving in Seattle on Wednesday, but he may have to wait until he passes a physical examination before he can put on a Seattle jersey.
Finley was in Seattle on Wednesday and Thursday and was optimistic to get a deal done before he left, but the Seahawks wanted him to get full medical clearance before they moved forward.
Finley left Seattle on Thursday but both sides are reportedly still very interested in each other.
NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport first reported the mutual interest between the two.
Jermichael Finley is leaving Seattle today & there is mutual interest in him signing with #Seahawks, per source. Waiting for clearance tho
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 13, 2014
Finley is working to get medical clearance after he suffered a spine contusion in October, which ended his season. It was also the last game he played as a member of the Green Bay Packers.
The Packers wanted to trade Finley at the end of the 2013 season, and even considered releasing him, but the team couldn’t find any trade partners.
Five teams were interested in Finley this offseason, but Finley has prioritized the Seahawks as one of his top choices.
Finley has played in the NFL for six seasons, all with the Green Bay Packers. In his career, he has caught 223 passes for 2,785 yards and 20 touchdowns.
He seems optimistic to play for Seattle if he is given the chance:
I'ma Grind Until I Get It! GoodNight TwiiterWorld! #FinleyStrong
— Jermichael Finley (@JermichaelF88) March 14, 2014
The Seahawks recently re-signed Anthony McCoy but are still working on negotiating with Zach Miller to restructure his contract. According to Jason La Canfora, Miller would cost the Seahawks $7 million against the salary cap if he stays.
He will either be released as a cap casualty or work to restructure both his contract and his playing time to accommodate Finley.
Correction: An earlier version of this article stated that Finley was released by the Packers this offseason. While there were conflicting reports that he would be released following his spine injury, he was not before becoming a free agent at the end of the year. The writer regrets the error.