Percy Harvin’s Super Bowl performance made his tough season worth it

Feb 2, 2014; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Percy Harvin (11) returns a kick for a touchdown against the Denver Broncos in the third quarter in Super Bowl XLVIII at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Maybe everything really does happen for a reason.

Coming into the Super Bowl, Percy Harvin had only appeared in two of the Seahawks 18 games. Injuries had made his first year as a Seahawk pretty forgettable.

There was concern that he wouldn’t be worth the $67 million he was slated to earn in the next six years. There was talk that he was simply too fragile and that he would never be healthy enough to play a full season.

But perhaps all of that happened for a reason.

Harvin’s injuries left very little film for the Denver Broncos to study in regard to Harvin’s role on the Seahawks offense. The Broncos didn’t have a lot to go off of when Harvin took the field.

When Super Bowl Sunday happened, Harvin’s forgettable season became memorable for all the right reasons.

On the Seahawks first drive, he took a quick hand-off from Russell Wilson and ran 30 yards. One defender caused him to trip up and step out of bounds, otherwise, it very well could have been a touchdown.

He later added a 15-yard run. Though they were his only two rushes of the game, they foreshadowed what was to come and reminded Seahawks fans why the team traded three draft picks for him in March.

Then his kickoff return for a touchdown reminded every NFL fan that even though he is often injured, he is still one of the most elusive playmakers in the game today.

That 87-yard kick return gave Seattle a 29-0 lead and put the game out of reach for good, if it wasn’t already.

“It’s a big [monkey] off my back,” Harvin said to ESPN.com. “I was finally able to give my team something for four quarters. I’ve leaned on those guys so much that to give back means a lot to me.”

It means a lot to Seattle fans as well.

Most knew that Harvin was good, but he was great in the Super Bowl.

What’s scary is thinking about how he will improve the Seahawks next season if he can play all 16 regular season games, and hopefully three more in the postseason.

But let’s worry about that next season.

For now, let’s appreciate the city’s first football championship and the franchise’s first championship. This season was truly the Seahawks’ best.