The Seattle Seahawks are just days away from free agency, and one fan favorite for 12s is somewhat unexpectedly about to hit the open market. Wide receiver Jake Bobo was not tendered by the team and could leave Seattle this offseason.
Bobo was a restricted free agent, but tendering the receiver would have meant paying him $3 million in 2026. As popular as Bobo is, and as beloved as he is by his teammates, he is unable to produce enough on offense to be worthy of being paid that amount of money. He is also a good special teams contributor, but that isn't worth $3 million either.
The hope is that Bobo will return to the team next season, but at least than the amount he would have gotten. The risk is that leaving Bobo to go elsewhere means he might. He is tall (he is 6'4") and sure-handed, but not fast. He could be a good option for a team in need of a possession receiver and a red-zone threat.
Non-tendered Jake Bobo could leave the Seattle Seahawks in free agency
He proved how good a route-runner he is in the NFC Championship game when he scored on a slick cut for a 17-yard touchdown against the Los Angeles Rams. He isn't going outrun anyone, but he is difficult to cover due to his crisp running routes.
He isn't going to be used as a high-target wideout with the Seahawks, but that doesn't mean he won't be elsewhere. This is especially true of a team that likes to run because Bobo could be used in three-receiver sets, and he would be a benefit on run plays, as well as doing the dirty work on special teams.
Jake Bobo seems to like playing for the Seattle Seahawks, the team that gave him a chance in the NFL after he went undrafted out of UCLA in 2023. He should go to the team that pays him the most, of course, as professional athletes play the sport in order to attempt to make generational wealth, but if the money is close to what Seattle wants to give, maybe he returns.
He knows how much 12s like him, and he is probably going to be a solid fit, if an underused one, in new offensive coordinator Brian Fleury's system just as he was in former OC Klint Kubiak's scheme. Still, after not being tendered, Bobo is free to sign anywhere he wants when free agency officially begins on Wednesday, March 11.
He will be joined there by other restricted free agents who weren't tendered. The list includes linebacker Drake Thomas, fullback Brady Russell, wide receiver Dareke Young, defensive tackle Brandon Pili, safety AJ Finley, and long-snapper Chris Stoll.