AJ Finley wasn't likely going to be a star for the Seattle Seahawks in 2025. If he hung onto the roster, it would likely be as a backup safety. But his getting injured is more bothersome in a human aspect because he isn't someone like Julian Love.
Finley is basically one of us. He hopes to do something he loves (which is play football) and do it for as long as possible. Unfortunately, there is a decent chance his career came to an end during the Seahawks' annual Football Fest at Lumen Field on Saturday. The three-year pro contested a pass in the end zone, but landed and appears to have torn his ACL.
Head coach Mike Macdonald suggested as much in his post-practice press conference when he said, "We’re gonna get a test (on Finley's knee), but initial feedback is not positive. I won’t make a declaration yet, but thoughts and prayers are with AJ."
Seattle Seahawks safety AJ Finley appears to have torn his ACL
One thing no one truly wants is for someone to say they are in other people's thoughts after something bad has just happened. That means whatever did happen is almost certainly terrible. For Finley, it is.
He was having a good training camp and could have been a sneaky good special teams player while also getting some quality reps at safety. Seattle signed Finley last season after he was placed on waivers, and he ended up appearing in the Seahawks' last four games. In those games, he played 62 snaps on special teams and six on defense.
The safety went undrafted out of Mississippi in 2023, but was signed by the Los Angeles Chargers and appeared in 12 games as a rookie. He played in 10 more games with LA in 2024 before being waived. The 23-year-old received a solid grade on special teams as a rookie from Pro Football Focus (subscription required).
Again, the loss of AJ Finley is not going to change what the Seattle Seahawks do defensively, but he might have become the kind of glue guy that every team needs. He would do the dirty things on special teams that led to overall success, whether that meant taking out a blocker or opening a hole for a kick returner.
Finley wanted to play football for a living. He already faced an uphill battle to make a roster after being undrafted out of college and then being waived. He might not have made the Seahawks' roster, either, but after tearing his ACL, he might not play in the NFL again.