Devon Witherspoon and Jarran Reed didn't have to be there. The Seattle Seahawks started voluntary organized team activities (OTAs) this week, a start that was pushed back because the team won the Super Bowl and played into February, but some veterans could have stayed home.
Many didn't, including star cornerback Devon Witherspoon and defensive tackle Jarran Reed. Both players were name-dropped during head coach Mike Macdonald and general manager John Schneider's pre-draft press conference. Macdonald said he was "blown away" by Witherspoon and Reed's appearance at OTAs.
Each could have taken more time, if needed, to rest from such a long season. That they decided they wanted to be around the team just two months after the Super Bowl speaks volumes about the Seahawks' culture.
Mike Macdonald blown away by Devon Witherspoon showing up for Seattle Seahawks' early OTAs
Macdonald said, "We tiered our offseason program from having a later finish this season. But I was blown away by some of the guys that showed up (Monday), and that we weren’t asking to be here at this point in time. The energy is really great. There’s still a sense of urgency and spirit to the guys, which is exciting (since) it’s mostly just strength and conditioning at this point, and some individual meetings."
That all implies that some of the key players from the 2025 championship team aren't going to be satisfied with just one title. Witherspoon, Reed, and Derick Hall, to name only three, are already prepping for 2026 in hopes that the team can do it all over again. Winning in back-to-back seasons will take some luck, of course, but motivated players are a must.
Plus, with Witherspoon and Reed, especially, who tend to be among the more vocal players on and off the field, to show up to OTAs when they don't necessarily have to helps set the tone for the rest of the team. That will soon include 2026 draft picks who will follow the lead of Witherspoon and Reed.
Showing up to OTAs might not seem like such a huge deal on many teams, but for teams that could be less hungry for a title after just winning one, having players participate in activities as if the team hasn't yet won anything is so much more valuable.
Does that mean the Seattle Seahawks will win another Super Bowl next season? Definitely not, but if the team doesn't, one wouldn't expect sudden discord, the kind of which happened on the Pete Carroll teams in the mid-2010s. Instead, Seattle players will likely show up to early OTAs in 2027, too.
For Devon Witherspoon, specifically, he is waiting for the team to give him a new extension, just as it did fellow 2023 first-round selection Jaxon Smith-Njigba. The cornerback could have pouted and only shown up when it was mandatory. He didn't, though, and is participating as if he were a rookie. That is what true leaders do.
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