The Seattle Seahawks didn't want to do it. General manager John Schneider and head coach Mike Macdonald looked at their secondary this past offseason and decided there wasn't a cornerback worth choosing high in the draft, but there wasn't a free agent they truly liked either.
Still, going into a season with Devon Witherspoon, Riq Woolen, and Josh Jobe was a little iffy. Witherspoon is great. Jobe is better than expected. Woolen is an inconsistent mess who could be great for two weeks and then terrible for three.
But Shaquill Griffin hadn't been picked up in free agency, and the third-round draft pick for Seattle in 2017 might still have a bit left in his career. The team brought him in for a visit at least twice before signing him, though. That isn't a sign the Seahawks were sold.
Seattle Seahawks might be regretting Shaquill Griffin in free agency
They still aren't. While Woolen is off to a bad start to 2025, and Witherspon missed Week 2 with a knee injury, Griffin hasn't hung around the roster. He was elevated for Week 2, but only because Seattle needed a cornerback (any CB) to fill out the roster.
Hot got three snaps against the Pittsburgh Steelers and wasn't good. He missed on a tackle attempt and gave up a completion on his only target. The missed tackle came on the completion as Griffin was set to get a tackle for a two-yard loss, but instead gave up a seven-yard reception.
Ahead of Week 3, Seattle released Griffin, but then signed him back to the practice squad where the veteran started the season. If he gets elevated again, it is probably bad news for the Seahawks. That means a player is still hurt or a new injury has occurred, and the Seahawks have no better answer than to have Griffin play.
John Schneider might also be playing a bit of a game. If a player is elevated three times, they must be added to the active roster. Griffin signed a one-year deal with the Seattle Seahawks this past offseason with a cap hit of $2,180,278. But he has been released twice already.
Seattle might keep releasing him as needed and then signing him to the active roster. This keeps Griffin in the organization, but doesn't mean he will ever be part of the active roster. And sadly, he shouldn't. He is a good person, but he appears to have gotten old fast. He doesn't need to get many reps for the Seahawks unless the team is forced to do so.