The return of Seattle Seahawks cornerback Devon Witherspoon could be the subtle shift that decides Sunday Night Football.
Seattle’s third-year corner isn’t just a coverage piece -- he’s a multiplier for everything head coach Mike Macdonald wants his defense to be.
After missing most of the campaign thus far, Witherspoon reenters a unit that’s already built its identity around speed, disguise, and controlled aggression. Now, one of the NFL’s most dynamic young defenders is back in the mix just as the Seahawks face a reinvigorated Jayden Daniels and a reshuffled Washington offense.
Devon Witherspoon is set to return for the Seattle Seahawks in Week 9
Taking the layers back on his presence, Witherspoon’s versatility is the key to unlocking Seattle’s defensive creativity. Whether aligned inside at nickel or outside in man coverage, his suddenness and diagnostic ability redefine how the Seahawks can disguise intent.
Macdonald can once again send pressures from the slot, rotate late into single-high shells, or bait Daniels into false reads. That matters against a young quarterback who thrives on rhythm and clean pictures -- and who will be without his top wideout, again, in Terry McLaurin.
Washington’s passing attack will lean on Deebo Samuel, rookie Jaylin Lane, and second-year target Luke McCaffrey, a group long on effort but short on continuity with Daniels.
That’s a matchup tailor-made for Witherspoon’s play style.
His ability to mirror twitchy route runners and close space downhill allows Seattle to play aggressively on early downs, forcing Daniels into pressured decisions. And when you don't have the playmakers on the outside to create throwing windows, it makes life tough to operate at the highest level of football.
The front seven will also help set that stage. Leonard Williams and Byron Murphy II have been excellent in collapsing the interior pocket through seven games, and Witherspoon’s reintroduction gives the group on the back end the confidence to hold up behind those interior stunts.
For Seattle, the defensive ceiling rises dramatically with Witherspoon healthy. His range and physicality change how the Seahawks match personnel -- he can cover a slot, play the flat, or blitz off the edge without compromising structure. His presence accelerates everything: the timing of pressures, the spacing of zones, and the tone of the defense.
If he’s flying around, diagnosing screens, and eliminating underneath options, Daniels’ night could unravel quickly.
Seattle doesn’t need gaudy numbers from the former top-five pick in Witherspoon to feel his impact; his presence alters decision-making, limits Washington’s playbook, and injects tempo into a defense that thrives on dictating terms.
In a game featuring two high-level signal-callers and a Commanders team looking to get off a three-game slide, it may be the return of Seattle’s fiery nickel that proves most decisive.
Witherspoon’s presence doesn’t just strengthen the Seahawks -- it restores their defensive identity at precisely the right time.