Seattle Takes Unusual Step to Sign Preseason Star Again

Leonard Williams, a defensive tackle for the Seattle Seahawks, was acquired from the New York Giants through an incredible deal. They weren’t done honing their roster, though.

On October 31, ML Football announced that safety Jonathan Sutherland would be returning to Seattle.

Should Sutherland’s name sound familiar, it should. Prior to being placed on injured reserve, the Penn State product performed admirably in the preseason, garnering an outstanding 78.9 overall grade from Pro Football Focus.

According to ESPN’s Brady Henderson, Sutherland was released on August 29 after agreeing to a six-week injury settlement; nonetheless, there was little likelihood that he would return. “Since the settlement started prior to Week 1, that would allow him to re-sign with Seattle in Week 9,” Henderson wrote. “It’s possible, but I can’t recall the last time a player re-signed with Seattle following an injury settlement.”

Given head coach Pete Carroll’s remarks on the 25-year-old safety, it shouldn’t come as a major surprise that the Seahawks are making an exception for Sutherland.

“He’s really aggressive, very instinctive, and had some really nice hits on special teams and defense,” Carroll said of Sutherland following the Seahawks’ 24-13 exhibition victory over the Minnesota Vikings, where he had three tackles, two pressures, and a quarterback hit, per SI.

“He performed well for us in football. He has performed in a few distinct roles. He is attempting to play both safety and nickel. Thus far, he has demonstrated great versatility. He’s a highly instinctive football player with a propensity for going for it, which is why I really like him.

Sutherland was cut by the Seahawks in order to make place for nose tackle Carl Davis.

Jonathan Sutherland Stood Out Early in Mandatory Minicamp Alongside WR Jake Bobo

When mandatory minicamp ended in June, wide receivers Sutherland and Jake Bobo—two former undrafted free agents—wonderfully impressed the coaching staff, Carroll told reporters.

This time of year, we don’t often discuss those guys, but Jonathan did a great job. That’s fine with me, Carroll added. “I felt he did a really good job. The two men that probably did the greatest for us were him and Jake Bobo. They truly stood out, so it’s a huge deal that we were able to select two, three, or maybe four of those guys to potentially compete to participate.

After earning a spot on the 53-man roster, Bobo went on to emerge as one of the Seahawks’ most productive receivers this season; now, a healthy Sutherland has an opportunity to do the same. Although the Seahawks have Quandre Diggs, Jamal Adams, and Julian Love packed at safety, ABC 27 reports that Sutherland, who ran a 4.58 40-yard sprint at Penn State’s Pro Day, saw first-team action during training camp.

During OTAs and minicamp, the 5-foot-11, 202-pound player was “a bit of revelation,” according to Corbin K. Smith of Sports Illustrated, “Taking advantage of opportunities created by veteran Jamal Adams’ absence.”

“If he’s able to shine as a tackler on defense and special teams when the pads come on, he could give [2023 sixth-round pick Jerrick] Reed and Joey Blount a run for their money vying for a reserve role,” Smith said, even though Adams’ return will hurt Sutherland’s chances of earning a spot on the 53-man roster.

The Seahawks Made 4 Other Roster Moves

The Seahawks announced on Tuesday that they were dismissing wide receiver Cody Thompson to make way for Williams on the 53-man roster. Since 2020, the 27-year-old receiver in Seattle has alternated between the active roster and the practice squad.

The Seahawks dismissed lineman Greg Eiland on Monday and re-signed center Joey Hunt to the practice squad. SaRodorick Thompson, the running back, was also cut from the practice squad.