It’s Shaquill Griffin’s return trip to Emerald City.

According to a source who spoke to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler on Wednesday, the former defensive back for the Minnesota Vikings agreed to a one-year contract worth $3 million, with incentives of up to $4 million, with the Seattle Seahawks. and he’s suddenly back where he was for the first four years of his NFL career. This reunion is more than just a sentimental one. In football terms, it’s a sensible move.

Griffin, who turns 30 next month, isn’t the 2019 Pro Bowl player he was. However, he remains a consistent, intelligent, and trustworthy player—the type of person who won’t win you games, but also won’t lose them.

Additionally, adding someone who is familiar with the building and the scheme is more beneficial than it may seem for a Seahawks defense that is becoming younger, particularly on the back end.

Griffin participated in all 17 Vikings games.
Seattle originally selected him in the third round in 2017. He made it to the Pro Bowl in his third season, established himself as a starter right away, and then made a fortune with the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2021. He has since moved about and, past summer, signed with the Vikings after that agreement fell through due to injury and system fit.

He was with the Houston Texans and Carolina Panthers in 2023 before landing in Minnesota, where he actually played all 17 games and had two picks.

He’s not finished, then. He’s not cooked, but he’s also not elite.

His Role in the Seahawks
He was visited by Seattle earlier this summer, and they continued to communicate even after the draft. They weren’t entirely certain of their depth at the corner, based just on that. Griffin provides something the club lacked after Tre Brown left and young players like Coby Bryant, Riq Woolen, and Josh Jobe were still getting their bearings. Experience. He only hangs out in the locker room. He is still able to play. Griffin may not be your CB1, but he can provide you with solid snaps without panicking as a rotational outside corner or someone who can fill in when injuries occur, as they always do.

It’s also important to note that the Seahawks’ defense has changed. In addition to bringing new ideas and vitality, Mike Macdonald will require seasoned players who can help communicate those ideas on the field. Even after being away for a while, Griffin is familiar with Seattle culture. He has witnessed high standards. He recently played in few important Vikings games. That stuff cannot be faked.

For three million dollars? That’s a good deal. This is a low-risk strategy that fulfills many requirements. Depth of veteran? Verify. Do you know the team? Verify. Is it still usable in the field? Verify. The Seahawks only needed to give a youthful position group a bit more assurance; they didn’t need to make a big splash. That’s what they did.

It doesn’t make the news. However, it’s the kind of move that keeps you afloat as your roster starts to dwindle out in October and November.

Returning to his first NFC team, the former Vikings defensive back makes a lot of sense for Seattle.