Seattle Seahawks Elevate Pair of Veteran DBs From Practice Squad For Season Opener

Prioritizing depth in the secondary for their season opener against the Denver Broncos on Sunday, the Seattle Seahawks announced veteran cornerback Artie Burns and safety Marquise Blair have been elevated from the practice squad and will be available to suit up in Week 1.

For most of the offseason program and training camp, Burns rotated in with the first-team defense in the slot when starting cornerback Devon Witherspoon slid back outside and looked to be a lock to make the 53-man roster as a rotational reserve and special teams contributor. However, he exited Seattle’s preseason finale on a cart with a toe injury and ultimately, as a vested veteran who avoided waivers, the team was able to release him and quickly re-sign him to the practice squad.

Coming off an injury-marred 2022 season where he only played in three games, Burns gave the Seahawks quality reps in a reserve role last season while logging extensive action in the slot for the first time in his NFL career. Stepping up with Coby Bryant and Witherspoon banged up at different times during the course of the season, per Pro Football Focus, he allowed less than 10 yards per reception and no touchdowns while producing a pair of pass breakups in eight games where he saw defensive snaps.

By choosing to elevate Burns for Week 1, coach Mike Macdonald and his staff will have a bit more flexibility moving Witherspoon to different positions, as the Seahawks only have five cornerbacks currently on the 53-man roster and none of the other four players have NFL experience in the slot. When in nickel and dime packages on Sunday, depending on where Witherspoon lines up, he could see plenty of playing time rotating in as a situational slot defender.

Formerly a second-round pick by Seattle back in 2019, Blair’s once-promising career has been derailed by injuries over the past several seasons. A torn ACL limited him to two games in 2020, and after making a lengthy recovery from reconstructive knee surgery, he fractured his knee cap after playing just six games in 2021 and missed the rest of the season.

Unable to stand out in a deep safety group in training camp in 2022, the Seahawks released Blair and he spent a brief cup of tea with the Panthers that season, playing in three games with a single tackle. He didn’t play at all last season after tearing his Achilles during offseason training, putting his career on the ropes.

However, Blair once again worked his way back from a significant injury and Seattle brought him in for a workout last month. Impressed by what they saw, the team signed him to a one-year, veteran minimum contract and he wound up playing in all three preseason games, producing nine tackles, a quarterback pressure, and a pass breakup.

Though Blair didn’t make the Seahawks initial roster, Macdonald and his staff thought enough of his performance last month to warrant retaining him on the practice squad. Now, more than two years after the team let him go, he will have a chance to make an impact on special teams and will provide extra depth at strong safety with starter Rayshawn Jenkins coming back from a calf injury, bringing his career full circle.