The Seattle Seahawks lost veteran right guard D.J. Fluker to a hamstring injury in the first half of their thrilling 30-29 victory over the Los Angeles Rams on Thursday night.
With Ethan Pocic inactive, and Phil Haynes and Jordan Simmons unavailable, Seattle was in rough shape at the guard spot.
Joey Hunt seemed like the best option, but the team instead opted to bring in Jamarco Jones – a career tackle – to play right guard.
Jones filled in at guard during a few practices, but had no other experience at the position until Thursday.
“No, I’ve never played guard before,” Jones said after the game. “This year I’ve been getting some reps at guard for the first time. It felt good to be out there and playing.”
Jones was a fifth round pick by the Seahawks in the 2018 NFL draft, but an ankle injury suffered in preseason caused him to miss his entire rookie year.
He is now one of Seattle’s reserve tackles, alongside George Fant, but has worked hard to make himself a more versatile option for the Seahawks – in case they needed him for situations exactly like this one.
Being thrust into an NFL game at an unfamiliar position is never easy, but having to do it across from four-time All-Pro defensive tackle Aaron Donald is even more challenging, and makes Jones’ performance all the more special.
“Jamarco Jones, in this game, hasn’t played much football for us and he’s playing guard and there’s one of the best players in football across from him,” coach Pete Carroll said after the game. “And to hang in there, play a good football game and survive, it was a beautiful performance for him.”
Jones, for his part, was just happy to get some actual game reps – even if they came at a new position.
He also credited Seattle’s two veteran guards, Fluker and Mike Iupati, for helping him prepare for this opportunity.
“Those guys have seen it all,” Jones said. “They’ve been in the league for years and years. So playing with those guys and learning from those guys, it definitely helped me out a lot.”
The added versatility has made Jones immensely valuable to the Seahawks, and his willingness to learn and strong work ethic have impressed not only his coach, but his quarterback as well.
“I thought he was poised, a big-time player,” Russell Wilson said after the game. “We love his work ethic. He’s been kind of hopping in guard every once in awhile just to give another guy a break or whatever, but he hasn’t really played and [I] thought he was amazing tonight.”
With Pocic expected back soon, and Haynes and Simmons potentially returning in a few weeks, Jones may not be needed at guard much more this season.
However, Seattle’s willingness to go to him in a pinch shows they have a ton of trust in him, and is a great sign for his future in the Emerald City.
