The Seattle Seahawks decided a few weeks ago to unleash Shaquem Griffin, who at the time was contributing only on the special teams, as an edge rusher in pass rushing situations.
The results have been excellent, as Griffin’s speed off the edge and experience getting to the quarterback from his time at UCF have made him a formidable presence on the defensive side of the ball.
Griffin has racked up three quarterback hits in his limited role off the edge in the last four games, and according to teammates, he’s only just getting started.
“When he got to the league and you saw him pass rush for the first time, you knew he had the ability to do that,” linebacker Bobby Wagner said of Griffin on Thursday. “We had him off the ball for a while, and the moment he got back to being on the ball, you see the potential that he has. He’s so quick, and he’s able to get around people, and he’s able to use his speed to get to the quarterback. I think he’s just getting into his rhythm. It’s going to be fun to see what he does.”
Griffin excelled as a pass rusher in college, but his lack of size is what kept him on the special teams and as a backup outside linebacker for the first 1.5 years of his NFL career.
Eventually though, his work in practice and the relative lack of pass rush the rest of the team was generating gave Pete Carroll the idea to let him try rushing in games, and while he hasn’t posted huge numbers it is evident he has given this unit a much-needed boost down the stretch.
Griffin will be counted on again on Sunday, when the Seahawks take on the Panthers in North Carolina starting at 10:00 a.m. PT.
