RENTON — The instant reaction to the news a week ago Wednesday that the Seahawks had released cornerback Shaquill Griffin was to assume that the second act of his Seattle career was over before it began.
On that day, the Seahawks released Griffin, a 30-year-old who re-signed in July to the team where he began his career from 2017-20, to make way for fellow cornerback Derion Kendrick, a 25-year-old who had been claimed off waivers from the Los Angeles Rams.
Seahawks general manager John Schneider told reporters a few hours later that the team planned to re-sign Griffin to the practice squad.
A day later, that’s exactly what happened.
As the Seahawks began preparing Wednesday for Sunday’s regular-season opener against the San Francisco 49ers, Griffin was one of 17 players on what the Seahawks call their “ready squad.”
It means that he gets a prorated share of the practice squad veteran maximum salary of $315,000 (or $17,500 per week) instead of what was due on his original deal.
In July, he signed a one-year contract with worth a base of $3 million that, with incentives, could have taken it to $4 million. He added depth at cornerback after also considering signing with the Las Vegas Raiders and his former Seahawks coach, Pete Carroll.
Of that amount, $1.75 million was fully guaranteed. That helps cushion the blow of what could be a $1 million lose now that Griffin is on the practice squad. Griffin will get a prorated share of the veteran minimum, or almost $70,000, for any game for which he is elevated off the practice squad.
The Seahawks can do that three times before Griffin has to be signed permanently to the 53-man roster.
Griffin says it’s all just fine with him.
“The positive about it (being released) is I at least got a day off,’’ he said with a big laugh before heading out to Wednesday’s practice.
On the day he was released, Griffin became an immediate free agent and could have pursued other options.
Griffin said Schneider pulled him aside the day before the move was made to explain what the team wanted to do, and Griffin said he told them he was fully on board.
As Schneider told Griffin, it was a chance to get a young player in Kendrick — who started 18 games for the Rams in 2022-23 before missing last season with a knee injury — they might not have been able to otherwise while still keeping Griffin.
“I’m all for it, man,” said Griffin, who has made roughly $40 million in his NFL career, according to OvertheCap.com. “Whatever it takes to get this team back on track, do whatever we need to do to make this run, I’m all for it. … I’m not really worried about the number behind it or whatever the money is.’’
Griffin said he would have had some heavy pushback from his family had he decided otherwise.
Griffin and his fiancé, hip-hop artist Tokyo Jetz (real name Shauntrell Pender) and the couple’s three kids have already moved into a house they are renting for the season.
“It feels like home,” Griffin said. “My kids (ages five, two and four months) are starting to like it. I asked them, ‘Do they like it here or Minnesota (where he played last season) better?’ and they already said Seattle.’’
The day last week when Griffin couldn’t be at the VMAC he said, “I got a chance to hang with them (his family) while everybody else was at practice. I couldn’t beat that.”
Griffin also said he felt a debt to the Seahawks for allowing him to miss 11 days early in training camp to deal with some personal matters.
Griffin missed the preseason opener against the Raiders as a result but played 10 snaps in the second game against the Chiefs and 19 in the finale against the Packers.
His play in those games earned Griffin a spot on the initial 53-man roster before the move was made the next day to add Kendrick.
“They took good care of me,” Griffin said. “I had a situation where I had to go back home, handle some different things off the field, which I got a chance to get done, and because of them letting me get a chance to do that it makes everything now so much easier.”
Seahawks list only four as limited
The release of the first official injury report of the season following Wednesday’s practice confirmed that the Seahawks should be healthy heading into the opener.
They listed just four players as limited, with everybody else full.
The four limited players included three receivers — Jake Bobo (concussion), Dareke Young (hamstring) and Cody White (shoulder). Also listed as limited was rush end Uchenna Nwosu (knee).
Nwosu did not play in the preseason and practiced sparingly after opening the year on the Physically Unable to Perform list following offseason knee surgery.
Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald said he couldn’t say if Nwosu will play Sunday saying, “We’ll let Uchenna’s situation play itself out right now.”
Macdonald said Bobo remains in the concussion protocol after being injured in the preseason finale at Green Bay.
Among those listed as full was rookie receiver Tory Horton, who hurt his ankle in the second preseason game against the Chiefs on Aug. 15.
“He’s doing great,” Macdonald said before practice.
The Seahawks have three receivers on the practice squad they can call up if needed, all rookies — Ricky White III, Courtney Jackson and Tyrone Broden.
Also a full participant was starting weakside linebacker Tyrice Knight, who sat out much of the preseason with a knee injury and a medical issue.
Practice squad shuffle
The Seahawks made another switch of three players on their practice squad Wednesday, signing CB Shemar Jean-Charles, RB Damien Martinez and OT Amari Kight and releasing DT Anthony Campbell, DE Jalan Gaines OG Sataoa Laumea.
The Seahawks released Martinez, Jean-Charles and Kight from the squad Tuesday to sign Campbell, Gaines and Laumea.
The move was thought to be a way to get all a paycheck for the week as a reward for their work during training camp and he preseason. Each will get at least $13,000, the practice squad weekly minimum.