Seahawks WR Dee Eskridge suspended first 6 games of 2023

Dee Eskridge’s rocky start to his NFL career took yet another blow as it was announced Friday that the Seattle Seahawks wide receiver was suspended for the first six games of the 2023 season.

According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, Eskridge was suspended for violating the NFL’s personal conduct policy. He will not be able to play in a regular season game until Week 8 when the Seahawks host the Cleveland Browns. Seattle’s bye week is Week 5.

The Seahawks released a statement after the news broke that they are aware of the situation and have followed both NFL and law enforcement protocol, and later, Eskridge’s agency said the matter stemmed from an incident with his child’s mother. You can read the full statement below, courtesy of NFL Network reporter Mike Garofolo.

Statement on behalf of #Seahawks WR D’Wayne Eskridge via his agency. Eskridge was suspended six games by the NFL earlier for violating the league’s personal conduct policy. pic.twitter.com/VkD8NBluQk

— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) August 4, 2023

The Seahawks selected Eskridge in the second round of the 2021 NFL Draft out of Western Michigan and the thought was he could become the team’s No. 3 receiver behind stars DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett.

But Eskridge suffered a bad concussion in Week 1 of that year on a jet sweep run and he didn’t return until Week 10. In 2022, Eskridge suffered a hand injury that cost him more time in 2022.

Overall in his career, Eskridge has appeared in 20 games and caught 17 of 33 targets for 122 yards and one touchdown.

Eskridge’s roster spot wasn’t really in question entering the 2023 season, but his spot on the depth chart sure was as the Seahawks used a first-round pick on receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba and also return 2022 seventh-round receiver Dareke Young, who saw more playing time as the season went along last year as a rookie.

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