Huard: A telling decision the Seahawks made Sunday

There was plenty that stood out in the Seattle Seahawks’ 23-20 overtime victory over the New England Patriots on Sunday.

Like the best QBs, Seahawks’ Geno Smith keeps finding ways to win

The performance of quarterback Geno Smith, the career day for wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba and the struggles stopping the run all come to mind. But there was also an interesting decision that came before the game, according to former NFL quarterback Brock Huard.

Ninety minutes before kickoff the Seahawks announced their inactive players, which included a surprising name as a healthy scratch in second-year center Olu Oluwatimi. That meant Seattle decided to roll with undrafted rookie Jalen Sundell as their backup for Connor Williams in the middle of the offensive line.

“That’s a tough one for Olu, and that is a huge credit – and this is kind of the yin and the yang – for Jalen Sundell,” Huard said Monday during Blue 88 on Seattle Sports’ Brock and Salk.

The decision came a week after Sundell was inactive as a healthy scratch and Oluwatimi was suited up in the season opener against Denver.

“I love the joy with which he plays this game,” Huard said of Oluwatimi. “… But that’s not a great sign for a young player when you’re inactive and an undrafted guy has now bypassed you on the roster.”

Oluwatimi, a fifth-round draft pick in 2023, appeared to be in line for the starting role at center coming into this season. He was the favorite to win a battle for the starting job with Nick Harris, but the Seahawks ended up signing veteran Connor Williams during training camp, trading Harris back to Cleveland and moving Oluwatimi into a backup role.

Sundell was signed to the team in July after earning an FCS All-American nod as a senior and helping powerhouse North Dakota State win three national titles. He was also one of the few surprises when it came to players who made Seattle’s 53-man roster.

Huard sees the decision to roll with Sundell as the backup in Week 2 as an important establishment in culture.

“As much of a bummer as it is for Olu and a wake-up call for Olu in year two … this is also a huge positive for Jalen,” Huard said. “It doesn’t matter where your from, it doesn’t matter where you’re drafted. If you’re the better player – as much as we want to see our draft pick make it happen – if it’s not and you beat him out and you’re doing what we want and we believe in you and we built that trust, you could be an undrafted guy and be one snap away from going in there in New England yesterday.”

Tune in to Brock and Salk weekdays from 6-10 a.m. or find the podcast on the Seattle Sports app.

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