Could WR Jermaine Kearse return to the Seahawks?
Feb 13, 2019, 2:07 PM | Updated: 2:14 pm
Jermaine Kearse caught the winning touchdown in the 2014 NFC Championship Game. (AP)
(AP)
Could 2019 see a reunion between the Seahawks and wide receiver Jermaine Kearse? Free agency always fosters a few way-too-early predictions, and on Wednesday, 710 ESPN Seattle’s Mike Salk and Brock Huard took a look at that possibility.
Kearse, who was traded by Seattle to the New York Jets in 2017, is set to become an unrestricted free agent this March. The Seahawks, who had a need at wide receiver heading into last season and have just four draft picks this year, could turn to free agency for help at the position.
Full disclosure: There’s no report behind this reunion right now. But it’s one hypothetical move Salk and Brock Huard explored during their “Good News, Bad News, No News” segment. So, what’s the call on this story?
Brock Huard: “No news. He’s an unrestricted free agent, this conversation won’t even really begin until the new league year (on Mar. 13). This is not like a Vinny Curry, who gets dumped after one year down in Tampa and is now able to talk to other teams. This isn’t like Frank Clark, who you are openly negotiating with, trying to get something done before a franchise tag deadline (on Mar. 5). As far as Jermaine Kearse goes, I’m not surprised at all to hear him linked to the Seahawks. I think he would love to come back and play with Doug Baldwin and Russell Wilson and end his career where it started. But as of today, that news is no news.”
Mike Salk: “I think it’s no-news. It might be find to have Jermaine Kearse back around the bottom of your wide receiver depth chart. And I like Jermaine, I’d be happy to have him around. I think he adapts as well to Russell Wilson’s improvisation as anybody ever has. He’s got great football instincts. So he’s a great guy to have around and I think it would be fine to have him back. But he’s not a game-changing player at this stage of his career, and really what the Seahawks need is significant upgrades on defense. As good as the defense was, I’m not going to just forget about the way they lost that final game. They lost because of their defense. Defense couldn’t get off the field at the end of that game twice. So, I would much prefer to see some news on defense.”
Would Kearse want to come back?
In a January “Seahawks Legends” interview with KIRO Radio’s Gee Scott, Kearse said he is open to a reunion with his old team.
“I’m always open (to a return),” Kearse said. “I’m definitely always open. Whatever destination it is, I’ll be grateful and appreciative and do my best to go out there and compete and help whatever team (I sign with) win.”
Kearse, who grew up in Lakewood, began his career with Seattle as undrafted free agent out of the University of Washington in 2012. Several of his career highlights have doubled a the Seahawks’ most memorable postseason moments, including the overtime touchdown catch in the 2014 NFC Championship that sent Seattle to Super Bowl XLIX.
