Seahawks’ overhauled return game still has ‘moving parts’

Dec 6, 2024, 5:12 PM

New Seattle Seahawk Jaelon Darden during a 2024 game with the Cleveland Browns. (Jason Miller/Getty Images)

(Jason Miller/Getty Images)

Seattle Sports

After miscues that nearly cost them in a narrow 26-21 victory over the reeling New York Jets, the Seattle Seahawks began overhauling their return game this week.

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Now they’re trying to sort out their return-game situation for Sunday’s key NFC West matchup with the Arizona Cardinals.

On Monday, the Seahawks released veteran return specialist Laviska Shenault Jr. Three days later, rookie return specialist Dee Williams was also let go and the Seahawks claimed a potential replacement off waivers in former Cleveland Browns wide receiver Jaelon Darden.

The releases of Shenault and Williams came after each fumbled away a kickoff returns against the Jets. The two had combined for five lost fumbles on kickoff and punt returns this season, with Shenault accounting for two and Williams for three.

“We got to take care of the ball, man,” head coach Mike Macdonald said Friday. “… I’m not excited about having to do it, but felt like they were necessary (changes).”

So the Seahawks will enter Sunday’s game with new punt and kick returners. Macdonald said that Darden is “definitely a part” of the team’s plans for the return game, but was non-committal as to the exact role he’d play.

“Well, we plan on having him out there ready to go,” Macdonald said. “It’s moving parts on that front – who’s returning what in what phase. We have a plan for all kinds of the things that could possibly happen, or we think we do at least, and then we’ll go from there.”

Darden, a former fourth-round pick out of North Texas, has plenty of experience as a punt returner. He’s returned 78 punts during his four pro seasons with an average of 9.7 yards per return, including 22 returns for 234 yards for the Browns in 2024. He’s also returned 27 kickoffs, with the bulk of those (18) coming during his rookie season in Tampa Bay. Darden has zero career fumbles.

Outside of Darden, it’s unclear who else will be involved in the Seahawks’ return game. Third-string running back Kenny McIntosh is the only player on the roster who has handled return duties for the team this season. He has two kickoff returns for 35 yards and was used in the return game when Shenault was inactive during their Week 12 game against Arizona.

Macdonald was asked about backup running back Zach Charbonnet handling kickoff return duties. He didn’t rule out the possibility, but the potential absence of starter Kenneth Walker III, who is dealing with ankle and calf injuries, means Charbonnet could be the No. 1 running back Sunday.

“He’s a possibility. Again, I just can’t give you an answer right now because there’s things that we don’t know right now, so we’re trying to figure that out,” Macdonald said. “But we’ve worked it, guys are practicing back there, they’ll have practiced all the things we’re going to ask him to do. We got a good plan, just not sure on who’s gonna be out there right now based off of who’s available and all of those things.”

Emerging second-year wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba appeared to lobbying for a chance to return punts on the sideline with special teams coordinator Jay Harbaugh following the fumbles by Williams and Shenault last week. Smith-Njigba hasn’t been used in the return game during his brief NFL career and last handled return duties when he returned eight punts as a sophomore at Ohio State in 2021.

Macdonald was asked if the team would have any reservations about putting their leading receiver in that role.

“No,” he said. “Anytime you step on the field, there’s a certain risk, but we have confidence that Jax could get it done back there.”