Shaquem Griffin was the toast of the football world leading up to the 2018 NFL Draft. Dealing with a handicap that has him playing with just one hand, the former Central Florida linebacker awed onlookers in the lead up to the draft.
It ultimately resulted in Griffin being selected in the fifth round. Despite this, there was some lingering concerns whether Griffin’s handicap would impact him at the game’s highest level.
That has not happened. The linebacker was the star of training camp in Seattle and has dominated through three preseason games.
It has head coach Pete Carroll seriously considering starting Griffin out of the gate.
Asked Pete Carroll if rookie Shaquem Griffin is ready to be the every-down weakside LB in #Seahawks’ defense for opener if K.J. Wright (knee scope) can’t play: “At this point, really, he’s got to be ready.” @thenewstribune pic.twitter.com/AX4jiObHOb
— Gregg Bell (@gbellseattle) August 27, 2018
“At this point today, (Griffin’s) got to be ready,” Carroll said. “We don’t have any choice for that thought right now until we know more. So, we’ll see how it goes.”
Carroll’s comments came after the head coach announced that starting inside linebacker K.J. Wright underwent a knee procedure on Monday. It’s not yet known whether Wright will be ready to go come Week 1. If not, Griffin would replace him in the starting lineup.
In three preseason games, the rookie has recorded 18 tackles. He certainly looks the part.