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Running back Darwin Thompson has found himself a new home before free agency officially kicks off.
Thompson has signed a Reserve/Future contract with the Seattle Seahawks, according to the NFL’s personnel notice.
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Thompson Entered NFL as Chiefs Draft Pick
Thompson was a sixth-round draft pick of the Kansas City Chiefs in 2019. He spent the 2019 and 2020 seasons in Kansas City as well as the 2021 preseason. He accumulated 333 total yards (225 rushing, 108 receiving) during his first two seasons in the NFL, per Pro Football Reference. During three games this past preseason, Thompson rushed 15 times for 72 yards while also collecting six passes for 25 yards.
However, due to the addition of Jerick McKinnon last offseason and the rise of Derrick Gore and Darrel Williams, the Chiefs had no room for Thompson on the 2021-22 regular-season roster.
Thompson was released by Kansas City when the team shaved its roster down to 53 players at the beginning of the regular season. Although he was offered a spot on the Chiefs’ practice squad at the beginning of September, he opted to join the Tampa Bay Buccaneers practice squad instead, as the Kansas City Star’s Sam McDowell originally reported.
Thompson, 24, spent the entire regular season with the Buccaneers as an insurance policy for Leonard Fournette, Ronald Jones, Ke’Shawn Vaughn, and Giovani Bernard. However, the addition of veteran back Le’Veon Bell in December and the need for an open spot for recently-signed wide receiver Josh Brown on the practice squad meant Thompson’s services were no longer needed.
Thompson was cut by the Buccaneers at the end of the regular season and joined Kansas City’s practice squad on January 14.
Thompson Signs With RB-Needy Seahawks Over Potential KC Return
With Darrel Williams and Jerick McKinnon entering free agency this offseason, there’s a chance Kansas City might only retain Clyde Edwards-Helaire and Derick Gore from its 2021 backfield. That would have left an opportunity for someone like Thompson to re-sign with the team and compete for a spot in the backfield rotation.
Instead, Thompson signed with the Seahawks, who have more of an open competition in their backfield heading into the 2022 season.
Once Chris Carson underwent neck surgery after playing only four games this season, Seattle’s backfield turned into a committee approach until 2018 first-round pick Rashaad Penny rushed for over 100 yards in three of the team’s last four regular-season games. While it now seems like Penny has a hold on the starting running back job in Seattle moving forward, his injury history — which includes missing 28 games since 2018, per Pro Football Reference — paired with a lack of depth behind him allows someone like Thompson to come in and compete for a significant timeshare in 2022.
“All money in bet on yourself or nobody will,” Thompson wrote on Twitter following the news of him signing with Seattle.
Several Twitter users also reacted to Thompson signing with the Seahawks.
“Welcome to Seattle. happy to have you here bro,” one Twitter user wrote.
“Welcome to Seattle bro . Have fun and ball out,” another user wrote.
“Don’t [sleep] on DTrain!!! Go Chiefs!!!” another user wrote.
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