Getty Former Seahawks punter Jon Ryan
The Seattle Seahawks did what they needed to do in Week 18, beating the Arizona Cardinals 21-20 with a dramatic late two-point conversion. However, the Green Bay Packers won their game, too, eliminating the Seahawks from the playoffs. After the game, several Seahawks players lit victory cigars and posed for pictures in the locker room, and Super Bowl-winning punter Jon Ryan was not happy with that.
Seahawks DBs Smoked Victory Cigars After Week 18 Cardinals Win
By the time the Seahawks got off the field following their Week 18 victory over the Cardinals, they knew that the Packers had eliminated them from the playoffs. The mood — at least in parts of the locker room — was anything but somber.
Shortly after the game, video emerged of several players smoking cigars, smiling, and proudly posing for pictures in the locker room, courtesy of The News Tribune’s Seahawks beat writer Greg Bell.
Safety Julian Love and cornerback Riq Woolen were easily identifiable with their jerseys still on, while it looked like fellow defensive backs Devon Witherspoon, Michael Jackson, and Ty Okada, among others, were there, too.
Cigars—but not playoffs—in #Seahawks’ locker room after last-game rally win at Arizona @thenewstribune
Yes, the team just got done with a hard-fought victory over a division foe, and two of those players (Love and Witherspoon) have Pro Bowl seasons to celebrate. That said, the team missed out on the greater goal of making the playoffs, and that didn’t seem like a reason to celebrate to many.
Jon Ryan Called out Celebrating Seahawks
Retired NFL punter Jon Ryan knows what it takes to win a Super Bowl with the Seahawks as he was a part of the 2013 Super Bowl team. He also understands what is like to both miss and make the playoffs, as he reached the postseason six times in his 10 years in Seattle.
After the video of the Seahawks enjoying their victory cigars hit social media, Ryan took to Twitter to call out the group.
“The Seahawk way is a bit different these days I guess,” Ryan wrote. “I could say a lot of things right now because I’m shaking with anger but I’ll just say I’m really disappointed.”
While Ryan was the first player to speak out on the incident, he was by far the only Seahawks supporter to express his annoyance with the visual. Fans across social media voiced their displeasure about celebrating while missing the playoffs.
Veterans Like Bobby Wagner and Quandre Diggs Weren’t as Jubilant
While some Seahawks players celebrated, others seethed.
Bobby Wagner took to the postgame press conference stage with music blaring in the background from the Seahawks locker room, and he explained that he’s “old school” so he wasn’t in the mood to celebrate after missing the playoffs.
When asked if “youth” was behind the raucous celebration in the locker room, Wagner responded, “For sure.” When asked if he would grab a victory cigar when he returned to meet his teammates, Wagner simply deadpanned, “No.”
While his defensive back cohorts celebrated, nine-year NFL veteran Quandre Diggs said, “older guys” like himself and Wagner “expect more,” so they wouldn’t be celebrating Sunday night. However, he did give his fellow DBs a pass after a long season.
“Those guys just finished their first regular season in the NFL,” Diggs said. “So, you have to give those guys credit for 17 weeks is a long season. Those guys have been prepping for this year since last December, so they haven’t had a break.”
For his part, head coach Pete Carroll did not comment on the Seahawks cigar situation. He was asked about it, but after meeting the media right after the game, he said he didn’t know it was happening.