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A notable former Seattle Seahawks starter is signing with an NFC rival.
As reported by NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, ex-Seahawks linebacker Bruce Irvin is signing with the Detroit Lions. As noted by Pelissero, Irvin will start out on the team’s practice squad.
“Veteran pass rusher Bruce Irvin is signing with the #Lions, per his agent Daniela Salazar,” writes Pelissero on Tuesday, November 14. “Irvin will start out on the practice squad. He has 55.5 career sacks.”
Bruce Irvin Has Had 3 Different Stints With Seahawks
Irvin has had three different stints in Seattle, most recently spending the 2022 season with the Seahawks. The veteran linebacker started 10 of his 11 appearances last season after latching on with the Seahawks during the middle of the year. He posted 3.5 sacks to go along with 28 tackles.
The 36-year-old Irvin initially entered the NFL as a first-round draft pick of the Seahawks in 2012. After spending his first season as a key reserve — he notched eight sacks despite not starting a single game during his rookie season — his first season as a starter saw him play a key role as the Seahawks won Super Bowl XLVIII.
Irvin started 12 games that season while posting 40 tackles and two sacks along with playing 64% of the defensive snaps. According to Pro Football Focus, Irvin posted a 75.0 defensive grade and 73.2 pass-rushing grade that season. Among all full-time linebackers, Irvin ranked 15th in defensive grade and pass-rushing grade.
The former No. 15 overall pick would spent the first four seasons of his career (2012 to 2015) in Seattle before signing a four-year, $37 million deal with the Oakland Raiders.
During his best statistical season, Irvin posted 58 tackles and 8.0 sacks with the Raiders during the 2017 season.
After brief stints spent with the Atlanta Falcons and Carolina Panthers, Irvin re-joined the Seahawks for the 2020 season. After entering the season as a starter, Irvin suffered a torn ACL in Week 2 that ended up sidelining him for the remainder of the season.
Irvin also had a short stint with the Chicago Bears during the 2021 season which saw him appear in six games.
The 12th-year veteran holds career totals of 55.5 sacks and 129 quarterback hits in 138 games and 103 starts.
Pete Carroll Gushes Over Geno Smith Following Commanders Win
It looks like there is no shortage of confidence in Geno Smith at quarterback.
A week after Smith had a shaky outing in a blowout 37-3 loss against the Baltimore Ravens, the veteran quarterback bounced back by leading a game-winning drive against the Washington Commanders.
Smith led a seven-play, 50-yard drive that directly led to the game-winning field goal by Jason Myers as time expired. It was Smith’s third game-winning drive of the season, which is the third-most among all quarterbacks this season.
Following the game, head coach Pete Carroll complimented his starting quarterback.
“I thought he was almost perfect. All but — maybe he was perfect,” Carroll said about Smith. “The throws he had to come up with, the poise, the cadence, running the club, the whole thing. He was perfect. I thought he was just exactly what we could hope we could see in him. I’m sure he had great numbers today. Must have had terrific numbers but more than that, he just came through just like we’re counting on.”
Smith had arguably his best game of the season, posting a 103.9 passer rating while throwing for a season-high 369 yards with no turnovers.
With the Seahawks at 6-3 and battling with the San Francisco 49ers for NFC West supremacy, Seattle will need their franchise quarterback to keep playing at a top level in order to maintain position in a tough conference.
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