Getty Quinton Dunbar has been in the Seahawks' virtual meetings.
Seattle Seahawks cornerback Quinton Dunbar has been placed on the NFL Commissioner’s Exempt List putting his status for the upcoming season in jeopardy. Dunbar was planning on reporting to Seahawks training camp on July 28 and will appeal the NFL’s decision, per The Seattle Times’ Bob Condotta.
“Quinton Dunbar’s attorney, Andrew Rier, tells the Seattle Times Dunbar will file an appeal of NFL move to place him on Commissioner’s Exempt List,” Condotta noted on Twitter. “Basis of appeal is that while Dunbar has been arrested, formal charges have yet been filed in court. Rier notes Dunbar had recently been given permission by state of Florida to travel to Seattle. Rier says Dunbar was getting set to board plane Monday to Seattle when he got news of going on exempt list.”
Dunbar along with Giants cornerback DeAndre Baker are part of an ongoing legal investigation over accusations that they were involved in a Florida robbery. Prior to Dunbar’s recent legal troubles, Seattle acquired the cornerback in a deal with Washington over the offseason. Dunbar is projected to be one of the team’s starting cornerbacks.
Dunbar’s Future With the Seahawks Is in Doubt
As long as Dunbar is on the Exempt List, the cornerback will not be able to play in games and his training camp status will depend on his appeal. Not only does Dunbar face questions about his NFL future, but the Seahawks could opt to release the cornerback.
There are conflicting opinions about how the Seahawks will continue to handle Dunbar’s situation given his ongoing legal battle. Sports Illustrated’s Corbin Smith suggested that the Seahawks may consider releasing the cornerback to create more cap space given his messy situation.
“Moving forward, the Seahawks will have to decide whether or not to hang onto Dunbar, who will be an unrestricted free agent after this season,” Smith explained. “To this point, the organization has stood by him, allowing him to return for virtual meetings and inviting him to camp. There’s a chance the league could eventually give him a finite suspension, providing clarity on when he would be eligible to play again. But on the heels of this latest unfortunate news, Seattle may have to reconsider its position. By releasing Dunbar now, the team could create more than $3 million in cap room to help pursue another veteran or two who will actually be able to contribute prior to the start of the season.”
The Seahawks Have Stood By Dunbar Indicating They Will Not Release the Cornerback
So far, the Seahawks have stood by Dunbar and were expected to allow the cornerback to report to training camp prior to the NFL’s recent action. It will be worth watching to see if the Seahawks change their stance with Dunbar being placed on the Exempt List. The News Tribune’s Gregg Bell expects Dunbar to remain on the Seahawks roster until a legal decision is made.
“Getting asked this: Can’t see Seahawks cutting Quinton Dunbar now before any resolution in his case,” Bell noted on Twitter. “That’s a no-bueno, guilty-until-proven-innocent precedent other players around NFL would see. And it’s counter to all PC/JS have done in players-first SEA
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