Getty The Seahawks are considering re-signing Gary Jennings
The Seattle Seahawks are considering a reunion with former wide receiver Gary Jennings. Heading into Week 12, the Seahawks hosted Jennings for a workout, per Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer. With the Seahawks’ key receivers all relatively healthy, this may be a sign that Seattle is not expecting Josh Gordon to be reinstated this season.
The Seahawks signed Gordon during the offseason after the receiver applied for NFL reinstatement from his indefinite suspension. Gordon has yet to receive an answer from the NFL about his status.
Seattle was high on Jennings heading into the 2019 NFL Draft and selected the receiver with the No. 120 overall pick in the fourth round. The Seahawks ended up releasing Jennings during the 2019 season as he struggled to stay healthy. The Dolphins claimed Jennings off waivers and placed the receiver on injured reserve. Miami released Jennings prior to this season as the team finalized its 53-man roster.
Carroll Described Jennings as a ‘Monster’
Jennings struggled with injuries throughout his short tenure with the Seahawks. At 6’1″ and 216 pounds, Jennings has the physical tools to succeed in the NFL. Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll once described Jennings as a “monster” on the field.
“He’s a monster out there,” Carroll said during the 2019 preseason, per The Seattle Times. “Really strong and explosive.”
Jennings Was the Fastest Player at the 2019 Senior Bowl
Jennings was a highly-touted player coming out of West Virginia. After the Seahawks drafted Jennings, general manager John Schneider noted that the receiver was the fastest player at the 2019 Senior Bowl.
“Jennings, he had a great, great year. Coming out of that offense there’s always questions, right? But he did a great job at the Senior Bowl,” Schneider said in 2019, per Field Gulls. “…He can fly for a 216lb guy, so he can track it down the field. They tracked him at 23 miles per hour…he had the fastest speed at the Senior Bowl of anyone down there with the Zebra timing.”
During His Senior Season, Jennings Posted 917 Receiving Yards & 13 Touchdowns at West Virginia
During his senior season, Jennings had 54 receptions for 917 yards and 13 touchdowns for the Mountaineers in 2018. Schneider shot down the notion that Jennings could play in the slot noting that he thrived on the outside.
“I mean, not really. He could be that power guy in there [the slot], but he’s really a downfield, he’s a really strong, like, hitch, smoke,” Schneider explained, via Field Gulls.
The Dolphins were optimistic that Jennings could be a contributing factor on their offense, but it never took shape like they expected. Dolphins head coach Brian Flores detailed what they saw from Jennings in college after they claimed the receiver off waivers.
“We really liked him,” Flores explained to the Sun-Sentinel’s Omar Kelly. “We liked him as a player and a person. He has some speed, size and athleticism. He’s a young guy we like to work with.”
The Seahawks have their clear-cut top two wideouts in Tyler Lockett and DK Metcalf. David Moore and Freddie Swain have played key roles on the offense as well. It is hard to imagine where Jennings fits into the crowded receiver group, but the Seahawks do have some room on their practice squad roster as they elevated several players after placing Greg Olsen, Stephen Sullivan and Bo Scarbrough on injured reserve.
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