Seahawks 90-Man Countdown: LB Jon Rhattigan - Respected Core Special Teamer

Now more than a year removed from a severe knee injury, the Seattle Seahawks hope to see Jon Rhattigan return to his rookie form as one of the team's best special teams assets and a quality developmental reserve at linebacker.

Corbin K. Smith | Jun 24, 2023

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Seattle Seahawks

With the calendar flipping to June and offseason activities wrapping up league-wide, the Seattle Seahawks will open training camp at the VMAC in less than two months, officially ushering in the 2023 season.

To celebrate the new incoming season, we'll be detailing every member of the Seahawks 90-man roster over the next several weeks, exploring best and worst case scenarios and what to expect from each player entering the 2023 campaign.

Jon Rhattigan, Linebacker

Height/Weight: 6-0, 236 pounds

2022 Stats: Five tackles

Despite being an All-American selection and racking up 78 tackles in his final season at Army, Rhattigan didn't hear his name called at the 2021 NFL Draft and landed with the Seahawks as a priority undrafted free agent. Though injuries dogged him during the offseason program and training camp, he impressed enough in the preseason finale to return as a member of the practice squad and quickly made his way to the active roster, carving out a role as a prominent special teams contributor. Logging 250 snaps on special teams, he registered 10 tackles and recovered a fumble before unfortunately suffering a torn ACL in Week 15.

Making the long road back from reconstructive knee surgery, Seattle activated Rhattigan in early December and he played in the team's final five regular season games, once again pitching in on special teams. The team tendered him as an exclusive rights free agent in March, ensuring he would remain in the Pacific Northwest for a third season.

Best-Case Scenario: Benefiting from a normal offseason after rehabbing last summer, Rhattigan rounds back into rookie form and tallies tackles in bunches during the preseason, locking up a reserve spot behind starters Bobby Wagner and Jordyn Brooks while resurfacing as a core special teams cog for the Seahawks.

Worst-Case Scenario: While recovered from his knee injury, Rhattigan loses out on snaps to an emerging Vi Jones on defense and undrafted rookie Patrick O'Connell on special teams, leading to his release in August and signing with another team.

What to Expect in 2023: Since first stepping foot in the VMAC, Rhattigan has impressed coach Pete Carroll and his staff with his football intelligence and work ethic, landing himself a key role as an undrafted rookie two years ago. Once he was finally able to get over the hump in his rehab and return to action last year, the Seahawks were fired up to have him back on the field to further solidify one of the best special teams units in the NFL.

Because of his value in the third phase of the game and his nose for the football as a linebacker both defending the run and in coverage, Rhattigan should have plenty of separation ahead of Jones and O'Connell battling for a reserve role. Since the organization holds him in high regard, it wouldn't be surprising to see him push newcomer Devin Bush for defensive snaps as well, especially if Brooks isn't quite ready for the start of the season coming off his ACL injury. While his roster spot isn't set in stone, he should be one of the favorites to retain a reserve role for 2023.

Previous Seahawks 90-Man Profiles

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Published Jun 24, 2023

CORBIN K. SMITH

Graduating from Manchester College in 2012, Smith began his professional career as a high school Economics teacher in Indianapolis and launched his own NFL website covering the Seahawks as a hobby. After teaching and coaching high school football for five years, he transitioned to a full-time sports reporter in 2017, writing for USA Today's Seahawks Wire while continuing to produce the Legion of 12 podcast. He joined the Arena Group in August 2018 and also currently hosts the daily Locked On Seahawks podcast with Rob Rang and Nick Lee. Away from his coverage of the Seahawks and the NFL, Smith dabbles in standup comedy, is a heavy metal enthusiast and previously performed as lead vocalist for a metal band, and enjoys distance running and weight lifting. A habitual commuter, he resides with his wife Natalia in Colorado and spends extensive time reporting from his second residence in the Pacific Northwest.