Seahawks Remain Committed to LB Jordyn Brooks After Declining 5th-Year Option

Despite declining his fifth-year option, the Seattle Seahawks and head coach Pete Carroll still see linebacker Jordyn Brooks as part of their future

The Seattle Seahawks may have declined linebacker Jordyn Brooks' fifth-year option, but coach Pete Carroll still sees him as part of the team's future.

"He's got a long, long future for us," Carroll said Wednesday. "We love the way he plays and what he brings and all of that. We've got to orchestrate the way we move forward. The decision we made now, this is not an indication of our future. We expect Jordyn to be with us for a long time."

Brooks, the No. 27 pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, has had a quietly strong start to his career. In 47 games, the former Texas Tech linebacker has posted 402 tackles, 15 tackles for loss and 12 passes defended. His best season came in 2021, when he finished second in the league and set the franchise single-season record with 184 tackles.

Unfortunately for Brooks, he tore his ACL against the New York Jets in Week 17. With the injury coming so late in the season, Brooks could potentially miss the start of the season. Seattle brought in linebackers Devin Bush and franchise legend Bobby Wagner, which could be partially due to Brooks' injury. 

With the uncertainty surrounding Brooks, Seattle elected not to pick up his fifth-year option. Additionally, the Seahawks are very reserved with fifth-year options, declining it on all six of their eligible draft picks since the NFL implemented it. They picked it up for tight end Noah Fant, but he was a Denver Broncos' draft pick who the Seahawks acquired in the Russell Wilson trade.

In fact, Brooks is one of many players in the 2020 draft class to not have their options picked up. Only 12 players have had their options picked up this offseason, by far the fewest since it became available.

However, Carroll's comments suggest that Brooks' time in Seattle is far from over. If he can bounce back from his injury, he could once again become a staple on the defense for the future.

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You can find Jonathan Alfano on Twitter @JonAlfano_News

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