Seahawks Place Tenders On CB Mike Jackson, LB Jon Rhattigan

Tendering two key reserves on defense with special teams experience, the Seattle Seahawks locked up Mike Jackson and Jon Rhattigan with qualifying offers.

With teams required to make a decision by the start of the new league year, the Seattle Seahawks placed restricted free agent tenders on cornerback Mike Jackson and linebacker Jon Rhattigan, likely ensuring they will be on the roster in 2024.

In corresponding moves, Seattle reportedly extended outside linebacker Darrell Taylor before the deadline and did not tender tackle Jake Curhan, making him unrestricted free agent free to sign with any team.

Proving himself as a dependable starter over the past two seasons, Seattle opted to tender Mike Jackson to give him a chance to compete for snaps again in 2024 / © Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports

Two of only seven players league-wide who received restricted free agent tenders this year, Jackson received an original round tender worth $3.116 million and Rhattigan received a right of first refusal tender worth $2.985 million. If another team puts in an offer sheet for Jackson and the Seahawks don't match, they would receive a fifth-round pick as compensation, while losing Rhattigan would not result in any compensation if they didn't match an offer.

Originally drafted out of Miami by the Cowboys in 2019, Jackson bounced around with multiple teams before joining the Seahawks practice squad in 2021. Impressing in his first game action late in the season, the team re-signed him to a future/reserve deal and he ended up winning a starting job across from rookie Riq Woolen in 2022, turning in a fine season with 75 tackles, an interception, and 11 pass breakups.

Retained as an exclusive rights free agent, Jackson went into training camp last August battling for his starting job following the arrival of top-five pick Devon Witherspoon and ultimately lost the competition to fellow veteran Tre Brown. But after primarily playing special teams in the first half of the season, he earned four starts in the final two months, including replacing a benched Woolen against the Eagles on Monday Night Football in December.

In limited action, per Pro Football Focus, Jackson graded out as the 19th best cornerback in coverage (76.9) among 125 qualified players. On just 32 targets, he produced four pass breakups and limited opposing receivers to 51 yards after the catch, doing a fine job getting them down to the ground quickly when they did manage to make receptions against him.

An undrafted success story out of Army, Rhattigan bounced back from an injury-shortened 2022 season to re-emerge as one of Seattle's core special teams players. He finished with 13 combined tackles, including nine stops on kick and punt coverage, and now will asked to step up as the most seasoned veteran on the unit replacing the recently released Nick Bellore.

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Signing with the Seahawks as an undrafted free agent in 2021, Curhan performed admirably starting in the final five games of his rookie season at right tackle. But the team drafted Abraham Lucas in the third round of the ensuing draft and the former Washington State standout won the camp competition for the starting job, forcing the ex-California starter into a reserve role.

Last season, Curhan started four games in place of an injured Lucas and struggled mightily, allowing three sacks and 22 pressures in those games. Stone Forysthe replaced him in the lineup in Week 7 and he eventually was waived before re-signing with Seattle's practice squad.

As for Taylor, no details have been made available in regard to his reported extension, but the 2020 second-round pick would have become an unrestricted free agent if the Seahawks chose not to tender him. After missing his rookie season recovering from a broken leg, he has registered 91 combined tackles, 21.5 sacks, and five forced fumbles in 49 games, performing at his best as a situational pass rusher.