'Force Multiplier' Seahawks CB Devon Witherspoon Shines Again vs. Bears

Seattle Seahawks cornerback Devon Witherspoon continued his dominant season against the Chicago Bears in Week 17.

Oct 20, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Seattle Seahawks cornerback Devon Witherspoon (21) runs off the field before a game against the Atlanta Falcons at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. / Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Cornerback Devon Witherspoon may be the purest football player on the Seattle Seahawks. His motor, endless energy and instincts pop off the screen on film, and he’s rarely away from the ball carrier at the whistle.

Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald has high praise for the 2023 No. 5 overall pick seemingly every week. Following Seattle’s Week 17 win over the Chicago Bears — the lowest-scoring game in the NFL this season — Macdonald explained Witherspoon’s importance and growth.

“Yeah, I mean, this guy is the leader on our–” Macdonald hesitated, as if stopping himself before singling out one player as the heart and soul of the defense. “It’s his second year and he’s grown so much as a leader and [is] someone we’re going to depend on for a long time here.”

Witherspoon tied for a team-high six tackles and added five defensive stops, three tackles for loss and his first sack of the season in the Seahawks’ 6-3 win over the Bears.

In coverage, Witherspoon allowed just two catches for 14 yards on three targets.

As a rookie, in addition to his impact out of the box score, Witherspoon’s numbers in the stat sheet were among the best in the league among defensive rookies — leading to his fourth-place finish in the Defensive Rookie of the Year race. This season, however, the numbers haven’t represented his value to the Seahawks’ defense.

“We love him, and it’s because of the energy and the competitiveness and the person and his love of the game and love for his teammates. It's infectious,” Macdonald said. “How can you not play 1000 percent when [Witherspoon] is on the field doing the stuff that he does? We talk about force multiplier. He’s a force multiplier.”

Witherspoon is second on the Seahawks this season with 90 tackles behind only safety Julian Love (103). No other cornerback in the NFL has more than 85 tackles, and Witherspoon also leads all players at the position in defensive stops (35).

He may not be turning the ball over, but the impact plays have been consistent. Witherspoon also has six tackles for loss, seven pass deflections and one forced fumble, in addition to logging his first sack of the season on Thursday. He was the closest player in pursuit when Bears quarterback Caleb Williams was forced to dip out of bounds behind the line of scrimmage.

“Happy he got a sack,” Macdonald added. “[It] wasn't pretty, but he got one, and really happy for him.”

Oct 10, 2024; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Seahawks cornerback Devon Witherspoon (21) tackles San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle (85) following a reception by Kittle during the second quarter at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images / Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images

Witherspoon, especially because of the fire he plays with, is more of a true gadget player than a cornerback. Macdonald is keeping him in the box this season more than former Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll as well, and that’s why Witherspoon has piled up the defensive stop numbers.

About three percent more of Witherspoon’s snaps have come in the box than in 2023, while the slot remains his primary position. Simultaneously, his Pro Football Focus run grade has skyrocketed 10 percent to 90.2 this season.

There are few things Witherspoon can’t do in Macdonald’s defense, and little Seattle’s first-year head coach doesn’t have him doing. If that continues, it would be a shock if Witherspoon doesn’t enter the conversation as one of the top defensive players in the NFL in the next few seasons.

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