Seattle Seahawks CB Devon Witherspoon Verbally, Physically Dominates Joint Practice

Leaving his mark on the Tennessee Titans, Seahawks second-year cornerback Devon Witherspoon got the last laugh in the second joint practice in Nashville.

Jul 27, 2024; Renton, WA, USA; Seattle Seahawks cornerback Devon Witherspoon (21) points at safety Rayshawn Jenkins (2) during training camp at Virginia Mason Athletic Center. / Steven Bisig-USA TODAY Sports

The Seattle Seahawks and Tennessee Titans completed two joint practices without starting a brawl. That, however, doesn’t mean it wasn’t chippy and players weren’t chirping at one another as tensions rose.

Leading Seattle’s defense with both his talk and play on day two of the joint practice session was second-year cornerback Devon Witherspoon. Finally, after Seattle’s practices at the VMAC in Renton began to heat up late in the first phase of training camp, Witherspoon can berate another team.

Per Gregg Bell of the Tacoma News Tribune, the former No. 5 overall pick — after already trash-talking throughout practice — intercepted Titans quarterback Will Levis in the final team scrimmage period and delivered it to his former teammate Jamal Adams, who is now on Tennessee’s sideline.

“He was ducking me, he was hiding from me, he [was] just talking trash, so you know I was coming to see my dawg,” Witherspoon said post-practice on Thursday. “But yeah, I was looking for him so I could get him the ball and show him that’s how you do it, for real. That’s how you really run this defense."

Adams, who reportedly was a limited participant in both days of practice due to “generally soreness,” per Bell, had plenty of words for Seattle’s sideline also. Witherspoon said it’s “nothing but love” with Adams, but he also got the last laugh in a hyper-competitive back-and-forth between the two teams.

“It’s been cool, though; it’s been fun. I don’t like getting beat and I had gotten beat a couple times yesterday, a couple times today,” Witherspoon added. “All in all, I just got to be better. Competition is always bringing the best out [of] you.”

Clearly, Witherspoon will be the first to be honest with himself about his play while also responding well to adversity and failure. He didn’t have many failures as a rookie, but a growth mindset will take him to an All-Pro level. Of course, in practice, and one-on-ones specifically, even the best players will lose a few reps. One-on-ones favor wide receivers, also.

Former Seahawks safety Quandre Diggs, who is also now with the Titans, was involved in the action as well, but apparently, he was enough of a bystander not to receive an intercepted football. Diggs praised Witherspoon post-practice, per Seahawks.com writer John Boyle.

“Man, I think he can be one of the best. The energy, how smart he is, he’s competitive as heck,” Diggs said. “He makes a play over there, he’s yelling across to the other side of the field to us, just the back-and-forth. And like I said, he’s super smart, I respect the heck out of him. He’s probably one of my favorite teammates ever, just because you know what he’s going to be on every day, and I know how competitive he is.”

Witherspoon’s arrival didn’t take long last season with the Seahawks, as he finished fourth in Defensive Rookie of the Year voting after tallying 79 total tackles, eight tackles for loss, three sacks, a forced fumble and a 97-yard interception return for a touchdown. Like his counterpart in the Seahawks secondary, Riq Woolen, Witherspoon was named to the Pro Bowl in his first NFL season.

Woolen has also looked the part of a shutdown corner heading into his third year, as he gave Titans wide receiver Calvin Ridley — signed to a four-year, $92 million contract this offseason — plenty of problems. The duo showed how impressive they can be in the two-day joint practice arrangement with Tennessee.

Jul 27, 2024; Renton, WA, USA; Seattle Seahawks cornerback Devon Witherspoon (21) signs autographs after training camp at Virginia Mason Athletic Center. / Steven Bisig-USA TODAY Sports

It also appears Witherspoon may play on the boundary more often this season after taking the majority of his snaps in the slot post-Week 3 in 2023. Witherspoon excelled in the slot, but he could become a much more complete corner by playing in multiple spots.

Witherspoon’s capability rushing the passer won’t be wasted even with the shift, as head coach Mike Macdonald said Wednesday “I have to blitz him, because otherwise he’ll complain the whole practice.” With how hungry the second-year corner is to impact the game, that’s not a surprise.

“Well that’s Spoon,” Macdonald said Thursday when asked about the fire Witherspoon brings to practice. “I know we do the joking thing back and forth, but we love him. He’s a great player and we expect great things out of him. For him to make plays on the ball like he did today, that’s what our team needs … He’s working his tail off, he’s very detail-oriented, he does not make the same mistake twice.”

Don’t expect to see Witherspoon on the field on Saturday against the Titans, as most or all of the starters will stay on the sidelines. Witherspoon’s work against Tennessee was intended to begin and end in practice, and he maximized that opportunity.