Seattle Seahawks sign Damon Harrison to practice squad
Harrison, 31, openly contemplated retirement after last season following a multitude of injuries but decided to play this campaign. He was a first-team All-Pro in 2016.
“He’s been a real force in the league,” Seattle coach Pete Carroll said. “He’s got a real special style, and he’s so big and so strong and stout in the middle. This opportunity to get him now and to get him on the practice squad is to give him some chance to work and get ready and learn what we’re doing and see where he can fit in as soon as possible.”
The Seahawks have allowed the most yards per game of any team in the NFL, but that has been because of a last-ranked pass defense that was gashed over the first three games. They’ve allowed the third-fewest rushing yards per game (75.8) and the third-fewest yards per rush (3.4).
The Seahawks have four defensive tackles on their active roster: starters Jarran Reed and Poona Ford, Bryan Mone and Anthony Rush.
Carroll said Harrison cleared COVID-19 testing protocols and was ready to begin practicing on Wednesday. Carroll said he isn’t worried about Harrison picking up Seattle’s defense, calling him a “really smart football player.” But the coach said he needs to see Harrison on the practice field and gauge his conditioning level before assessing his chances of playing Sunday night against the Minnesota Vikings.
“He’s a big man, so we’ve got to see what he looks like,” Carroll said.
Carroll noted how new league rules have allowed the Seahawks to more easily use their practice squad players in games.
“He’s a player that’s got big character in the locker room,” Carroll said of Harrison. “His attitude and personality that you add to the team is real special, and so whenever we can do that, we’re trying to get better. So hopefully, he’ll be able to add in. Right now, we want him to just get to work and get going with us.”
Harrison was released by the Detroit Lions in what he called “a mutual agreement” on Feb. 25. He had two years remaining on his deal after signing an $11 million extension in August.
After sitting out all of the spring workouts last year, Harrison, one of the top run-stoppers in the league, was placed on the non-football injury list before signing the extension, which converted much of his base salary into a $7.5 million signing bonus.
The Lions traded for Harrison on Oct. 25, 2018, sending a fifth-round pick to the New York Giants. That season, he was graded by Pro Football Focus as the No. 3 interior defender with the best run-stop percentage in the league (16%).
In April, he said on the Green Light podcast — hosted by former NFL player Chris Long — that he “was angry” over the trade and was “hell-bent on getting out” of the Motor City.
Originally undrafted out of William Penn University, Harrison appeared in 117 games with the New York Jets, Giants and Lions, starting 110 of them. He has 485 career tackles with 24 quarterback hits, 11 sacks, 10 passes defended and 4 forced fumbles.
Seattle also signed defensive end Jonathan Bullard to their 53-man roster and placed cornerback Neiko Thorpe on injured reserve. Bullard, who will turn 27 later this month, has 3.5 sacks in 55 career games. Thorpe, Seattle’s special-teams captain, missed the past two games with a hip injury; Carroll said he is dealing with symptoms similar to a sports hernia and that the team needs to determine the best course of action for treating him.
In addition to Harrison, the Seahawks added cornerback DeMarkus Acy and linebacker Michael Divinity to their practice squad. They released wide receiver Lance Lenoir to make room. They had one open spot on their practice squad after releasing defensive tackle Demarcus Christmas on Tuesday.
ESPN’s Brady Henderson and Michael Rothstein contributed to this report.