wide receiver/kick returner Laviska Shenault Jr.'s tenure in Seattle is officially over. On Monday, the their utility man after a truly disastrous performance against the New York Jets that could have easily cost the team a much-needed win.
for its Week 13 outing, but it can't be overstated how bad it was. After the other (difficult) returner Dee Williams deflected the ball on a kickoff, Shenault parried a kickoff himself. He was able to recover it, but it put the Seahawks at their own 12-yard line — much deeper in their own territory than they needed to be. Luckily for Shenault, Seattle was able to find the end zone on the drive.
Immediately after New York scored on a 99-yard kickoff, Shenault had another chance to get revenge. Instead, he again thwarted the return and this time the ball was recovered by the Jets at the Seattle 38-yard line. The Seahawks were down 21-7 at that point and New York had all the momentum. The Jets were in prime position to make it a 28-7 game, putting Seattle out of reach even at this early stage. Once again luck saved Shenault as Leonard Williams intercepted Aaron Rodgers and returned it 92 yards for a touchdown – .
This appears to have been the end of the road for Shenault, as the team won't allow him to give them another opportunity where they would need a potentially history-making play to save the day. Shenault finished his Seattle career with 459 return yards and a 97-yard return touchdown. He also had two errors.
The Seahawks also had to make a roster decision anyway. Top pass rusher Uchenna Nwosu and right tackle Stone Forsythe are back from injured reserve, and head coach Mike Macdonald hinted that Nwosu's return could be “successful.”“If that is the case (particularly if “sooner” means Week 14 against the Cardinals), there is now a spot available for him on the active 53-man roster.
Seattle’s special teams did it all season long, and Shenault was a major contributor to the mess. As for his vice president, the aforementioned Dee Williams, it is clear that this staff will no longer tolerate self-inflicted wounds of its nature.