Having been slowed at the start of his rookie season due to a hamstring injury, Devon Witherspoon is most certainly back at full speed.
The 2023 No. 5 overall pick soared to a 97-yard touchdown return off his first career interception to highlight the Seattle Seahawks’ 24-3 thumping of the New York Giants on Monday night.
On a banner evening for the Seahawks defense as a whole, Witherspoon’s individual efforts glowed, and so too did his head coach.
“I never thought he wouldn’t play like this,” said Seattle head coach Pete Carroll on Witherspoon, who became the first rookie since Nick Bosa in 2019 to record two or more sacks and an interception in a game, per NFL Research. “This is the why we took him. To be active and to show that he gets this game of football, and it comes easy to him. He’s an explosive, dynamic player. We got to put him at nickel for the first time. This was a process, getting him back out there. We didn’t have enough time, we thought, to have him ready, although he’s been working at it the whole time. He did a great job tonight, and you can see why we like him there.”