RENTON, WA - Nearly two years after initially signing to the practice squad, receiver Cody Thompson finally played his first game in a Seahawks uniform last Saturday. He did not disappoint.
"He had a very good game on special teams," head coach Pete Carroll told reporters on Friday. "An exceptional game on special teams."
Carroll isn't surprised, however; since last summer, Thompson has been on his radar. Now 25 years old, the University of Toledo's second-most accomplished receiver in school history has dominated each of Seattle's last two training camps. But last year, the lack of preseason games limited his ability to showcase what he can do, relegating him back to the practice squad for the entire 2020 campaign.
Games such as last weekend's preseason opener against the Raiders are invaluable for players like Thompson to prove their worth. Before that, he had only ever been able to exhibit just a piece of his skillset—his receiving ability—in practices, but, as Carroll saw in Las Vegas, special teams has long been one of Thompson's calling cards.
A five-year player at Toledo, he became a sensation for his famous blocked punt against Virginia Military Institute in 2018. Not only blocking—but catching—a punt off the foot of VMI's punter at the goal line, Thompson waltzed in for a touchdown and earned MAC West Special Teams Player of the Week honors for his efforts.
Versus the Raiders, Thompson registered 10 special teams snaps. He worked on punt and kick coverage, as well as a blocker in the return game. He also played a considerable amount of snaps with the first-team offense on the night, helmed by backup quarterback Geno Smith. But while the box score shows no catches for him, he did have a 17-yard gain called back on a holding penalty by rookie offensive tackle Stone Forsythe.
This week in practice, he got some run with Seattle's real No. 1 offense and continued to look the part of a capable NFL wideout. Standing at 6-foot-2, 205 pounds, Thompson has offered his quarterbacks a nice, big target with reliable hands and good after-the-catch skills.
But only standing out as a pass catcher, as Thompson learned the hard way last year, isn't good enough to make it on the back end of the Seahawks' roster. If the team carries six receivers and Thompson is that hypothetical sixth man, then offensive snaps will be a rarity—especially in a group that features two All-Pros and a recent second-round selection.
He also has to make himself more valuable than the six other wideouts vying for that role. Therefore, special teams are critical to his—and every other receiver who finds themselves on the proverbial roster bubble's—case to break camp with the Seahawks. And right now, he appears to hold the slight edge heading into the team's second preseason game of the summer Saturday night.
"He's making the bid to show that he's part of this thing," Carroll stated. "I'm excited for him. He's a really smart, good football player and the versatility really shows up."
Over the next two weeks, Thompson will have to fend off the likes of Cade Johnson, Aaron Fuller and Connor Wedington—another strong special teams player. If his usage in practice this past week is any indication, he should get an opportunity to do so fairly early on against the Broncos.
Another thing potentially working in Thompson's favor over the three aforementioned receivers is seniority. That may seem strange to say about a player who's never played a single down in a regular season NFL game before, but he's been in Seattle longer than most and is well aware of the standard his coaches expect him to hit.
"He's been around," Carroll spoke of Thompson. "He's very comfortable with what we're asking him to do. He and [Seahawks receivers coach] Nate [Carroll] hit it, they relate really well. He's really versatile, he knows everything we're doing and he's as smart of a football player as we have at any position.
"So I think he's ready to make that attempt to take full advantage of that and put himself on the regular roster. It's what he's trying to do."
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