Seahawks waive Laviska Shenault Jr after terrible kick return day against Jets

The Seattle Seahawks had an all-time terrible special teams performance in their win against the New York Jets, and it cost a player his job.

On Monday, the Seahawks waived wide receiver/kick returner Laviska Shenault Jr. This move may come as a surprise to some as Shenault looked promising on some of his returns, including a 97-yard kickoff return for a touchdown. Despite these results, however, Shenault’s waiver shouldn’t be too surprising. Shenault had lost two fumbles on kick returns this season, including one on Sunday against the New York Jets. He also fumbled another kick against the Jets, but the Seahawks recovered. Aside from the fumbles, Shenault has shown very little in the offensive game plan. This season, Shenault had 16 returns for 459 yards and just five catches for 36 yards and one rush attempt for one yard.

Shenault’s departure is just the latest example of the Seahawks abandoning veterans who aren’t contributing. This roster move can be placed in the same category as waiving Tyrel Dodson and trading linebacker Jerome Baker. After this disastrous special teams effort, it’s no surprise that the Seahawks made this move to send another statement to the locker room.

Seattle now has an open spot on the 53-man roster after failing to make a move to do so. The Seahawks could look to sign someone else to fill that spot, or perhaps it goes to Uchenna Nwosu or Stone Forsythe, who will return from injured reserve. Meanwhile, Seattle may have a contender as a returner alongside Dee Williams, who has also come under fire for fumbles and turnovers. Some early candidates could be Kenny McIntosh, Dareke Young or Tre Brown.