NFL suspends Seahawks WR Dee Eskridge

This creates another hurdle for the former MAC standout, who has not established himself as a dependable pass catcher in Seattle. The Seahawks drafted Eskridge 56th overall in 2021, making him their first draft choice that year (the team had traded its first-rounder in the 2020 Jamal Adams swap). But Eskridge has battled injuries and inconsistency as a pro, having only caught 17 passes for 122 yards since debuting with the Seahawks.

Seattle also made a splashy addition at receiver this offseason, drafting Jaxon Smith-Njigba in the first round. The Hawks made the Ohio State product this year’s first receiver off the board, taking him 20th overall. Eskridge was initially pegged as a slot player to go with Tyler Lockett and D.K. Metcalf. Smith-Njigba, who dominated for the Buckeyes as a sophomore in 2021 before a nagging hamstring injury kept him off the field for most of last season, is now penciled into that role.

Eskridge’s rookie contract runs through the 2024 season. He is due to make $1.2M this year. The Seahawks are still thin beyond their high-end top three at receiver. Dareke Young, a 2022 seventh-rounder, joins ex-UDFAs Cody Thompson and Easop Winston as aspiring second-stringers. It would not surprise to see the Seahawks make an addition in the wake of Eskridge’s ban.