The Seattle Seahawks saw their first real game action of the season in their exhibition game against the Dallas Cowboys. While the preseason won’t indicate how the team will play this upcoming year, some players need to show they have what it takes to contribute during the regular season.
One player determined to show that he can contribute this year is linebacker Tyrice Knight. Now in his third season in Seattle, the 2024 fourth-round pick is determined to show that he’s more than just a special teams contributor and that he can work his way back into the rotation on defense.
After a strong training camp, Knight continued to show off on Saturday against the Cowboys, helping explain the buzz around him this offseason.
Competing For Playing Time
Last season, Tyrice Knight had the inside track at being the Seahawks’ starting inside linebacker after starting for most of his rookie season. However, an offseason heart condition and knee issues needing to be resolved opened the door for Drake Thomas to impress, and he took over the starting job by November.
This season with a healthy offseason under his belt, Knight is trying to prove that he is once again capable of more playing time at linebacker. After a strong training camp, Knight followed that up with a 10-tackle performance against the Cowboys in the Seahawks’ first preseason game.
Seahawks.com writer John Boyle, in his August 15 rapid reaction article to the Seahawks’ first preseason game, wrote about Knight playing his way into more playing time.
“But on a night when both teams rested their starters, Knight was a clear standout among backup players, building off of what has been a very strong camp for the third-year ‘backer,” Boyle wrote. “Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald acknowledged earlier in camp that Knight is pushing for playing time, and on Saturday night, he looked very much like a player who deserves to have a role on defense when the regular season begins next month.”
If Knight’s hard work pays off into a more significant role on defense remains to be seen, but in the meantime, Knight is giving himself the best chance to make that case.
Being More Decisive
Tyrice Knight put himself in position to get more playing time on Saturday, but he started that journey earlier than that. Knight has come into this season with a different, more focused mentality and is keeping the “next man up” mantra close to heart.
In his August 15 article for Seahawks.com, John Boyle wrote about Knight and his mentality coming into this year.
“We always have the ‘next man up‘ mentality,” Knight said. “Everybody just always comes to work every day. For me, I’ve been having a great camp. I’m trying to stack days and just let it play out like it’s supposed to play out.”
Knight is also focused on being a more confident and decisive player this year, and it’s translating in his strong training camp and preseason.
“Just getting the confidence back, being more decisive, just getting back to how it was before everything happened.”
“Probably the biggest step for me is just being more decisive, just how I was at UTEP, bringing that same game to the NFL, and then just playing downhill more and being ahead of the play.”
Knight has a point to prove this season, and he’s taking the steps to show he can be reliable when the regular season rolls around too.
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