RENTON — Seahawks receiver Dee Eskridge offered a public apology Friday for the events that led to his six-game suspension.
He’s expected to return to the team’s 53-man roster Saturday.
Eskridge may get his football career going again Sunday with the Seahawks potentially declaring him active against the Cleveland Browns at Lumen Field.
“I’m just grateful to be able to step back on the field,’’ Eskridge said following Friday’s practice.
Eskridge, the Seahawks’ first pick in the 2021 draft, taken 56th overall, was suspended in August for violating the NFL’s personal conduct policy. That ruling came after it was revealed he had received a suspended sentence in May for fourth-degree misdemeanor assault in relation to a domestic-violence incident in February.
Shortly after the suspension was announced, Eskridge’s agency, the Wasserman Media Group, released a statement stating Eskridge “was involved in an unfortunate incident with his child’s mother, which resulted in his arrest and the filing of misdemeanor charges. Dwayne quickly took responsibility for his role in this incident. Dwayne entered into an agreement whereby the misdemeanor charges will be dismissed in 12 months when he completes domestic violence moral recognition therapy. Dwayne has already enrolled in and has begun therapy. Dwayne has not been convicted of any crime. He entered into this agreement because it is in the best interest of his family.’’
The suspension ended this week and Eskridge returned to practice.
In is his first public comments since the statement, Eskridge offered an apology as he stood in front of his locker talking to a handful of reporters.
“First off I would just like to apologize to the organization, apologize to my family, to everybody that was affected by it,’’ he said. “I take full responsibility in this situation and I’ve grown from it and I’m just ready to get it behind me and be the person I’m meant to be and not all of this stuff.’’
Eskridge, 26, said he remains in therapy and that “it’s helping me grow as a man. I’m a young man. Everybody makes mistakes.’’
Eskridge and the Seahawks hope that he can begin to make the name for himself the team thought he could when they selected him out of Western Michigan with the only pick they had in the first three rounds of the 2021 draft.
Eskridge has played just 20 of a possible 40 regular-season games in his career, playing just 10 in each of the 2021 and 2022 seasons because of injuries.
He suffered a concussion in his first game at Indianapolis in 2021 and last season ended with a hand injury suffered against Tampa Bay in Munich.
Eskridge was healthy during the offseason program and was cited by coaches and teammates as finally being on the verge of a breakout season.
Then came news of the suspension. Eskridge was allowed to continue to play in preseason games. He suffered a knee injury on the opening kickoff of the preseason opener against Minnesota on Aug. 10 and sat out the rest of the preseason.
Eskridge said. “I feel 100% healthy.”
Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said Friday that Eskridge showed in practice this week some of what had excited them in the offseason program.
“He’s quick and explosive and all that stuff and he’s come back ready to go,” Carroll said. “He’s really prepared well to do that.’’
It helped that recent NFL rules changes meant Eskridge could return to the team facility to work out two weeks ago, though he could not practice until this week.
The Seahawks received a one-week exemption to place Eskridge back on the 53-man roster. The only other option is to cut him. But that won’t happen and it is expected Eskridge will be activated Saturday and available to play Sunday.
Carroll wouldn’t say if Eskridge will play. They have five other receivers on the 53-man roster who are healthy enough to play — Tyler Lockett, DK Metcalf, Jake Bobo, Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Cody Thompson.
Before his suspension, Eskridge was expected to compete for at least the fourth spot behind Lockett, Metcalf and Smith-Njigba.
Now he is hoping just to get back on the field in any capacity.
Metcalf said earlier this week he thought the time away had gotten Eskridge “back to loving football again.’’
Eskridge acknowledged his perspective changed during his time away.
“Yes, definitely,’’ he said. “There’s a lot of ebbs and flows in this NFL thing that people don’t know about. We go through things and it kind of affects football. Now I feel like I’m at a point now where football is the main thing.’’
Haynes only player likely to sit
The Seahawks appear as healthy as they’ve been since the season began with only one player on the 53-man roster expected to not be available Sunday — right guard Phil Haynes.
Haynes also sat out last week with a calf injury, and Carroll said the team will give him another week to rest. Rookie Anthony Bradford is expected to again fill in for Haynes.
“We really just took an extra week because it kind of nagged with him so we took an extra week to get him back,’’ Carroll said of Haynes. “Next week he should be ready to go.”
The Seahawks listed safety Jamal Adams (knee) and Lockett (hamstring) as questionable. Each was a full participant in practice Friday and Carroll said they will play.
Among those who sat out practice earlier in the week but were not on the game status report Friday and will play Sunday were middle linebacker Bobby Wagner (ankle) and running back Kenneth Walker III (calf). Rookie running back Zach Charbonnet is also expected to play after missing the Arizona game with a hamstring injury.
Notes
- Carroll said outside linebacker Frank Clark had two good days of practice after signing on Thursday and will play Sunday. “It’s really hard to imagine that a guy could just move right on back in like that, you know, but he did,’’ Carroll said. “He had a couple assignments and stuff that he has to get right and all that which is only normal, but he fit right in. … There’s no hesitation to put him in. He’s going to play this weekend.”
- Metcalf practiced fully all week after missing the Arizona game with rib and hip injuries. “He needed it,’’ Carroll said of Metcalf sitting out last week and missing the first game of his NFL career.
- Running back Kenny McIntosh and nose tackle Austin Faoliu each practiced fully Friday as they ended their first week back to practice from knee injuries. But the team listed each as out for Sunday as neither will yet be activated to the 53-man roster. Carroll said he was impressed by McIntosh, who was injured in the mock game on Aug. 4 and missed the rest of the preseason. “He looked pretty flashy out there to tell you the truth,’’ Carroll said of the seventh-round pick out of Georgia.