Seahawks coach Pete Carroll ‘really fired up about’ rookie Shaquem Griffin

Since putting together an impressive showing at NFL combine back in March, Shaquem Griffin has been a standout prospect.

Griffin got his first action on Thursday night in a preseason game. He had a game-best nine tackles with six being solo as well as a tackle for a loss. This has immediately caught the attention of head coach Pete Carroll. The coach raved about the rookie linebacker’s performance, according to Brady Henderson of ESPN.

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“I am really fired up about it,” coach Pete Carroll said of Griffin’s night. “This is what he looks like in practice. He’s running around. He’s really fast. By understanding the scheme, he’s utilizing his opportunities to be on the attack. He’s a weapon in that regard. We have to see how accurate he was, if he was right if he was guessing a little bit, and how he hit it. We’re really fired up. He was involved in nine or 10 tackles in his first time out. That’s pretty good. He played quite a bit. He played a lot in the middle portion of this game, so we’ll get some really good looks.”

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Despite being physically limited with just one hand, Shaquem Griffin has developed his skill set around that has pushed his game and playing style to another level that has more than made up for that. His strong outing in the preseason opener is also a telling sign of the potential he has to quickly become a key piece of the puzzle defensively.

He has the ability to be an effective player at the next level behind his quick speed as well as his defensive instincts that have put him in this position. He is well on his way to earning a part-time spot at weakside linebacker in addition to playing on special teams.

Griffin will have an opportunity to further build on his case in training camp and the last three games of the preseason earn a spot on the 53-man roster.