J.R. Sweezy, who spent five seasons of his eight-year career with the Seahawks, signed a one-day contract with Seattle on Friday that will allow him to retire with the franchise that drafted him in 2012.
The Seahawks drafted Sweezy, a defensive lineman out of N.C. State, in 2012 with the intention of moving him to the offensive line. That unconventional move paid off in a big way for both Sweezy and team, as he went from being a little-known seventh-round pick to the starting right guard for a team that went to back-to-back Super Bowls.
Sweezy, who along with players like Bobby Wagner, Russell Wilson, Bruce Irvin, Robert Turbin and Jeremy Lane, was part of the best draft class in franchise history and one of the best in recent NFL history. After spending most of his rookie season in a backup role, Sweezy became a starter in 2013 and started 46 games over the next three seasons before signing with Tampa Bay in free agency in 2016.
After two seasons in Tampa Bay, Sweezy returned to Seattle in 2018, starting 15 games at left guard. Sweezy finished his career in Arizona, starting 26 games and playing 29 over in 2019 and 2020, then spent training camp with New Orleans in 2021.
Back when he re-signed with Seattle in 2018, Sweezy said, "I feel like I'm at home." Now Sweezy can retire with the franchise that felt like home dating back to 2012 when he was a defensive lineman trying to learn a new position, one at which he would carve out a nearly decade-long career.
