Seahawks re-sign CB Marcus Trufant

Published 3:04 pm Monday, April 9, 2012

A month after releasing Marcus Trufant, the Seahawks have agreed to a one-year deal to keep the veteran cornerback in Seattle.

Trufant, a first-round pick in 2003, was released by Seattle on March 7, a move that was somewhat expected considering the amount of money remaining on his deal. Trufant, 31, was scheduled to make $7.2 million in 2012 and $8.8 million in 2013, and with the emergence of Brandon Browner and Richard Sherman last season, Trufant doesn’t figure to have a starting role with the Seahawks.

At the time of his release, general manager John Schneider said in a statement that the team was releasing Trufant to allow him to explore free agency. It appears Trufant decided his options outside of Seattle weren’t better than what the Seahawks were offering (terms of the deal were not announced).

“Out of respect for Marcus and his family, we’ve decided to release him today so that he has an opportunity to explore the full window of unrestricted free agency and the options that go along with it,” Schneider said in a press release last month. “Marcus has done so much for this organization, but because of the changing landscape of the NFL, tough decisions have to be made and this is the correct thing to do at this time.”

Trufant, a first-round pick in 2003 and a Pro Bowler in 2007, is Seattle’s longest tenured player, and if free agent linebacker Leroy Hill is not re-signed, Trufant will be the only remaining member of Seattle’s Super Bowl XL team.

Through his first six season, Trufant missed only two starts, but missed the start of the 2009 season while on the physically unable to perform list because of a back injury. He returned to play the final 10 games that season but was clearly not the same player he was prior to the injury. Trufant bounced back with a solid 2010, starting all 16 games, but only played four games in 2011 before a back injury landed him on injured reserve.