Mychal Kendricks, awaiting felony sentence, starts over Shaquem Griffin in Seahawks debut
On Sept. 6, Mychal Kendricks pleaded guilty to felony insider trading charges.
On Monday, he started at linebacker for the Seattle Seahawks.
The former Philadelphia Eagle and Cleveland Brown signed with the Seahawks on Thursday and has apparently shown head coach Pete Carroll enough to immediately step into the starting lineup.
Shaq Griffin struggled in first start last week
Rookie Shaquem Griffin struggled starting in his NFL debut against the Denver Broncos in place of injured starter K.J. Wright, which likely prompted the Seahawks to sign a player facing prison time. Kendricks is scheduled to be sentenced in January.
The NFL reportedly handed down a suspension to Kendricks, but he is allowed to play while he appeals the decision.
“We had done a lot of homework on it,” Carroll said of signing Kendricks. “It happened four-and-a-half years ago, so it’s a story that’s been worked on for a long time. There’s a lot of good information. We’ve come to learn who he is and what he’s all about and how remorseful he was and how he admitted to his mistake a long time ago.”
Kendricks gets sack, praise from MNF crew
Kendricks sacked Bears quarterback Mitchell Trubisky in the third quarter of “Monday Night Football.” Announcer Booger McFarland’s praise of Kendricks summed up nicely the awkwardness of having a convicted felon on the football field.
“He’s facing jail time potentially and he’s out here on the field tonight trying to give everything he has for his teammates. Unbelievable focus by Kendricks." pic.twitter.com/BXZXqVwlLz
— Nick Bromberg (@NickBromberg) September 18, 2018
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