This offseason, Rayshawn Jenkins choose the Seattle Seahawks over an NFC West rival. A significant salary disparity was one of the many factors influencing his choice.Safety Rayshawn Jenkins (2) of the Jacksonville Jaguars sprints across the field prior to an NFL football game on Sunday, Nov. 19, 2023, at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Florida. The Tennessee Titans were defeated 34-14 by the Jacksonville Jaguars. [Florida Times-Union/Corey Perrine] / Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USAAs free agency got underway, Rayshawn Jenkins had two teams fighting for his services after being cut by the Jacksonville Jaguars in March.
The Seattle Seahawks and the San Francisco 49ers were the two teams, which were rivals in the NFC West. After winning Super Bowl LVIII, the 49ers appear to be the more complete team and the more capable of challenging for a championship on paper. Some were taken aback when Jenkins decided to join with the Seahawks instead.Why? Although Jenkins believed both teams were contenders and there were football considerations at play, he disclosed on Thursday that something entirely unrelated to football was the driving force for his decision to sign with Seattle.
“I thought Seattle was the ideal location. Jenkins told reporters during Wednesday’s open OTA session, “Plenty of opportunity.” “I’m joining a team led by a defensive-minded head coach who, to be honest, is from San Francisco and Seattle—not to mention the taxes.” I therefore have to consider that.”Remarkably, Jenkins flew south to meet with the 49ers after his initial meeting with the Seahawks to start his free agency tour ended without a deal being signed. Despite the attention from other teams, he chose to decline visits and, given the same financial offer, went with the deal that would yield the highest take-home income for him.
Jenkins said, “I had two more visits scheduled, but Seattle called and made an offer.” “They [the 49ers] matched it obviously, but going back to those taxes, I was like, I’m going out here.”Jenkins’ decision to select Seattle over San Francisco makes perfect sense if the offers from the two teams were really the same. California has the highest state income tax in the US, at 13.3%, while Washington has no state income tax (except from capital gains income).
This is not to minimize the impact of the on-field circumstances on Jenkins’ choice. Jenkins will have the opportunity to play for a youthful, defensive-minded coach in Mike Macdonald with the Seahawks, unquestionably an appealing marketing feature. A strong supporting cast surrounding Jenkins and a powerful offense headed by Geno Smith and DK Metcalf could keep the Seahawks in the middle of the NFC West race for the duration of the season. The secondary is one of the team’s strongest areas.In addition to getting an extremely underrated safety with positional versatility in Jenkins, Macdonald and the Seahawks are understandably thrilled to have signed him. Jenkins helps fill the void left by the departures of Quandre Diggs and Jamal Adams, and in the process, they kept him away from a division rival.
Leave a Reply