On the day the Seahawks released Justin Coleman, head coach Pete Carroll indicated that the veteran cornerback might not be away from the team for long, saying "Justin is a really good football player, and hopefully this isn't where we're done with him."
And sure enough, Coleman was back with the Seahawks a day later, re-signing on Wednesday. Defensive end L.J. Collier, who has been sidelined since early in the month with an elbow injury, was placed on injured reserve to make room on the roster.
So why release Coleman if the plan was to bring him back? As a vested veteran, Coleman was not subject to waivers, meaning he was free to sign with any team he wanted, or to re-sign with the team that just let him go. By releasing Coleman for a day and leaving Collier on the initial 53-man roster, Collier is now eligible to return from injured reserve after missing four games. Had the Seahawks placed Collier on injured reserve Tuesday or any time before that, he would have had to miss the entire season.
Coleman, who signed with the Seahawks in the spring after previously spending two seasons in Seattle in 2017 and 2018, has been the team's No. 1 nickel corner throughout camp and the preseason.
