Former Seattle Seahawks running back Thomas Rawls has agreed to a contract with the New York Jets, reports ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
The 24-year-old Rawls was originally picked up by Seattle as an undrafted free agent in 2015. He had a very strong rookie season, rushing 147 times for 830 yards and four touchdowns. His 5.6 yards per carry led the league.
However, things went south for Rawls in the next two seasons, which led to the Seahawks choosing not to tender Rawls a contract after 2017. Although he played in 12 games last year, he only started in three contests and was occasionally left off the active roster, even though he was healthy.
Rawls only rushed 58 times for 157 yards, a low 2.7 yards per carry. He was replaced early-on by rookie Chris Carson, and later in the year by former practice squad player Mike Davis.
Davis and Carson are expected to be the primary ball carriers in Seattle next season, making the decision to not bring Rawls back an unsurprising one.
Rawls said goodbye to his teammates and the fans in Seattle in an Instagram post that he posted moments after the signing was announced.
A post shared by Thomas Rawls (@t.rawls810) on
The Jets have Bilal Powell, Isaiah Crowell and Elijah McGuire on hand, so Rawls is likely just a depth signing.