Seahawks recent signee Marquise Goodwin opens up about his journey to Seattle.
Veteran Wide Receiver Marquise Goodwin looks back on his career in the NFL and discusses the recent shift in his career that led him to call Seattle home for the upcoming 2022-23 season.
Photo credit Hannan abdikadir
By Hannan Abdikadir
June 20, 2022
AUSTIN — Despite coming off the heels of a tough season, Seahawks head Coach Pete Carroll’s charm draws names like veteran wide receiver Marquise Goodwin in preparation for the upcoming season.
“The decision to go to Seatle this year was solely for Pete Carroll,” Goodwin said. “I’ve always wanted to play for somebody like Pete Carroll.”
The average age of an NFL player is 26, and the average career span across the league is only three years, at which point the majority of players retire their jerseys. Goodwin, however, is far from average, and at 31-years-old, he’s been able to maintain his strength and remarkable speed. Because of this, Goodwin has always kept his options open and is ready to take his career to new heights.
As a decorated track and field athlete at The University of Texas, Goodwin landed a spot in the 2012 Olympics nearly a year before he was drafted into the NFL. During his first season with the Buffalo Bills in 2013 when he was 23-year-old, Goodwin made a name for himself on the football field for his remarkable speed.
However, everything changed in 2016. In addition to his recovery from two fractured ribs, he had sustained during the previous season, he sustained three concussions, each only a few weeks apart.
“At the time I honestly was almost done with football. The Olympics had come by again, I tried out but I didn’t make it, and then I ended up getting injured,” Goodwin said. “I had fractured my ribs twice in the same year so I was put on injured reserve. So for eight weeks of the season, I was not on the team essentially.”
Despite feelings of defeat, Goodwin remained hopeful and focused on his recovery.
“I was ready to be done and then I got the call from San Fran, giving me another opportunity. A fellow Longhorn, head coach Kyle Shanahan, played football at Texas. He brought me in and gave me another chance. It kind of revived my football career, and I had my best season that year,” Goodwin said.
In 2017, Goodwin set career-high records of 56 receptions, 962 yards, and two touchdowns. And it didn’t take long for Goodwin to realize his career was long from over.
In that same year, he and his wife Morgan lost their son to pregnancy complications that led to a stillbirth. Needless to say, in spite of the hardship he and his family were facing, Goodwin pulled through and exceed his own expectations.
The 49ers later traded Goodwin to the Philadelphia Eagles in April of 2020. But he decided to opt out of the 2020 season due to COVID-19 concerns. Stipulations in his trade also caused his rights to revert back to the 49ers, where he was then released as a free agent.
Goodwin returned to the field after his brief hiatus in the 2020 season. This time as a wide receiver for the Chicago Bears. Although Chicago kept him busy, it wasn’t where he envisioned playing his last seasons.
The former Longhorn’s recent signing with the Seattle Seahawks in May. The move comes at a time where some players are holding out from training camp due to contract disputes or uncertainties about their future in the league.
For Goodwin, the decision to move to Seattle was purely motivated by the elite coaching staff Pete Carroll has built during his time as head coach. Carroll has been the Seahawk's head coach since 2010 and has almost three decades of experience coaching. Along with his background in the league, Carroll’s team of elite assistant coaches has drawn players from across the league.
“I don’t think many people know how much he loves family and his aspect of family. That’s how his team is run - off of family and competition.” Goodwin said. “He embraces the fact that I love my family, which is why I would love to finish off my career at a place like that.”
Another key member of the Seahawk’s coaching staff that influenced Goodwin’s decision is Sanjay Lal, the Seahawk's receivers coach, and passing coordinator. After spending the 2021 season with the Jacksonville Jaguars, Lal decided to move back to Seattle, where had previously held a position as a senior offensive assistant since March of 2020.
“His skill set really fits what we’re looking for,” said Lal. “His blend of speed, route-running ability, and ability to catch the ball are some things that are very unique and that blend lends itself to somewhat the missing ingredient we need in our receiver core.”
Lal has spent the last 17 years coaching in the NFL. He’s worked with teams like Jacksonville Jaguars, the Dallas Cowboys, and the Buffalo Bills, where he and Goodwin met.
“This is my second stint working with Marquise, the first was when he was a young player in 2015 and 2016. This time around I see a seasoned veteran, “ Lal said. "He’s figured out the nuances of staying healthy, he understands what it takes to compete and flourish in this league.”
“Sanjay being at Seattle is a big reason why I’m going to Seattle.” Goodwin said, “He’s probably the most detailed coach that I’ve ever had. He’s specific to each step and to each yard. He pushed for me to be there, and I like him as a coach. We work well together.”
“We’ve heard really great things about the seahawk and how the team is handled and operated, and I think he’s at a good place right now,” said wife Morgan Goodwin.
Amidst the excitement surrounding the move, Goodwin’s wife Morgan and their two children, Marae and Marquise Jr. plan to leave Austin and join him in Seattle this fall.
“It’ll be a lot harder to travel back and forth with the kids just to see him,” said Morgan. “It might be bust to all go up there and find a spot for the six or seven months and come back home when the season’s over.”
After being faced with seemingly insurmountable hardships, Goodwin is optimistic about the final chapter of his career as he prepares for his tenth season in the NFL. As for what comes next after football, Goodwin looks forward to spending more time at home with his wife and children.
“Whenever God wants me to be done, he’ll me know,” Goodwin said.“If it were up to me I would have been done when I was ready to give up years ago before I signed with San Fran. But here I am five years later after I was essentially going to be done.”
