Seattle dispenses with Arcega-Whiteside: NFL without Spaniards

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The possibility existed and lurked, and although José Joaquín Arcega-Whiteside did everything possible for it not to happen, it finally did. The Spanish player, so far the only one in the NFL after the retirement of Alejandro Villanueva, did not enter into the plans of the Seattle Seahawks, the team to which J.J. belonged and which yesterday made official its roster for the beginning of the season. Among the 53 names that make up the team is not Arcega-Whiteside, who after four years in the best league in the world now faces a complicated crossroads after being cut for the first time.

J.J.’s efforts were ultimately in vain. At the beginning of the preseason, still with the Philadelphia Eagles, the player from Zaragoza decided to stop being a receiver to focus on the tight-end position, where he had a better chance of making a niche for himself. However, a couple of weeks ago he was traded to the Seattle Seahawks in exchange for Ugochukwu Amadi. At the Washington State franchise, Arcega-Whiteside was hoping to get a fresh start, even returning to play receiver and focusing his efforts on special teams. The words of his new coach, Pete Carroll, invited optimism about the possibility of seeing the Spaniard one more year in the NFL. “We loved how he looked to have more participation. He’s an aggressive, strong receiver. We liked the fact that he was a tight end with Philadelphia because we were looking for someone with that versatility”.

The good news didn’t come, and Arcega-Whiteside did not appear among the six receivers who will make up the Seattle Seahawks roster, a team that is undergoing a deep rebuild. After participating in the special team’s plays, Jose Joaquin took a spot on the final offensive snaps, although he was unable to catch the two passes that went in his direction. One of them, in fact, would have been a big touchdown that could have changed his fate on the team, but the ball slipped out of his hands.

After being selected by the Philadelphia Eagles in the second round of the 2019 Draft (first Spaniard in history selected in this event) ahead of other renowned receivers, such as D.K. Metcalf, Arcega-Whiteside’s career has been full of shadows.

Despite being cut by Seattle, J.J. still has a chance to return to the NFL. The waivers period opens today when the 32 teams that make up the league can choose and claim all the players that have been waived in recent hours, either to incorporate them into their final squads or to the practice squad, in which a handful of men await their opportunity while training with the team. In addition, the NFL is a competition in which injuries are the order of the day, and it is very common that throughout the year there are movements to fill the gaps left by injured players. While waiting to find out what the next chapter will be, the NFL is currently without Spanish representation, as J.J.’s absence joins that of Alejandro Villanueva, who retired last March after seven prolific seasons. Arcega-Whiteside, meanwhile, will continue to do everything possible to have a place in the best league on the planet.

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