Former Arkansas Receiver Makes Moment Count in Debut with Seattle Seahawks

Landers shows why people should believe numbers, not perception with it comes to his NFL potential

Author:
Kent Smith
Publish date:
Aug 11, 2023 10:40 AM EDT

In this story:

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – When Arkansas wide receiver Matt Landers went undrafted last this past spring, it wasn't a shock. Despite leading Razorback receivers by a large margin with nearly 1,000 yards, eight touchdowns, and over 19 yards per catch, the transfer from Toledo was viewed by most as less than he actually was – the perceived throw-in from a MAC school to play second fiddle to shiny Oklahoma receiver transfer Jadon Haselwood.

The same could be said for NFL teams. Despite ranking second among receivers at the combine on his athleticism score and his overall combine score showing he was at least the 17th best receiver in the draft, team executives also chose to believe perception over the numbers in front of them. Because of this, Landers was given a prospect grade of 5.94, labeling him as an average back-up wide receiver or special teams player and even that was more than a lot of executives wanted to credit.

That's why Landers found himself on the field in the fourth quarter of the the Seattle Seahawks' first preseason game as an undrafted free agent trying to catch attention with third string rookie quarterback Holton Ahlers of East Carolina under center. Other than Seattle Seahawks, there's not a word in that sentence that speaks well to the financial security of an athlete.

With Seattle up 17-13 with just over seven minutes remaining, Ahlers threw up an ill-advised wobbly floating prayer under pressure in the general direction of a tightly covered Landers along the sideline near the 13-yard line. Landers, running hard, adjusted his route and waited until the last possible second to throw on the brakes where the ball was coming down, sending the Minnesota Vikings defensive back flying past and falling to the ground as he tried to recover. He also had a player bracketing him to the inside to offer help, but Landers was able to plant hard, shuffle his feet and slip through his grasp before stiff-arming and outrunning a third help defender for the touchdown.

It was his only catch of the game, allowing the Seahawks to secure a 24-13 win, and could very well be his first and last touchdown in an NFL uniform, but he managed to make the most of it, packing several valuable skills into a single reception. It was the kind of throw that gets a rookie quarterback cut, but Landers not only bailed Ahlers out, he demonstrated the athleticism that gained him more yards than people think during his one year at Arkansas as KJ Jefferson's go-to guy and also that No. 2 combine ranking.

At the very least, he now has eyeballs on him, which is the most valuable currency an undrafted receiver can hope to attain. He may even get a bit more extra coaching when camp resumes.

The biggest thing is, for now anyway, he has gone from possible easy cut to to at least wait and see. A new NFL rule requires teams to now only make one round of cuts on Aug. 29, but old habits die hard, so in the Seahawks' offices somewhere there's a cut list being put together. Landers just likely isn't on it yet. Plus, even if he does get cut, he now has tape that will draw enough interest for another team to consider kicking the tires on him.

It's one play, but for a player who has spent the last several years fighting for respect, it's a huge step in the right direction. If he can continue to hold on, he will get a chance to show what he can do in front of former Arkansas Razorback Jerry Jones against the Dallas Cowboys in Seattle next week. A good performance there will still make it difficult to make a final roster with Seattle, but it would greatly increase his chances of making a practice squad either with the Seahawks or Cowboys, which keeps the dream alive as Landers continues to help executives see who he actually is and not who they perceive him to be.