AJ Finley’s Big Opportunity Is Here as He Prepares for His First NFL Start

A series of injuries at safety for the Seattle Seahawks has given AJ Finley his chance, as he has been named the starter against the Washington Commanders.

Los Angeles Chargers safety AJ Finley (24) against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium. | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

Over the last couple of years, the Seattle Seahawks have gotten a few players to come out of nowhere and elevate themselves to effective starter status. Drake Thomas and Ty Okada both overcame being undrafted to be significant parts of the NFL’s top defense, and while Nehemiah Pritchett was a day three pick, he was largely dismissed until this season’s great play.

AJ Finley Pressed Into Duty

Now, AJ Finley’s chance is here to join that list. The Seahawks have had immense issues at the safety position so far this year, starting with Bud Clark going down with a season-ending broken ankle in the preseason. Since then, Ty Okada has been unavailable with a hamstring and now Julian Love is nursing a calf injury. The Seahawks are down to the nub here.

Kansas City Chiefs running back Emmett Johnson (10) runs the ball against Seattle Seahawks safety AJ Finley (30). | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Rodney Thomas II, a bargain-bin free agent signing six months ago, has been pressed into starting action because of this already, but Thomas at least has prior starting experience from his time in Indianapolis. AJ Finley, who was announced as the starter yesterday, has zero starts to his name, a pure backup for the Los Angeles Chargers before joining the Seahawks.

A Difficult Road to the NFL

You have to go back to college to find evidence of what AJ Finley can do as a starter. He was one for three seasons at Ole Miss, amassing eight interceptions and thirteen pass breakups during that time. Overall, he was a fairly significant piece of the Rebels defense during this time, even making the All-Conference Second Team for the SEC in 2021.

Los Angeles Rams tight end Hunter Long (84) holds back Seattle Seahawks cornerback Devon Witherspoon (21) and safety AJ Finley (30) on an extra point. | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

This wasn’t enough for him to get drafted, however, and ultimately the Chargers scooped him up shortly after the draft ended. While he made the initial 53 man roster, impressive for a UDFA, he was used almost exclusively on special teams as a rookie as sophomore before getting waived in late November. It took one day for the Seahawks to claim him off waivers.

Things weren’t really different for AJ in Seattle, however, as he got special teams reps to wrap up 2024. We’ll never know what 2025 would have had in store for him, since he tore his ACL in the mock game in August. However, the Seahawks re-signed him last March, ultimately putting him on the practice squad during final cuts and then signing him a week later.

The Big Opportunity

Seattle Seahawks safety Ty Okada (39) celebrates after retrieving a fumble during the second half against the Minnesota Vikings at Lumen Field. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

What stands out to me is that the Seahawks made a waiver claim for Finley back in 2024, and then retained him in free agency despite him having a highly significant injury the prior year. Clearly, someone on this staff likes him. Looking at his college career, his flexibility as a player stands out, getting plenty of reps at both safety spots and at the slot corner spot.

Now, it’s his time to shine. While the Seahawks currently have a very thin safety lineup, the rest of the defense remains as loaded as ever, so Finley will have plenty of support tomorrow. And the Commanders have a very undermanned offense, so it’s a fair first challenge. Based on this regime’s track record, there’s a good chance he has something to offer this team.

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