Jake Bobo Embracing ‘Different Dynamic’ as Versatile Vet in Year 3 With Seahawks

Seattle Seahawks receiver Jake Bobo runs downfield during a special teams drill in a training camp practice at the VMAC. Credit: Corbin Smith/Emerald City Spectrum

RENTON, Wash. - Understanding the true meaning of scratching and clawing for an NFL roster spot after breaking into the league undrafted, Seattle Seahawks receiver Jake Bobo always has his eyes on finding new ways to make a positive impact for his team and add value to his stock as a player.

Look no further than Seattle’s 33-16 preseason victory against Kansas City on August 15. Drawing playful cackles from safety Julian Love and other teammates on the sideline midway through the third quarter, the lean, leggy 6-4 Bobo took the field as the punt returner, preparing for the first return of his career in a preseason or regular season setting.

“When we saw that, that’s when the sideline probably went the most nuts. What is he doing back there? We must be out of returners,” Love joked after the game.

But as the saying goes, looks can be deceiving. Even though the player himself seems to take great joy in making fun of his perceived lack of speed or athleticism and never misses a chance to poke fun at his limitations, nobody does a better job of silencing critics - whether serious or poking fun, in this instance - and exceeding outside expectations than Bobo, who quickly made those who mocked his presence as a returner eat crow.

Smoothly catching the punt inside the 10-yard line, Bobo initially sprinted to his right before cutting back and accelerating to the middle of the field, weaving through a couple of blocks before finally being brought down after an impressive 20-yard return to set the Seahawks up with decent starting field position at the 29. This unexpected return came on the same night where the third-year receiver caught a pair of touchdown passes from Drew Lock, scoring from 12 yards out on a bubble screen and reeling in a fade ball in the end zone for six points.

When asked if he had prior experience returning punts before Friday night, Bobo indicated that he had a few opportunities in college at UCLA and Duke. But in typical fashion, he threw a bit of shade at himself in the process.

“I did a little bit in college. Don’t research my return average,” Bobo laughed. “But it’s something we had talked about, being a guy that - if we needed to - just being a guy that could go back there and catch the ball while getting positive yardage, so it’s good to finally field on in Lumen… Thought for a moment I had a seam, but it closed pretty quickly on me.”

Never afraid to push the limits when it comes to self-deprecation and always sporting a smile, Bobo may look like the Seahawks’ class clown from those on the outside, and in some ways, there may be some truth to that. He isn’t built like a prototypical receiver with a high-cut frame and his barely sub-5.00 40-yard dash time coming out of UCLA has been well-documented, playing a key role in him not getting drafted in the first place despite steady college production.

As Love noted, Bobo also often finds himself in the crossfire when it comes to trash talking, particularly from cornerback Devon Witherspoon, who loves to try to get underneath his skin during practice. Trying to match ‘Spoon’s wit and relentless chatter remains a work in progress, though it isn’t due to lack of effort.

Whether on the practice field, in the team facility, or under the lights at Lumen Field, it doesn’t take long to see how much coaches and teammates alike love Bobo. After both of his touchdown catches on Friday night, teammates mobbed him in the end zone, celebrating with him all the way to the sideline as if they were college kids in the midst of late night bar hopping. Then there was the well-intentioned ribbing from the sidelines with him moonlighting as a punt returner, only to shock them all with his slick return on the ensuing play.

Undrafted players rarely develop cult status, but Bobo has managed to do just that since he first stepped foot in the VMAC, quickly evolving from a no-name rookie into a fan favorite. Coming out of nowhere, he impressed snagging passes from Geno Smith and Lock, and the one-time long-shot to make the team ended up crashing the party to rightfully earn a spot on the 53-man roster.

As a result, the #MoreBobo movement was born, transforming him into an unlikely sensation overnight. Two years later, he appears to be on the cusp of making the roster again thanks to his stellar play on offense and special teams, and with that, he has seen his role on and off the field change no longer being an unknown rookie and now being one of the elder statesmen returning to a new-look receiving corps following the departures of DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett in March.

“It seems like yesterday I was coming in here and just fighting for my life,” Bobo recalled prior to an August 8 practice. “But now it's a different dynamic. No more are the days of training camp where I just have to worry about myself executing and making plays and performing. I gotta kind of take responsibility for the room, too, which is cool in and of itself. I have to perform, I have to go out and make plays. But also I want to make sure the guys, the rookies, the young guys, guys new to the building are ready to go. You take a sense of pride.”

As evidenced on Friday night, the #MoreBobo movement remains alive and well with fans flashing tons of signs and wearing jerseys for one of the most popular players on the entire roster. Those who donned his namesake one way or the other more than received enough bang for their buck in regard to price of admission with both of his catches being touchdowns.

Interestingly, as pointed out by coach Mike Macdonald after Friday’s win, Bobo hasn’t had quite as many opportunities to reel in highlight-worthy grabs in training camp this year as he did in his first two years in the league. At times, he has been overshadowed by the likes of rising rookie Tory Horton and teammate Dareke Young, who each had outstanding training camps and have been quite productive in preseason games to position themselves for winning roster spots and seeing significant snaps on offense and special teams.

But even if he hasn’t had the spectacular diving touchdown grabs he did last August, Bobo has remained a highly reliable target in the passing game in new Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak’s offense, a scheme change that has benefited his skill set immensely. Reprioritizing the run game has allowed him to play to one of his biggest strengths as a physical blocker and be better equipped to sell a block before going out into a route in a player-friendly system that he believes “fits anybody.”

“Anybody who's gonna be willing to block and go get their nose dirty, it’s gonna benefit them because then the pass game just stems right off of that,” Bobo explained. “Whether it's play action or drop back, our stems look very, very similar. We're going to dig out a safety. Just kidding, I'm running a corner route or just kidding, I'm running over route. Whatever it is, everything's very married up and synced up to where, you kind of just have to do what you're told and good things will happen.”

Coming with the obvious caveat of playing in a preseason game against backups, the renewed emphasis on the ground game with Kubiak calling the shots already has manifested into great opportunities for Bobo and the rest of his receiver counterparts to capitalize on in the passing game. Prior to his first touchdown catch, the Seahawks ran the ball on each of the first eight plays of the drive, including Lock scrambling on the lone drop back.

With Chiefs defenders focusing on trying to slow down the run and several players coming on the blitz, that left Bobo with nothing but turf in front of him to waltz into the red zone on a perfectly-timed screen call. The amount of space in front of him seemed to catch the wideout off guard, as he briefly hesitated before taking off, seemingly expecting more traffic after the catch.

Two possessions later, Bobo struck again, this time showcasing his precise route running skills and underrated footwork for a taller receiver. After selling an inside break as if he was going to run a slant, he released back outside on a fade route to the end zone, gaining a quick step on his defender and then masterfully tapping both of his toes inbounds as he hauled in an outstanding throw from Lock to push Seattle’s lead to 23-7 just before halftime.

“This guy is a Seahawk,” Macdonald said after the game. “The way he operates and then he goes and attacks the football. It was great to see him have that opportunity.”

Every football team has to have a few “glue guys” who help hold the locker room together and do everything right between the lines. After beating the odds to earn a roster spot as an undrafted rookie three years ago, there’s no question Bobo checks off that box for the Seahawks, an unlikely jack of all trades who not only can do damage as a big-bodied pass catcher with smooth route running savvy, but also as a tackle on kick/punt coverage teams and even returning punts.

Considering his path to the NFL, Bobo won’t ever take his situation for granted, more than happy to do whatever the coaching staff asks him to do. If they need him to crack block a defensive end from the slot, he will do it. If they need him to run a deep drag route to run off defenders with hopes of helping teammates get open underneath him, he will do it. If they need him to return a punt, even if he’s knocking on wood that he won’t have to, he will do it.

While his warm, easy-going personality may suggest otherwise, Bobo still carries the same chip on his shoulder that he did when he first came from UCLA, utilizing it to his advantage attacking every single rep as if it will be his last, setting the tone and the standard for the rest of his teammates in receiver and special teams drills. It’s not hard to see why he’s so revered in the building.

No longer the wide-eyed rookie that rocketed his way up the depth chart for Seattle, Bobo doesn’t just feel the responsibility to contribute more on the field in his third season. As one of the few mainstays returning from last year’s squad, he believes the responsibility to hold the rest of the receiving room accountable falls more on his shoulders than previous years with his lone goal simply being to get over the hump and finally make the postseason for the first time.

“We gotta win more games. Obviously, I want to go to the playoffs. I haven't been in the playoffs in my two years, going on three. We've got a long way to go. But that's kind of goal number one is winning enough games to sneak in at the end of the day.”