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The Seattle Seahawks could have let restricted free agent wide receiver Jake Bobo go this past offseason. The Jacksonville Jaguars sent the wideout an offer sheet for two years and $5.5 million, including $4.5 million guaranteed, and Seattle matched it.
At least one other team was interested in bringing Bobo aboard, according to the Boston Herald, and that was the New England Patriots, the Seahawks' Week 1 opponent in 2026, and the team they just beat to win the Super Bowl last year. Bobo had reasons for being interested in the Pats, too.
While he played college football at Duke and then UCLA, he is originally from North Andover, Massachusetts, just outside of Boston. Had Bobo inked a deal as an undrafted free agent out of college with the Patriots, he would have been playing home games in the NFL about 50 miles from where he grew up. Instead, he's on the other side of the country.
Seattle Seahawks receiver Jake Bobo was this close to being with the New England Patriots
The Pats and Jaguars likely understood the wide receiver's true value. Some other teams might have dismissed him, as he hasn't been a high-volume wideout in his career. What Bobo brings to a team transcends those raw statistics, however.
He is immensely valuable on special teams and isn't afraid to take on would-be blockers or ball-carriers. He is exactly the kind of glue guy that every successful team needs. Bobo could likely even return punts if he had to, as he did so during the preseason in 2025.
His receiving targets have diminished in each of his three seasons, and he only had two in the regular season of 2025, but he is likely capable of more production on offense. He is buried on the depth chart, but as he proved against the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC Championship Game, he is a precise route-runner who can stun a defense with an important play.
Against LA, he made a brilliant cut and caught a 17-yard touchdown pass in a 31-27 victory. If not for Bobo's performance, the Seattle Seahawks probably wouldn't have won the game.
Had he made his family happy and signed an offer sheet with the Patriots, the Seahawks probably would have still matched it. If they hadn't in Week 1, head coach Mike Macdonald wouldn't only be tasked with slowing down new New England wide receiver AJ Brown, but also former Seattle fan-favorite Jake Bobo. Thankfully, that isn't the case at least for two years.
Bobo might still not get loads of targets in 2026 and 2027, but he certainly could see an uptick in new offensive coordinator Brian Fleury's scheme. The receiver will make the most of his opportunities as well. He's proven he will do that.
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This article was originally published on 12thmanrising.com as Jake Bobo nearly put Seahawks fans through a nightmare in Week 1.
