Seattle Seahawks CB Artie Burns Thrives After Move to Slot

Now the seasoned veteran of Seattle’s talented and deep cornerback room, the 29-year-old Burns has made a habit of exceeding expectations in his two-plus seasons with the organization. While injuries kept him from seeing much action in 2022 and he played in just three regular-season games, he bounced back nicely last season, in part due to his willingness to try a new position he hadn’t played much before at the college or NFL level.

Last August, the Seahawks were dealing with significant injury issues at the cornerback position, particularly in the slot. Second-year defensive end Coby Bryant, who logged 654 snaps in the nickel role as a rookie last season, battled a toe injury during camp that ultimately landed him on injured reserve for the season, opening the door for Burns to approach coaches about giving him a chance to show what he could do inside.

“We were actually down on DBs during camp, and we needed someone to come in,” Burns explained. “I was like, ‘Coach, hey, I know how to work that position. I’ve been paying attention in meetings and stuff like that.’ I was going to try it out and then I was there.”

After playing a total of 42 snaps in the slot in his first five NFL seasons, Burns adapted to the new position without issue. In his first extended-game action in Seattle’s third exhibition contest against Green Bay, he played 27 snaps inside, allowing one reception on three targets for negative two yards with a pass breakup and tackle for loss. He also generated pressure on three blitz attempts,
impressing former coach Pete Carroll with his unexpected versatility.

Once the regular season arrived, Burns saw action in eight games for the Seahawks, playing a career-high 202 snaps in the slot, according to Pro Football Focus. In those opportunities, he did not allow a touchdown on 24 targets while allowing less than 10 yards per reception in coverage, producing one pass breakup as well as a blocked pass on a blitz, while not surrendering a touchdown.

With Mike Macdonald replacing Carroll in January as the franchise’s ninth head coach, it wasn’t a given that Burns would remain a part of Seattle’s plans in the secondary. However, the team re-signed him to a new one-year deal in March, and rather than simply being an additional veteran insurance behind young stars Devon Witherspoon and Riq Woolen, he emerged as a viable slot option by delivering yet another stellar training camp.

Building on his steady performance last season, Burns has found his niche playing inside, racking up pass deflections in bunches, making spectacular one-handed picks and frequently finding his way into the backfield as a slot blitzer during camp. Making those reps even more meaningful is that he’s been filling in on the first-team defense when Witherspoon plays outside, a sign that the new Seahawks staff sees him as a starting-caliber player who will have a defined role on Sundays in specific substitution packages.

“It’s becoming really, really fun for me,” Burns smiled, citing his experience as a safety in high school as a big benefit of playing inside, especially in Macdonald’s defense. “I like the aggressiveness he uses in the scheme, the blitzes and the disguises and it lets you show your versatility and stuff like that. We play a lot of zone coverage, man, you put all your talent on tape.”

As Burns knows all too well and has learned the hard way in the past, playing at a high level in camp and the preseason doesn’t necessarily always guarantee a spot on an NFL roster. In fact, even after his strong finish to the preseason a year ago, the Seahawks waived him during final roster cuts before bringing him back to the practice squad and eventually promoting him back to the active roster in mid-September.

As part of a deep cornerback group that includes Tre Brown, Mike Jackson and rookies Nehemiah Pritchett and DJ James along with Witherspoon and Woolen, Burns would be the first to tell anyone that he has work to do to ensure he remains on the roster in Seattle. But Macdonald seems to trust him to do his job in a complex scheme and his strengths ultimately made him a natural fit for the slot, allowing the team the flexibility to move Witherspoon around more and get the most out of his immense talent.

After playing all 19 snaps in the Seahawks’ preseason opener Saturday in the first half alongside other projected starters, Burns’ starting spot should be secure with the coaching staff appearing to place a high value on experience and football knowledge. Proving to be much more than a rotational edge cornerback and having a blast in Macdonald’s aggressive defense making plays inside, he should be ready to take on a much more impactful role thriving on a path rarely traveled in the NFL.