Seahawks’ Derick Hall back from exile at home in Mississippi, noticed GM’s love

A Seahawks’ starting linebacker was healthy. He ready to play in the team’s latest game in their playoff push.

The game was in North Carolina.

But Derick Hall was in Mississippi. He watching on TV while at home with his family in Gulfport.

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“It was different,” Hall deadpanned Wednesday, back fully involved again at his team’s headquarters. “It was a learning experience.”

Hall unexpectedly got to spend Christmas with his family back east instead of with his brothers in Seattle’s defense. The NFL suspended him for the Seahawks’ win at Carolina last weekend. That was after he stepped on fallen Rams guard Kevin Dotson in their game Dec. 18. Game officials did not penalize Hall on the play.

Hall was driving to the Seahawks’ Virginia Mason Athletic Center in Renton the day after the team’s win over the Rams. Mo Kelly, the Seahawks’ vice president of player engagement and a player confidant, called Hall and told him to turn around. He was not allowed in the building, per getting suspended, pending an appeals hearing. “I’m like, ‘Whoa!’” Hall said.

So he U-turned, not just his ride but his week. He went home. Not home in the Seattle area. Back home to the former Auburn Tiger’s family in Mississippi.

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“Never, obviously, want to deal with that again in my football career,” Hall said.

“It was pretty tough on me.”

The play

With the Rams driving into the red zone in the first quarter Dec. 18, Hall was pass rushing against L.A. right tackle Warren McClendon. As Matthew Stafford was throwing a pass to the 1-yard line, Dotson turned back to Hall and McClendon and hit Hall in the chest.

Hall stumbled then stepped with his left leg over and onto the prone Dotson’s leg, after the play ended. Rams center Coleman Shelton, who played at the University of Washington, then hit Hall for stepping on Dotson.

NFL in a statement said Hall’s was an “act of unnecessary roughness and unsportsmanlike conduct.”

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Hall, his agent, Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald and general manager John Schneider had an appeal video call last week with Ramon Foster, a hearing officer approved by the league and the players’ union to handle such matters.

Hall argued he was getting his legs tangled with teammate DeMarcus Lawrence and others and lost his balance, causing him to step on Dotson. Hall mentioned Rams coach Sean McVay said following the game Dotson was injured before Hall stepped on him, not by Hall. “(The) play it wasn’t, it wasn’t intentional,” Hall said. “You know, obviously, Sean McVay came out and said that the guy was injured by his own guy.”

Foster wasn’t swayed. Hall served the one-game suspension. He lost $87,705.11 in salary.

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“Obviously not the outcome we wanted,” Hall said. “But you know, the league has its own justice system and the way that they handle things.” Macdonald and Schneider have their own ways of supporting their players.

Macdonald made it clear publicly after Hall got suspended he did not agree with the league’s decision, and that isn’t who Hall is as a player or a person.

“We accept the decision,” Macdonald said before the Carolina game, “even if we don’t agree with it.

“I refuse to believe there was ill intent.”

During the Seahawks’ game at the Panthers Hall missed, Schneider walked the sidelines before the game and the stadium’s suite level just before kickoff wearing Hall’s number 59 white, road Seahawks game jersey under a light-blue sports coat.

Hall saw what his GM did Sunday, while he was watching his Seahawks on television play the Panthers without him. Hall responded “THAT’S LOVE” on Twitter/X.

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“What John did with the jersey was pretty cool,” Hall said Wednesday.

“And, you know, just being away from the guys, man, it sucks. You know, football is really, these are my brothers. My family’s full of women. So these guys are my brothers.

“It sucks. But you know, it’s the world and life that we live in. So just trying to take with a grain of salt.

“Come back this weekend.”

Derick Hall returns for huge game

The Seahawks are glad he’s back. They are facing the San Francisco 49ers (12-4), winners of six consecutive games. Brock Purdy and the Niners offense has scored 90 points the last two weeks. They have the league’s top third-down offense.

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Seattle has the NFL’s best third-down defense. The Seahawks held Purdy and the 49ers to 17 points in week one. Seattle lost at home in that September opener after quarterback Sam Darnold lost a fumble in the red zone in the final minute.

Hall has two tackles and two hits on Purdy in that first game. He totaled three tackles against the Rams in his last game before the suspension. After eight sacks last season for the Seahawks, the team’s second-round pick in the 2023 draft has just one sack this season. Hall has 29 tackles plus 10 quarterback hits and two passes defensed in 13 games.

The winner of the game Saturday night in Santa Clara (5:15 p.m., ABC and ESPN television, KOMO channel 4 locally) will be for the NFC West championship and number-one seed in the conference playoffs. That top seed gets the NFC’s only first-round bye, and will be two home wins from the Super Bowl.

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Hall and the Seahawks are talking this week about this merely being the next game, about not making it any larger than it obviously, already is.

“Guys have been playing ball their whole lives, and I think that’s what you try to do. Just try to make the game exactly what it is. It’s not bigger than one moment. It’s not bigger than the other,” Hall said.

“Here, we just trust our process, and the game will take care of itself.”