Linebacker Jonas Griffith, 25, is impressing and catching the eye of his veteran counterpart at the position, Josey Jewell, 27.
Traded to the Denver Broncos just before the start of last season, Griffith landed on injured reserve in the first month of the season — technically his first professional season. Showing resiliency, the backer eventually landed back on the field the following month.
Not hard to wonder why Jewell appreciates his teammate, although they have less than a season working together under their belt (for now).
Jewell broke down his impression of Griffith last week, saying, “The guy is good. He has a lot of talent. The guy can run — smart kid. He’s come a long way, especially from last year. From the beginning of it when he was just playing special teams and then he came into a defensive role playing linebacker, and now communicating with me out there with other guys. It really shows his football I.Q. really increasing.”
Griffith appeared in 13 games (four starts) last season. He totaled 46 total tackles, four tackles for loss, two QB hits and a fumble recovery. Jewell, meanwhile, enters next season with a newly-signed two-year extension. Griffith will aim to win a starting job next to Jewell this summer.