Seahawks wanted German Aaron Donkor playing in his home nation Sunday. Why the NFL said no

Aaron Donkor could have been the star of this Seahawks game like no other.

The 27-year-old German linebacker has had not one but two press conference in front of banks of television cameras this week. One was at Seattle’s team facility in Renton. The other was Thursday in front of hordes of media from Europe, the U.S. and his home country.

That was after he and the Seahawks practiced at FC Bayern Munchen’s training grounds, hours after the team landed in Munich for its game Sunday against Tampa Bay, the first NFL game in Germany.

But when it came to giving Donkor a once-in-a-lifetime chance to play for the Seahawks in his native country, the NFL turned into the NCAA.

Donkor, from Ahern, Germany, has been on the Seahawks’ practice squad the last two seasons. He hasn’t counted against the 16-player limit for the practice squad because the NFL allocated Donkor to Seattle last year as part of the league’s international development program.

That program includes the NFC West-leading Seahawks (6-3) playing Tom Brady and the NFC South-leading Buccaneers (4-5) at FC Bayern Munich’s Allianz Arena Sunday (6:30 a.m., NFL Network and channel 7 locally).

Donkor is the 17th member of a 16-man Seahawks practice squad. The league gives Seattle an exemption to develop him.

This week, coach Pete Carroll and the Seahawks planned to elevate Donkor from the practice squad onto the active roster as they do with other players each week, so he could make his NFL debut on the kickoff and other special-team units in Germany.

“To have him run down on the opening kickoff in his home country, how cool is THAT?” Carroll said Thursday here in Munich.

Not cool enough for the NFL to grant an exception to its roster rules.

This week, the league informed the Seahawks they had to have taken Donkor off the developmental exemption and signed him onto its practice squad as one of its 16 members three weeks ago for him to be able to play Sunday. The Seahawks thought they could promote him from the practice squad for the game Saturday to play Sunday, as it can any other practice-squad player for any other game.

Carroll, Seahawks vice president of football administration Matt Thomas and other team leaders asked the league to excuse the technicality and let Donkor play Sunday, given the unique circumstance.

The NFL said no.

The league reasoned if it let the Seahawks play Donkor other NFL teams with international development players now and in the future could do the same thing without following the league’s rules in these situations.

Aaron Donkor to carry German flag

The NFL has 13 players spread across the league in its international development pathway program for 2022.

Donkor could have been the second international pathway player from Germany to make his NFL debut in recent years, and obviously the first and only one to do it in his home country. German fullback Jakob Johnson made three starts for the 2019 New England Patriots. The Patriots that year elected to forgo the international player practice-squad exemption and signed him as a regular member of their practice squad, which gave them the option of promoting him.

Instead of running down the field as no doubt the fastest, proudest Seahawks Sunday to begin this historic game, Donkor will lead the team running onto the field before kickoff carrying the black, red and yellow German flag of his home nation.

“To carry the flag at the same time (as taking the field in Munich as a Seahawk)? It’s going to be a great moment,” Donkor said Thursday following the team’s practice at FC Bayern Munich’s training grounds.

The pride — and the disappointment — were obvious in his voice.

“I tried to get that done, and we weren’t able to do it,” Carroll said. “I went all the way to the top of the chain to figure that one out. I thought it would be a great idea. We just couldn’t get it OK’d.

“But he’s going to be carrying the flag. He’ll be out there going crazy.”

Donkor’s consolation prize

Wednesday, the Seahawks had Donkor on the field in the final period of practice in Renton before they got on their plane for the 12 1/2-hour flight to Munich. It was Carroll’s weekly “no-turnover” practice; the offense competes with the defense on ball security in scrimmaging. If the offense commits one turnover in the practice, the defense wins the day.

“Two plays left in practice, and one of quarterbacks throws the ball, the ball is up in the air, and out of nowhere comes Donkor, intercepting the football and we return it down the sidelines for a touchdown,” Carroll said.

“I blew the whistle and ended practice right there. It was too perfectly poetic. We are going to get on the bus right now and fly to Munich, and Donkor gets the interception to end the day.”

Alas, it’s a consolation prize to what it could have been for him this week.

Donkor said he appreciates Carroll and the Seahawks for far more than how practice ended Wednesday, and for getting to carry the German flag onto the field Sunday 5 1/2 hours by car from where he grew up.

“I feel like every day goes up to the next (with this team),” he said in his accented English. “I was embraced the first day I came in. I didn’t know what I was doing — and I still don’t know what I’m doing — and they are just embracing me and teaching me, and making room.

“So I cherish all these moments. ...

“They embraced me as a player, and challenged me as a person. I feel like that’s what you can do, and what you should do, for the people around you. I grew a lot in that environment, and I’m looking forward to growing even more.”