Due to the 2011 lockout, teams could not immediately sign undrafted players following that year’s draft, leaving those UDFAs in limbo while they waited for a new collective bargaining agreement to be reached. But while the Seahawks couldn’t sign free agents right away, general manager John Schneider was enamored enough with Doug Baldwin that he sent the Stanford receiver a handwritten letter outlining why Seattle would be a good fit for Baldwin once the time came to sign with a team.
In the letter, Schneider told Baldwin “Trust me when I tell you that we are extremely excited about your upside,” and over the course of the next eight seasons, whose words would prove to be prophetic, as Baldwin went from undrafted rookie to Pro Bowler to ending his career as one of the best receivers in franchise history.
Baldwin, who earned Pro-Bowl honors in 2016 and 2017, finished his career ranked third in franchise history in receiving touchdowns with 49, and fourth in receptions and receiving yards with 493 catches for 6,563 yards. Baldwin’s 14 touchdown receptions in 2015 tied for the NFL lead for touchdowns scored that season, and also set a franchise record for receiving touchdowns in a season.
In addition to those regular-season numbers, Baldwin also had 58 postseason receptions for 734 yards and six touchdowns, including one in Seattle's Super Bowl XLVIII win. He played a big role in sending the Seahawks to that Super Bowl in New Jersey, catching six passes for 106 yards and returning three kickoffs for 109 yards in Seattle's NFC championship game victory over the San Francisco 49ers.
But for all Baldwin accomplished on the field, his bigger contribution to the region might be all the work he did off the field. As well-known as Baldwin was for his fiery demeanor on the field, he is equally known by those who know him best for his big heart. Throughout his career, Baldwin fought for justice and equality, and played a key role in launching the Seahawks Players Equality and Justice for All Action Fund. The son of a police officer, Baldwin worked to connect law enforcement agencies with the communities they serve, while also working with local government to pass police reform bills. And among the many organizations he gave his time and money to over the years, one of Baldwin’s biggest accomplishments was opening the Family First Community Center in Renton in 2023.
Baldwin, the team’s nominee for the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award in 2013, was recognized by King County with the Martin Luther King Medal of Distinguished Service in 2018 and was a finalist for ESPN’s Muhammad Ali Humanitarian Award that same year.
"He has been an extraordinary part of this program since we've been here," former Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said not long before Baldwin retired. "He has given us everything he has had, been a great competitor and player and all that. We believe in him so much and trust in him so much that wherever this goes, we're going to support him forever. He has been a great contributor in so many ways, not just on the team but in the community and everything else. He has been awesome."
