Jennings prepared to start for Trufant

When the Seattle Seahawks used a first-round draft choice on Kelly Jennings last April, the University of Miami cornerback was promised he’d get a chance to compete for a starting spot right away.

But veteran Kelly Herndon was so impressive at training camp that the rookie hotshot never had a chance.

This week, that chance might finally have arrived.

While there is still no prognosis on the ankle injury to starting cornerback Marcus Trufant, chances are that Jennings will make his first NFL start Sunday at Tampa Bay. If Trufant has a high ankle sprain, as was Seahawks coach Mike Holmgren’s first best guess, Jennings could be a starter throughout the postseason.

“He’s not a rookie anymore,” said Herndon, who has started all 15 games this season along with Trufant. “We’re in Week 16, and he’s been playing well. He’s going to be a great player.”

While Jennings has seen plenty of playing time as a nickel corner this season, he’s yet to start a game. In a way, he feels fortunate that he got to wait this long.

“I’m a whole lot better than I was early in the season,” Jennings said. “If I’d have been stuck in that situation in Week 4 or 5, I don’t know if I’d have been able to perform as well as I did (during the second half of Sunday’s game against San Diego). Now I’m learning the defense, and I can make plays.”

Jennings was already seeing extended playing time in Sunday’s game – he and Herndon split snaps with the No. 1 defense because the team was giving the rookie an extended look – but he got thrown into the forefront when teammate Bryce Fisher rolled into Trufant’s ankle on the opening drive of the third quarter.

San Diego quarterback Philip Rivers was not shy about testing the rookie, throwing his way seven times in 20 second-half attempts.

“He loves that challenge,” Herndon said. “He has that confidence, and he showed it. They were coming at him a little bit, but he showed them: ‘Don’t come over here with that.’ As a rookie, you’ve got to be able to do that.”