The most notable roster cuts the Seattle Seahawks made

The Seattle Seahawks whittled down their roster to 53 players on Tuesday afternoon ahead of the NFL’s cutdown deadline. In the process, Seattle waived or released a slew of players – many of whom figure to be candidates for the team’s practice squad.

Here’s the Seahawks’ official 53-man roster to start 2025

Which roster cuts were the most notable? Here’s a closer look.

WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling

When Valdes-Scantling signed a one-year deal with Seattle in March, he was expected to be Seattle’s third wide receiver behind Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Cooper Kupp. But rookie fifth-round draft pick Tory Horton had a strong training camp and preseason, which appeared to vault him ahead of Valdes-Scantling on the depth chart.

At that point, it likely became difficult for the Seahawks to justify giving Valdes-Scantling a roster spot, given that he doesn’t play special teams and Seattle is expected to use a heavy dose of one-receiver and two-receiver sets in new offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak’s scheme.

This move ultimately helped clear space for Jake Bobo, Cody White and Dareke Young to make the roster as the final three receivers. All three have been significant contributors on special teams in recent years.

OLB Tyreke Smith

Smith, a 2022 fifth-round pick by Seattle, seemed to be in the mix for an edge-rushing spot, especially with the uncertainty over veteran Uchenna Nwosu’s availability for Week 1. Smith had a good preseason, recording a tackle for loss, a quarterback hit and a pass breakup.

But with Nwosu making the 53-man roster – instead of opening the season on the physically unable to perform list – there presumably is less of a need for Smith. This also helped clear space for high-upside undrafted rookie edge rushers Jared Ivey and Connor O’Toole, who likely would have been difficult to sneak through waivers to the practice squad.

NT Brandon Pili

The 6-foot-3, 334-pound Pili seemed to be in the mix for a roster spot, especially with veteran nose tackle Johnathan Hankins still sidelined by a back injury. Pili appeared to have a strong preseason, highlighted by a tackle for loss where he burst through the line for a safety.

S Jerrick Reed II

Reed, a 2023 sixth-round pick, logged 237 special teams snaps for Seattle over the past two seasons, even while missing considerable time with injuries. He also posted the third-highest Pro Football Focus grade among Seahawks defenders this preseason, recording both a pass breakup and a tackle for loss. But ultimately he was the odd man out at safety, where D’Anthony Bell and Ty Okada grabbed the final two spots behind Julian Love, Coby Bryant and rookie Nick Emmanwori.

LB Patrick O’Connell

The only three off-ball linebackers to make Seattle’s roster were Ernest Jones IV, Tyrice Knight and Drake Thomas. That may indicate the Seahawks think they can sneak O’Connell through waivers to the practice squad, which is where he’s spent most of the past two seasons. Fellow linebacker Josh Ross, who was waived after missing most of camp with a hand injury, could be another practice squad candidate. Or perhaps this is an area where Seattle bolsters its depth with a free-agent addition.

OG Sataoa Laumea

Laumea, a 2024 sixth-round pick, started the final six games last season at right guard after Anthony Bradford went down with an injury. But this year, Laumea never seemed to seriously factor into the mix at right guard, where Bradford ran away from Christian Haynes in a two-man battle for the starting job. Laumea’s bruising style probably wasn’t a great fit for Kubiak’s wide-zone blocking scheme, which places an emphasis on quickness and agility.

RB Damien Martinez

After Kenny McIntosh went down with a torn ACL early in camp, the RB3 battle became a two-man race between Martinez and second-year pro George Holani. Martinez, a rookie seventh-round draft pick, had a highly productive college career at Oregon State and Miami. But Holani distanced himself with a standout preseason, while also showing a more well-rounded skill set with his ability to contribute on special teams.

The most notable roster cuts the Seattle Seahawks made

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