The Seattle Seahawks waived a pair of recognizable names as they prepare for the potential returns of several players.

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Veteran running back Cam Akers and one-time Pro Bowl cornerback Shaquil Griffin were waived, the team announced Thursday.

That leaves a pair of open spots on the 53-man roster, and the Seahawks will have some options in how they fill them ahead of Sunday’s 1:25 p.m. game against the Indianapolis Colts.

Jalen Sundell, who was Seattle’s starting center earlier this season, and tight end Eric Saubert were both designated to return from the injured reserve on Wednesday and were limited participants in that day’s practice. Sundell is coming back from a knee injury while Saubert is returning from a calf injury.

There’s also the possibility that the Seahawks could activate rookie defensive end Rylie Mills for the first time. A fifth-round NFL Draft pick out of Notre Dame, Mills was designated to return to practice in late November. He had been on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list as he continued his rehab from a torn ACL suffered while still at Notre Dame. A 21-day window to activate players from the IR or PUP begins when they’re designated to return.

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The 26-year-old Akers, a former Los Angeles Rams and Minnesota Vikings RB, was signed by the Seahawks in late November but has not appeared in a game.

Griffin, 30, has been up and down between the Seahawks active roster and practice squad after returning to the team in free agency. A Pro Bowler with Seattle in 2019, he had stints with Jacksonville, Houston, Carolina and Minnesota between his tenures with the Hawks. He has seven tackles in two games this year, including one start.

Radio coverage on Seattle Sports of the Seahawks’ game Sunday begins at 10 a.m. with the pregame show.

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