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The Los Angeles Chargers announced Wednesday, March 4, that they released tight end Will Dissly, ending the former Seattle Seahawks starter’s two-year run with the team just days before the 2026 NFL league year opens.
For Seahawks fans, the news is simple: a familiar, scheme-friendly blocking tight end is back on the market at the exact moment teams begin shaping their post-combine free agency boards.
The new league year begins March 11, with the legal tampering window opening shortly before that, meaning Dissly can quickly become a “quiet add” for teams hunting reliable in-line help and red-zone depth.
Will Dissly’s Chargers production, and why LA moved on
The Chargers’ announcement came bundled with other moves: guard Mekhi Becton was also released and tackle Savion Washington was waived.
Per the team, Dissly played 26 games with 11 starts (including postseason) over two seasons, totaling 63 catches for 594 yards and 2 TDs.
From a roster-building standpoint, the timing is classic cap-and-calendar business. Dissly signed a three-year, $14 million deal in 2024 with $10 million guaranteed, and his 2026 cap math becomes relevant now that LA is resetting pieces ahead of free agency.
Spotrac lists Dissly with a 2026 cap hit and a dead cap figure post-release, helpful context for why this move happens in early March instead of later.
Will Dissly’s Seahawks resume: Washington product, fourth-round pick, and 2018–23 production
Before Will Dissly was released by the Chargers, he spent six seasons in Seattle after the Seahawks drafted him out of the University of Washington. Seattle selected Dissly with the No. 120 overall pick (fourth round) in the 2018 NFL Draft, keeping the Huskies-to-Seahawks pipeline going.
On the field, Dissly’s Seahawks tenure was defined by being an in-line, do-the-dirty-work tight end who could still pop as a target in the middle of the field and in the red zone. From 2018-2023 with Seattle, he totaled 127 receptions for 1,421 yards and 13 touchdowns.
Those totals also show why the fit conversation comes up whenever he hits free agency: Dissly isn’t usually a volume, fantasy-style tight end; he’s a role-specific piece teams trust to block, stay on schedule, and cash in near the goal line when defenses lose track of him off play-action.
Could the Seahawks consider a Will Dissly reunion?
A Seattle reunion would come down to role, price, and roster shape, not sentiment. Dissly’s value has always been tied to the stuff offenses don’t put on highlight reels: in-line blocking, functional route spacing off play-action, and being assignment-sound in two-TE looks.
Seattle also has recent history cycling through tight end answers after the post-2023 reset that sent Dissly elsewhere.
If Seattle’s offense leans run-heavy or wants more condensed formations, Dissly is the type of TE who can help you stay in the same personnel while changing play calls, something coordinators love because it stresses defenses without substitutions.
What Dissly’s free agency market could look like
Dissly isn’t usually a “TE1 shopping spree” signing. He’s a TE2/TE3 with a clear job description, and that tends to move fast in the tampering window when teams miss out on top names and pivot to role fits.
One more wrinkle: Los Angeles also released Becton, a move reported as a cap saver of roughly $9.7 million, a sign the Chargers are actively reworking their financials and depth chart ahead of March 11.
When a team starts trimming mid-tier veteran contracts right before the league year, it often signals a planned shopping list, whether that’s a different tight end archetype, more speed in the pass game, or a draft-first approach.
What happens next?
Dissly’s agent market forms quickly once the legal tampering window opens ahead of March 11.
Watch Seattle’s early free agency behavior: if the Seahawks prioritize OL/DT/EDGE early, a value TE like Dissly becomes more plausible later in the week.
Erik Anderson is an award-winning sports journalist covering the NBA, MLB and NFL for Heavy.com. He also focuses on the trading card market. His work has appeared in nationally-recognized outlets including The New York Times, Associated Press , USA Today, and ESPN. More about Erik Anderson
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