Seattle Seahawks Trim Roster to 53 Players Ahead of August 30 Deadline

Training camp and the preseason are officially done, leaving the Seattle Seahawks to go through the brutally difficult business of trimming their bloated roster down to 53. Roster cuts need to be done by Sunday, August 30, at 3 p.m. PT. This crucial step in the Seahawks’ repeat campaign comes a couple days earlier than usual to accommodate the travel necessary for the NFC West rival Rams and 49ers to play in Australia on Sept. 10, the day after Seattle’s season opener.

Despite the Seahawks boasting impressive roster continuity after winning the Super Bowl last season, there will still be tough roster decisions to make. Most of the roster spots were likely known before camp, but the preseason helped weed the field a bit. Seattle often talks about a 70-man roster, though. That is because the roster will have 53, but the practice squad is 16 (or 17-man practice squads as noted in league-wide transition rules). Players on the squad can be elevated as much as three games before needing to be fully placed on the active roster. In essence, an NFL team is far more than the 46 players who can dress on game days. Teams can sign players who clear waivers, or otherwise go unclaimed, to their practice squads on Monday.

Initial Roster Cuts and Tracker

As Seattle forms its 53-man roster, several players have been part of the initially reported roster cuts:

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• Bubba Thomas (Defensive line)
• Emmanuel Henderson Jr. (Wide receiver)
• Kellen Diesch (Offensive tackle)
• D’Anthony Bell (Safety)
• Jalan Gaines (Linebacker)
• Michael Dansby (Cornerback)
• Ricky White III (Wide receiver)
• Julian Hicks (Wide receiver)

Emmanuel Henderson Jr. was part of the initially reported roster cuts for the Seahawks. He has solid speed, but the receiver room is crowded. The likely hope is that he lands on the practice squad.

Current Roster Context and Injured Reserve

Ahead of the finalization, the broader roster tracking features the following players currently listed:

Quarterbacks: Sam Darnold, Drew Lock, Jalen Milroe

Running Backs & Fullbacks: Zach Charbonnet, George Holani, Justin Jones, Valus Jones, Jadarian Price, Emanuel Wilson, Jacardia Wright, Brady Russell, Brock Lampe

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Wide Receivers: Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Cooper Kupp, Rashid Shaheed, Tory Horton, Irv Charles, Montorie Foster Jr., Rashad Rochelle, Cody White

Tight Ends: AJ Barner, Elijah Arroyo, Eric Saubert, Nick Kallerup, Nick Vannett

Offensive Linemen: Charles Cross, Grey Zabel, Jalen Sundell, Anthony Bradford, Abraham Lucas, Logan Brown, Bobby Hart, Amari Kight, Beau Stephens, Christian Haynes, Bryce Cabeldue, Federico Maranges, Olu Oluwatimi, Derrick Graham

Defensive Linemen: Leonard Williams, Byron Murphy II, Jarran Reed, Rylie Milles, Mike Morris, Deven Eastern, Brandon Pili, Uso Seumalo, J.R. Singleton

Outside Linebackers / Edge: DeMarcus Lawrence, Derick Hall, Dante Fowler Jr., Uchenna Nwosu, Jared Ivey, Connor O’Toole, Jamie Sheriff, Chris Paul Jr.

Linebackers: Ernest Jones IV, Drake Thomas, Tyrice Knight, Patrick O’Connell, Power Echols, Aidan Hubbard, Marvin Jones, Boog Smith, Chazz Surratt

Cornerbacks: Devon Witherspoon, Josh Jobe, Trevon Diggs, Andre Fuller, Noah Igbinoghene, Julian Neal, Nehemiah Pritchett, Jordan Washington

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Safeties: Julian Love, Nick Emmanwori, Ty Okada, AJ Finley, Maxen Hook, Tysheem Johnson, Rodney Thomas II

Special Teams: Jason Myers (K), Michael Dickson (P), Chris Stoll (LS)

Injured Reserve: Jake Bobo, Bud Clark, Robbie Ouzts, Mason Richman

Potential Waiver Wire Targets and Ex-Seahawks Movement

As Seattle forms its 53-man roster, potential waiver wire targets from around the NFL are being monitored. The Buffalo Bills are reportedly waiving safety Geno Stone. With the injury to rookie Bud Clark, Stone, who played under Mike Macdonald when both were with the Baltimore Ravens, could be a fit in Seattle.

Meanwhile, former Seahawks starting linebacker Tyrel Dodson is going to be released by the Miami Dolphins, but he shouldn’t return to Seattle. He wasn’t good in his one-half season with the team in 2024, and he was released midway through the season. Additionally, former Seattle linebacker Jon Rhattigan was released by the Chicago Bears, even though he had a good training camp.