Seahawks waive leading tackler Tyrel Dodson in ILB shake-up

On By Littum

  • Brady Henderson, ESPNNovember 11, 2024, 4:07 PM ET

    Close

      Brady Henderson is a reporter for ESPN’s NFL Nation. Henderson covers the Seattle Seahawks. He joined ESPN in 2017 and covered the team for Seattle Sports 710-AM. You can follow him on Twitter @BradyHenderson.

RENTON, Wash. – In another shakeup of their inside linebacker corps, the Seattle Seahawks waived starter Tyrel Dodson on Monday.

The move comes as the Seahawks return from their bye on the heels of five losses in their past six games that dropped them to 4-5 and into last place in the NFC West. First-year head coach Mike Macdonald said last week that everything would be “on the table” as the team self-scouted over the bye.

That included another change at inside linebacker, with the Seahawks previously trading Jerome Baker for Ernest Jones IV. Baker had played weakside linebacker, but Dodson moved there the last two games to allow Jones to slide into center after Seattle acquired him from the Tennessee Titans for Baker and a fourth-round pick on Oct. 23.

Dodson, 26, started all nine games for Seattle after signing a one-year, $4.26 million deal in March after spending his first five seasons with the Buffalo Bills. A $1 million signing bonus was the only guaranteed money in his contract with Seattle, which also included a $2.25 million base salary, $760,000 in bonuses per game and a $250,000 training bonus.

In nine games with the Seahawks, Dodson recorded a team-high 71 tackles with 2.0 sacks, 5 tackles for loss, 1 forced fumble and a pair of passes defensed. He is now subject to waivers, as is every other player released after last week’s trade deadline.

Moving on from Dodson paves the way for the Seahawks to play rookie fourth-rounder Tyrice Knight and/or second-year player Drake Thomas at weakside linebacker.

The Seahawks picked up cornerback Josh Jobe from their practice squad to replace Dodson on the roster.

In other moves Monday, the Seahawks placed safety K’Von Wallace on injured reserve and claimed nose tackle Brandon Pili off waivers from the Miami Dolphins.

Wallace, Seattle’s third safety, hurt his ankle in Week 9. He will have to miss at least the next four games.

Pili, who went undrafted out of USC in 2023, recorded four tackles in 12 games over the past two seasons with the Dolphins. He was waived by Miami on Saturday.

The Seahawks also signed veteran N’Keal Harry to their practice squad.