Seahawks Release Joel Iyiegbuniwe, Waive 4 Undrafted Rookies to Reach 80-Man Limit

Getting an early head start on the second waive of NFL-mandated roster cuts, Seattle made a somewhat surprising move at linebacker by jettisoning Iyiegbuniwe after struggling in two preseason games.

Trimming their roster down to 81 players three days before the NFL's Tuesday deadline, the Seahawks released linebacker Joel Iyiegbuniwe and waived undrafted rookie safety Bubba Bolden, defensive tackle Matt Gotel, cornerback Elijah Jones, and tight end Cade Brewer.

Signed as a free agent in March to a one-year deal, Iyiegbuniwe reunited with associate head coach Sean Desai, who served as his defensive coordinator in Chicago in 2021. Given that familiarity and his previous experience on special teams, the former Western Kentucky standout was expected to bolster Seattle's special teams and potentially push Cody Barton for playing time at weakside linebacker.

However, the veteran defender struggled during two preseason losses to the Steelers and the Bears, including missing a pair of tackles and taking a poor pursuit angle on a 48-yard punt return by Velus Jones on Thursday night. Coach Pete Carroll seemed irked by the assignment-related issues on kick and punt coverage after the game and his contributions to those issues helped lead to his surprising early dismissal.

With Iyiegbuniwe now becoming an unrestricted free agent, the Seahawks continue to have depth concerns at linebacker. Behind starters Jordyn Brooks and Cody Barton, Nick Bellore, Tanner Muse, Lakiem Williams, and undrafted rookies Vi Jones and Joel Dublanko headline an inexperienced group that has largely struggled during the preseason thus far.

Per a report from Field Yates of ESPN, Seattle already has started kicking the tires on reinforcement options, bringing in former Rams starter Kenny Young for a free agent visit on Saturday. At this time, the team has not signed the 2018 fourth-round pick.

Bolden, a former All-ACC performer at Miami, as well as Gotel and Brewer, all signed with the Seahawks shortly after the seventh round of the 2022 NFL Draft and participated in the team's entire offseason program. Bolden produced a trio of tackles in two preseason games, while Gotel had a single tackle and Brewer caught three passes for 17 yards. Jones joined the team after impressing as a tryout player at rookie minicamp and did not produce any statistics in two preseason games.

The Seahawks will wrap up their preseason with a road visit to face the Cowboys next Friday and per league rules, they will be required to trim their roster down to 53 players by Tuesday, August 30 at 1 PM PST. They currently can carry an additional player with linebacker Aaron Donkor receiving an exemption as a former International Player Pathway Program allocation, but that exemption does not apply to the final roster.