Seahawks Sign Ex Sea Dragons XFL Star DT Austin Faoliu

Earning himself another shot in the NFL, Austin Faoliu will enter a wide-open competition at nose tackle for the Seattle Seahawks after thriving in the upstart XFL this spring.

After starring for the playoff-bound Seattle Sea Dragons in the XFL, Austin Faoliu will be staying in the Pacific Northwest as a new member of the Seattle Seahawks defensive line.

As announced on the team's official website, the Seahawks signed Faoliu to a one-year contract on Tuesday morning following his participation in their rookie minicamp this past weekend. Financial terms have yet to be disclosed, but the deal likely will be for veteran's minimum.

Staying on the west coast after growing up in California, Faoliu committed to Oregon in 2017 and immediately carved out a role as a reserve defensive tackle as a freshman. During four seasons with the Ducks, he registered 124 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, five sacks, and a trio of forced fumbles.

Going undrafted, Faoliu signed with the Cowboys after a COVID shortened senior season in Eugene and didn't make their final roster out of training camp. However, he was re-signed to the practice squad and did dress for one regular season game, posting a pair of tackles before returning to the practice squad.

Last season, Faoliu spent all of training camp with Dallas but again failed to make the final roster. Without a chance to return to the practice squad or latch on with another NFL team, he joined the Sea Dragons as a fourth round pick in the inaugural XFL draft.

Capitalizing on the opportunity to play extended snaps in the spring league, Faoliu finished with 24 tackles, two tackles for loss, and a sack for Seattle, earning All-XFL honors for his work in the middle of the trenches.

As a reward for his efforts, Faoliu received an invite to the Seahawks rookie minicamp on a tryout basis. With the XFL allowing players to begin signing with NFL teams on Monday, after impressing last weekend, the two sides quickly agreed to a deal to put his NFL dreams back on the table.

With OTAs set to kick off next week, Faoliu will begin competing for a roster spot in Seattle's overhauled defensive line. Listed as a nose tackle in the signing announcement, he will battle against rookies Cameron Young, Robert Cooper, and Jonah Tavai as well as recently signed veteran Forrest Merrill.

---

Want the latest in breaking news and insider information on the Seahawks? Click Here to subscribe to AllSeahawks.com's Newsletter.

Follow All Seahawks.com on Twitter and Facebook

Make sure to subscribe to our daily podcast @lockedonseahawks today! Click here To Listen.

Want even more Seattle Seahawks news? Check out the SI.com team page here.