Making Sense of Seahawks Decision to Release Tyrel Dodson

Having played more snaps than any defender on the Seahawks roster this year, Tyrel Dodson's overall play apparently wasn't up to Mike Macdonald's standard.

Oct 10, 2024; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Seahawks linebacker Tyrel Dodson (0) tackles San Francisco 49ers fullback Kyle Juszczyk (44) during the second half at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-Imagn Images / Steven Bisig-Imagn Images

In an unexpected surprise returning from their bye week, the Seattle Seahawks waived starting linebacker Tyrel Dodson on Monday, shaking up the middle of their defense heading into the final eight games of the 2024 season.

While coach Mike Macdonald wasn't pinning all of the blame on Dodson, he explained the decision to release the veteran following practice on Monday came after spending last week taking a deep dive at the defense's performance amid a 4-5 start, indicating the Seahawks "weren't getting it done" holistically on defense and felt providing an opportunity for Tyrice Knight or Drake Thomas to play at weakside linebacker could help improve results to the standard he demands.

On the flip side, rather than bench Dodson and keep him on the roster, Seattle decided to cut him free and let him land elsewhere for a chance to play out the rest of the season before hitting free agency.

"We really appreciate T Dot. He's worked extremely hard and rehabbed throughout the offseason here," Macdonald said. "I think it was an opportunity for us when we kind of sat and took a step back and realized where we were at, it was really the best thing for us to move forward that way. Give the other guys in the room an opportunity to step up. I hope those guys grab that opportunity by the horns and take it and run with it. And then it gives Tyrel an opportunity to find another spot somewhere else so he can finish the year strong. So that was the thought behind it."

Statistically, the decision to move on from Dodson may seem like a perplexing one, especially after already dealing Jerome Baker as part of the trade to acquire Ernest Jones from the Titans last month. Signed to a one-year contract in March, he leads the Seahawks in tackles (72) through the first nine games and also has added five tackles for loss and two sacks, providing contributions in all phases while starting all nine games to this point.

However, Macdonald has publicly chastised his linebacker group on multiple occasions, primarily lamenting subpar performance at the second level defending the run. Seattle currently ranks 20th overall in rushing yards allowed and 26th in yards allowed per game, two undesirable totals that have ballooned thanks to five games where opponents eclipsed 150 rushing yards.

Adding to his assessment of the situation on Monday, Macdonald told reporters that the moves made weren't to single out individual players in Baker and Dodson. But with both big personnel changes on defense coming at linebacker, it's not difficult to see how he felt about the way the veteran pairing panned out in his scheme.

"I think you look at some of the plays that got out on us and some explosive runs that we felt like we could have played better at that level. And again, I don't want us to feel like we're singling guys out. ," Macdonald said. "Obviously, it looks that way because of the roster moves we made. We made them for two completely different reasons, but the things that we needed to improve on are really the entire defense. Just so happens that we made the move at linebacker." 

What ultimately led to Seattle's decision to jettison Dodson? Check out the in-depth video above as reporter Corbin Smith and writer Connor Benintendi dissect every angle of the surprising roster move, including examining what the departure of two veteran linebackers says about the organization's roster building approach and breaking down what it means for the Seahawks' defense moving forward.

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