Seahawks Sign LB Tyus Bowser Amid Flurry of Practice Squad Moves

Linking back up with Mike Macdonald, who coached him in Baltimore, Tyus Bowser will look to get his career jumpstarted with the Seahawks practice squad.

Sep 26, 2021; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Detroit Lions wide receiver Kalif Raymond (11) gets tackled by Baltimore Ravens outside linebacker Tyus Bowser (54) during the fourth quarter at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports / Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports

After working out for the team on Thursday, the Seattle Seahawks have reunited veteran outside linebacker Tyus Bowser with coach Mike Macdonald, signing him to the practice squad on Friday.

In three additional practice squad-related moves, the Seahawks also signed cornerback Faion Hicks, released undrafted rookie tackle Garret Greenfield, and waived tight end Jack Westover off of injured reserve with an injury settlement.

Bowser, 29, last played for the Ravens in 2022 when Macdonald served as the team's defensive coordinator, playing in nine games after missing the start of the season recovering from an Achilles tendon injury. He didn't play at all last year due to a knee issue and Baltimore opted to release him as a cap casualty in March, making him an unrestricted free agent.

Formerly a second-round pick out of Houston in 2017, Bowser spent most of his six seasons with the Ravens working alongside Macdonald, who coached linebackers as an assistant until a one-year hiatus as Michigan's defensive coordinator before returning to Baltimore for the same role in 2021. Mostly utilized as a rotational edge rusher, he produced 19.5 sacks, 48 quarterback hits, and four forced fumbles in 89 games.

Starting all 17 games, Bowser's best season ironically came in 2021 in the lone season where Macdonald wasn't on Baltimore's staff, as he set career-highs with seven sacks, two forced fumbles, and 15 quarterback hits.

Showcasing a versatile skill set as a 3-4 outside linebacker, Bowser has been reliable in coverage when asked to drop back, including intercepting three passes in 2020. Over the course of his six-year career, he's allowed only two touchdowns while intercepting four passes and registering five pass breakups, yielding a stellar 69.0 passer rating when targeted by opposing quarterbacks.

With veteran Uchenna Nwosu nursing a sprained knee that could cause him to miss at least Seattle's season opener against Denver, Bowser and third-year edge Tyreke Smith have both been signed to the practice squad over the past two days for extra depth. The team also traded a sixth-round pick to Jacksonville for veteran Trevis Gipson on Monday.

Drafted by the Broncos in the seventh round of the 2022 NFL Draft out of Wisconsin, Hicks played in two games as a rookie, recording no official stats while exclusively seeing action on special teams. Denver released him last August and he spent the entire 2023 season on New Orleans' practice squad before joining the Cleveland Browns last month for training camp.

A position-flexible cornerback, Hicks logged 274 snaps in the slot for the Badgers at the college level and has played nearly 100 snaps inside during preseason play over the past three seasons with the Broncos, Saints, and Browns. Since veteran Artie Burns has a lingering toe injury and the Seahawks didn't bring back sixth-round pick D.J. James on the practice squad, he could be a candidate for a game day elevation as an emergency nickel option.

Following the additions of Bowser and Hicks as well as Greenfield's release, the Seahawks now have a full 17-man practice squad and any additional signings will have to be coupled with a corresponding release.