Seattle Seahawks Add Pair of Tight Ends Amid Diminishing Depth

The Seahawks brought in tight ends Michael Ezeike and Devon Garrison in the wake of Pharaoh Brown and Jack Westover dealing with injuries.

Nov 19, 2022; Pasadena, California, USA; UCLA Bruins tight end Michael Ezeike (86) runs the ball for a touchdown against Southern California Trojans linebacker Ralen Goforth (10) during the second half at the Rose Bowl. / Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

The Seattle Seahawks signed tight ends Michael Ezeike and Devon Garrison to help bolster their depth at the position ahead of the third and final preseason game, the team announced Monday.

Two undrafted rookies were waived to make room on the 90-man roster in linebacker Devin Richardson and cornerback Willie Roberts. Both had seen less than 10 snaps on defense through two preseason games, per Pro Football Focus.

Ezeike went undrafted out of UCLA in 2023 and spent his rookie training camp with the Los Angeles Chargers before being cut. He also spent time with the Memphis Showboats of the UFL of the UFL ahead of the 2024 spring season but didn’t make the roster.

Garrison, an undrafted rookie out of Pittsburgh State (NCAA Division II), is a 6-6, 240-pound pass-catching tight end who had 53 receptions for 855 yards and six touchdowns as a senior in 2023. In four college seasons, Garrison totaled 97 catches for 1,581 yards and 15 scores. He participated in rookie minicamps with the Green Bay Packers and Minnesota Vikings.

Adding two new tight ends paints a poor picture of the outlook for veteran Pharaoh Brown (signed to a one-year, $3.2 million deal this offseason) and undrafted rookie Jack Westover’s current injuries.

Brown went down with an apparent knee injury in the Seahawks’ second joint practice with the Tennessee Titans on Thursday, Aug. 15, but head coach Mike Macdonald later said it was a foot injury. The team has not released any details since.

Westover didn’t play in the preseason loss to the Titans on Saturday, Aug. 17, and Macdonald said he has a hamstring injury of unknown severity.

Before adding Ezeike and Garrison, Seattle was limited to three healthy tight ends on its 90-man roster behind starter Noah Fant, who has dealt with his own injuries throughout training camp: Brady Russell, Tyler Mabry and fourth-round rookie AJ Barner. All three have played at least 40 snaps across two preseason games, per PFF.

Even if the two new additions are practice bodies while Seattle’s other tight ends get healthy, it’s a much-needed move for the team.