D’Anthony Bell is back in Seattle.
The Seahawks announced Saturday that the veteran safety has rejoined the team on the practice squad, giving the club another experienced option at a spot that has already taken hits before the season even begins.
Bell, 29, spent most of the 2025 season with Seattle and got into 14 games, starting two. He finished with 15 tackles and one tackle for loss before the Carolina Panthers claimed him off waivers on Dec.
31, 2025. Bell later appeared in Carolina’s playoff game, and the Panthers waived him Jan.
Seattle brought Bell back on a one-year deal in March, but he was released last Sunday as teams trimmed rosters to 53 players.
The move makes sense for a Seahawks secondary that is already shorthanded. Rookie Bud Clark, a second-round pick, is out for the season after suffering a broken ankle in the preseason.
The status of second-year safety Nick Emmanwori for Wednesday’s season opener against the New England Patriots remains uncertain. Head coach Mike Macdonald did not address injury questions at his press conference Saturday, according to ESPN’s Brady Henderson.
Bell also brings a track record beyond this latest stop in Seattle. The West Florida product has played 64 career games across four NFL seasons with the Seahawks, Panthers and Cleveland Browns. In that span, he has six tackles for loss, four passes defended and two interceptions.
To make room for Bell on the practice squad, the Seahawks released outside linebacker Marvin Jones Jr.
In Other News...
Seahawks Just Invited A Serious Character Debate With This Signing
The Seahawks decision to add cornerback Terrion Arnold after final roster cuts is the kind of move that invites a closer look at how they weigh talent against off-field concerns. General manager John Schneider said the organization feels confident in Arnolds character based on its own evaluation, and that matters because Seattle is trying to build out its secondary while staying true to the standards it says it values.
It also puts the team in a familiar spot for a contender: adding a player who can help on the field while knowing the optics will be part of the conversation. Around the division, the Cardinals passed on waiver-wire claims and said they were comfortable with their roster, while the Rams are managing Aaron Donald with a revised contract that points to a limited workload. Seattle, meanwhile, has chosen to take on a different kind of risk, and the long-term answer on that bet will depend on far more than just coverage snaps. [Read more 🡒]
Seahawks Added An Intriguing New Piece To Their Secondary Right Away
The Seahawks wasted little time adding another name to a secondary that has long been one of the more watched parts of the roster. Seattle picked up rookie cornerback Avery Smith from the Chargers shortly before the NFL roster cutdown deadline, a move that immediately drew attention because he arrived as an undrafted rookie and as part of a position group the team has repeatedly tried to keep fresh with young talent.
Smith said he was surprised to be traded before the regular season began, which only added to the curiosity around the move. For a team with a history of finding notable defensive backs and a fan base that tends to follow every cornerback addition closely, the trade sparked plenty of reaction and left Seahawks followers wondering how quickly the newcomer can carve out a role. [Read more 🡒]
Seahawks Suddenly Face An Early Defensive Problem With Real Stakes
The Seahawks may be heading into Week 1 with an unexpected hole on defense, as Nick Emmanwori is considered iffy at best for the opener against the Patriots after an ankle injury that required offseason surgery. Seattle had been counting on him to be part of the early-season mix, and his availability is already in question before the regular season even gets going.
A longer absence would matter even more because the next game comes quickly against the Cardinals, and no final decisions have been made on how long this could linger. If Emmanwori cannot go, rookie Avery Smith is the likeliest candidate to handle the nickel cornerback job, turning an early injury concern into a real test for a secondary that may have to adjust on the fly. [Read more 🡒]