Former North Carolina Tar Heels linebacker Power Echols is a free agent again after the Seattle Seahawks waived him with an injury settlement, per Spotrac.com’s NFL transaction log.
For Tar Heel fans who watched Power Echols patrol the middle for four years in Chapel Hill, the latest roster move is familiar and frustrating.
The Seahawks waived the Charlotte native from injured reserve with an injury settlement on Sept. 5, ending a brief and turbulent second stint in the Pacific Northwest just days before Week 1.
Echols, 23, never got a regular-season snap. Seattle signed him Aug. 7, waived him the next day, brought him back Aug. 17, then waived him injured on Aug. 30 as they trimmed to 53.
He cleared waivers, landed on IR, and is now free after the settlement. He did produce in limited preseason work: 12 tackles over two games, including eight against Kansas City.
That production will not surprise anyone who followed him at North Carolina. A four-year contributor and three-year starter, Echols finished with 307 tackles, 13 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, four interceptions (one returned for a touchdown), nine pass breakups, three forced fumbles, and a fumble recovery across 52 games.
He was a team captain, third-team All-ACC in 2023, and honorable mention in 2022 and 2024. Defensive coaches called him a calming presence and a leader after Cedric Gray departed. He skipped the Fenway Bowl to prepare for the draft.
The NFL path has been the undrafted grind. Chicago signed him after the 2025 draft; he bounced between the Bears and Houston Texans practice squads without a regular-season appearance.
Seattle gave him two looks this summer. At 5-foot-11 and 240 pounds, he is shorter than the typical NFL off-ball linebacker, which has always been the knock. Special teams and instincts were supposed to be the counters.
From a Tar Heels angle, this is still a player worth tracking. Echols was the local kid from Vance/Chambers who became the defense’s heartbeat. He meditated before practice, mentored younger linebackers, and stacked 100-tackle seasons when the unit needed a constant.
The settlement means he can sign and play in 2026 once healthy, most likely on a practice squad first. Another team looking for a smart, physical, homegrown linebacker who already knows how to lead a room will get a call.
Carolina fans have seen this movie with other undrafted Heels. The tape from Kenan Stadium still holds up. Echols’ next opportunity is out there.
