The Seattle Seahawks have announced they have released veteran safety D’Anthony Bell from the practice squad, part of a four-move shuffle that also sent wide receiver Julian Hicks packing and added linebacker Jimmy Ciarlo while converting receiver Malick Meiga to a full practice-squad spot,
On paper, it looks like another midweek roster tweak. In context, it is a little jarring.
Bell spent most of last season in Seattle. The 29-year-old defensive back appeared in 14 games and started two early in 2025, including work in three-safety packages.
He also played more than 40 defensive snaps in a Week 12 win at Tennessee and was a regular on special teams, logging about two-thirds of those snaps, five special-teams tackles, and a blocked punt in a Week 3 win over New Orleans.
That résumé is why the cut stands out now. Seattle is thin at safety. Starter Julian Love missed Sunday’s loss to Washington with a calf injury. Ty Okada has not played this season because of a hamstring problem.
When the Seahawks needed an extra body against the Commanders, they elevated Maxen Hook instead of Bell, who had not appeared in a 2026 game.
Bell’s path with the club has never been linear. An undrafted product of West Florida, he spent three seasons with Cleveland before signing with Seattle in 2025.
Late last December, the Seahawks waived him to open a roster spot. Carolina claimed him, ending his chance to finish Seattle’s Super Bowl run on the 53. He still re-signed with the Seahawks in March, citing the locker-room culture.
The team cut him again at final roster cuts in late August, then brought him back to the practice squad days later. Wednesday’s release is the second time in a month Seattle has moved on.
Over four NFL seasons with Cleveland, Seattle, and a brief stop in Carolina, Bell has played 64 games with nine starts. He has never been a full-time starter, but he has been a useful veteran: special-teams glue, occasional nickel or third-safety help, and a familiar voice in Mike Macdonald’s secondary.
Releasing him now, with Love and Okada dinged and a Week 4 game against the Chargers approaching, suggests Seattle is comfortable with younger or cheaper depth and wants the practice-squad spot for other positions.
For Bell, it is another reminder of how quickly a 14-game, two-start season can fade into a waiver wire.
He is a vested veteran, so he can sign elsewhere immediately. A team that needs special-teams reliability and secondary insurance will likely call.
For Seahawks fans who watched him start last fall and block a punt at Lumen Field, Wednesday’s move still lands as a surprise — not because Bell was irreplaceable, but because the injuries at his position made him look necessary.
