Seahawks Land Playmaker, Cut Ties With Rookie Amid 1st Post-NFL Trade Deadline Moves
The Seattle Seahawks are ramping up for the team’s stretch run of the season as the franchise made several roster moves following the NFL trade deadline. Seattle announced the signing of a rookie tight end and the release of an offensive lineman.
The Seahawks signed tight end Marshall Lang to the team’s practice squad on November 6, 2025. To make room for Lang, Seattle released rookie offensive tackle Logan Brown.
The news comes after Seattle also released safety Jerrick Reed earlier in the week to make room for newly acquired receiver Rashid Shaheed. Additionally, the Seahawks signed former Chiefs wideout Mac Dalena to the team’s practice squad.
It has been a week full of roster moves in Seattle. Let’s dive into the latest Seahawks news, roster moves and rumors following the NFL trade deadline.
The Seahawks Reunite With Rookie TE Marshall Lang in a Series of Roster Moves Following the NFL Trade Deadline
It is a bit of a reunion with Lang as the rookie playmaker spent training camp in Seattle. Lang also had a brief three-day stint with the New England Patriots before the franchise released the tight end on October 16.
During his five seasons at Northwestern, Lang posted 48 receptions for 491 yards and four touchdowns. Lang now joins a Seahawks roster with a crowded depth chart at tight end.
Seattle Is Excited About the Big Play Threat of New WR Rashid Shaheed
The big news of the week continues to be Seattle’s acquisition of Shaheed in a last-minute deal with the New Orleans Saints on the NFL trade deadline. Shaheed gives the Seahawks offense even more speed and explosiveness as the wideout is a deep-ball threat.
Additionally, Shaheed can be utilized on special teams as a speedy returner. The move reunites offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak with Shaheed as the assistant previously coached at New Orleans prior to joining Seattle this offseason.
“It didn’t feel like we were missing something, it’s not like we were trying to plug holes or anything like that,” Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald said of the trade, per Seahawks.com.
“It was just an opportunity to get a great player and augment what we were doing, that was it.”
Sam Darnold After Seahawks’ Trade for Rashid Shaheed: ‘Throw as Many Routes Without Hurting My Arm as Possible to Him’
Count Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold among those excited to have another explosive weapon in the Pacific Northwest. Shaheed is already making a great first impression with his new teammates. Darnold is getting as many reps as possible with Shaheed ahead of the team’s Week 10 matchup against the Arizona Cardinals.
“We’re really excited to have him,” Darnold explained, via Seahawks.com. “For me, I’m just going to continue to try to get to know him as much as possible. Throw as many routes without hurting my arm as possible to him and just continue to gain that trust and confidence in him.
“… You can tell he’s really smart. Like you said, he was in the system last year, so that helps a lot with formations and different things. So, we’re just going to continue to get him up to speed as much as possible.”
Lions Lob Rare Criticism at Jake Bates for Avoidable Slip-Up
Despite focusing on their upcoming game against the Washington Commanders, the Detroit Lions cannot wrap their heads around last week’s crushing defeat to the Minnesota Vikings. While both the offense and defense share responsibility for the loss, much of the blame has been dealt to second-year kicker Jake Bates.
According to Detroit Lions beat reporter Jeremy Reisman, special teams coach Dave Fipp attributed the blocked field goal attempt “entirely because of the kick trajectory”. Down seven with 6:29 left in the game, Bates’ 45-yard field goal was blocked and returned to Detroit’s 26-yard line. Just before Bates kicked the ball, his foot hit the turf early, kicking up pellets and affecting his kick.
This momentum-swinging play ultimately crushed the Lions’ hopes of mounting a comeback, as the Vikings extended their lead to 10 with a field goal with just 3:33 remaining in the game.
Jake Bates’ Recent Kicking Struggles Starting to Raise Concerns
Bates' blocked kick has summed up his kicking struggles this season. Through eight games, the 26-year-old has made nine of his 13 field goal attempts, hitting just 69.2% of his kicks, which is well below the league average of 83.9%. While Bates has connected on all of his 30 extra point attempts and has made all but one kick from under 50 yards, he’s struggled to hit kicks from 50 and beyond, nailing just two of his five attempts.
This comes as a surprise considering how terrific he was in his rookie season. Last year, Bates quickly emerged as one of the best kickers in the league, connecting on 26 of his 29 field goal attempts, ranking 11th in field goal percentage (89.7%), while hitting six of his eight attempts from over 50 yards. His 64 made extra points ranks seventh all-time for the most extra points made in a season.
Lions’ fans have every right to be concerned and frustrated with Bates’ recent performance. He’s already missed more field goals than he did all of last year, and he’s had a miss in each of Detroit's past two games. While Bates rightly received criticism for his low kick that played a part in last week’s loss, fans shouldn’t expect his disappointing play to continue.
All kickers, no matter how good they are, will go through slumps. Kickers, just like baseball players, go through stretches where they are unable to hit and have to make adjustments to their approach. In these times, their coaches should be the ones giving them encouragement and advice on how to get them back on track.
Fipp made a bold move, giving Bates criticism for his slip-up, and while it was fair for him to do so, he should be the one responsible for getting Bates back into his rookie form. Whether it's a technique or confidence issue, the Lions must rebuild Bates and put him in the right position to succeed.
Perhaps it’s bypassing a short-yardage situation on fourth down and opting instead to attempt a field goal that gets Bates out of his slump. Regardless, Lions fans shouldn’t give up on Bates just yet, as having quality kickers has become a rarity, and Bates has demonstrated that he is one of them.
This week is the perfect time for Bates to come out of his slump, as the Commanders will be without quarterback Jayden Daniels for the foreseeable future. Detroit's offense should be able to score at will and give Bates plenty of opportunities to put the ball through the goalpost.
