Uso Seumalo may have played himself off Seahawks roster
Uso Seumalo, the Seattle Seahawks rookie defensive tackle, may have played himself off the roster after one preseason outing against the Dallas Cowboys. In 25 snaps he managed one tackle and one run stuff, with no quarterback pressures and a missed tackle—leaving him fighting for even a practice squad spot on a deep defensive line.
The Kansas State product got extensive run in Seattle's 17-7 loss at Lumen Field on Aug. 16. Head coach Mike Macdonald said afterward he was disappointed in how his team finished plays. For Seumalo, the tape told a harsher story than the final score.
Key Takeaways
- Uso Seumalo played 25 snaps against Dallas—17 run, eight pass—with one tackle, one run stuff, zero pressures, and a whiffed stop.
- Seattle's defensive line is stacked with Jarran Reed, Byron Murphy II, Leonard Williams, plus backups Rylie Mills and Brandon Pili.
- The Cowboys won 17-7 and held Seattle to 76 yards on its final seven offensive drives.
- Fellow rookie Deven Eastern could push Seumalo off the practice squad even if he clears the 53-man roster cut.
- Two preseason games and remaining camp reps still offer Seumalo a narrow path to redemption.
What happened to Uso Seumalo against the Cowboys?
With starters resting on both sides, preseason Week 1 became a showcase for backups. Seumalo was involved in 25 snaps—17 against the run, which should be his strength, and eight against the pass, according to 12th Man Rising.
He accomplished little beyond occupying space. Seumalo recorded no quarterback pressures and just one run stuff—his only tackle. When he had another chance to make a stop, he whiffed. For a nose guard expected to clog short-yardage runs, that is a damaging evaluation.
Dallas backups pushed him around. The Cowboys defense, meanwhile, was a clear winner. Dallas held Seattle to just 76 yards of offense on the Seahawks' final seven drives, part of a 17-7 preseason victory that left Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer focused on special teams and first-half run blocking—not Seattle's backups.
Why does one bad preseason game matter for Seahawks rookies?
Seattle's defensive line is among the NFL's deepest. Starters Jarran Reed, Byron Murphy II, and Leonard Williams form a formidable trio. Brandon Pili already fills the rotational nose-guard role Seumalo hoped to claim, with Rylie Mills also in the mix.
A rookie who is neither a high draft pick nor a unique talent must prove trustworthiness immediately. Macdonald's staff cannot afford a backup who gets moved off the ball on obvious run downs. Lack of trust means no snaps—and no roster spot.
Roster battles like this mirror the high-stakes evaluation cycles covered in our Future Tech & AI Wonders hub, where performance data quickly separates contenders from cut candidates.
Can Uso Seumalo still make the Seahawks roster?
The door is not fully shut. Seumalo still has two preseason games and the rest of training camp to atone for his Dallas performance. Whether he is capable of a turnaround is the open question.
Even a practice squad berth is uncertain. Fellow rookie Deven Eastern played just 11 snaps against Dallas and recorded no statistics, but he could still leapfrog Seumalo. Eastern was not impressive either, yet Seattle may keep only one developmental interior lineman.
Quarterback Drew Lock, who started the loss, pointed to red-zone finishing as Seattle's broader takeaway—going 1-for-4 inside the 20, including two failed fourth-down tries inside the 10, per Yahoo Sports. That team-wide sloppiness did not spare Seumalo's individual evaluation.
Who replaces Seumalo if Seattle moves on?
Pili is the most likely short-yardage backup behind the starters. Mills adds depth. The unit should remain stable even if Seumalo is released or relegated to the practice squad—then cut when the roster trims to 53.
For Seumalo, one preseason game did not end his career. It may have ended his 2026 Seahawks job before the regular season ever began.