3 free agent centers for Seahawks to try to replace Austin Blythe

Seahawks center Austin Blythe announced on Tuesday that he is retiring from the NFL at the age of 30. The veteran center had been expected to be a free agent this offseason but decided to retire instead of testing free agency. His decision leaves a hole in the Seahawks’ offensive line since Blythe started in all 17 games this season and in Seattle’s postseason game against San Francisco.

While there are several potential draft picks in the 2023 NFL draft, they are unlikely to be selected until after the first round. This means the Seahawks’ best option would be to sign a center in free agency. Seattle currently only has one center on the roster, Kyle Fuller. Fuller is also expected to be free agent in the 2023 offseason.

The Seahawks would likely want to pursue other options, though, given Fuller has not fared well in his time in Seattle. There are expected to be 16 free agent centers besides Fuller in 2023. Center is a critically important position on the offensive line, a position which the Seahawks have struggled to find a consistent starter for since the Max Unger trade in 2015.

Free agent centers the Seahawks should try to sign

Here are all of the Seahawks centers since 2015 and the number of starts they have had: Austin Blythe (17 starts), Patrick Lewis (9 starts), Drew Nowak (7 starts), Justin Britt (54 starts), Joey Hunt (11 starts), Ethan Pocic (29 starts), and Kyle Fuller (10 starts). Seattle has had seven different centers for the past eight seasons. This is why they need to find more consistency at the position by finding a good center in free agency. The players that follow are free agent centers the Seahawks should consider signing.