In Mike Macdonald’s first year as coach of the Seattle Seahawks, the team began the season with Julian Love and Rayshawn Jenkins at safety. When Jenkins proved to be a poor fit for Macdonald’s defense, he turned to a converted cornerback with the size to play deep.
Coby Bryant finished the 2024 season as the starter and held onto the position through the Hawks’ Super Bowl run in Macdonald’s second year.
During the first half of the '24 season, Seattle also used a young veteran who offered the versatility that the new coaches valued. K’Von Wallace logged the fourth most snaps at safety that season – ahead of current Seattle players Ty Okada and AJ Finley.
K’Von Wallace could be just the ticket to help the Seattle Seahawks through some back-end injuries
Wallace was in on more than 100 defensive snaps along with a third of the club’s special teams plays. Those numbers would have been higher had an ankle injury not ended his season after Week 9.
Wallace bounced around the league last year, finally seeing some game action with the Texans late in the year. This year, he was trying to latch on with Macdonald’s old club, the Baltimore Ravens, but was released by the team ahead of Sunday’s final cutdown. Might there be a place for him back in the northwest?
The safety position was supposed to be a strength for the Seahawks in 2026. Despite the departure of Bryant via free agency, the club had Love returning after injuries cost him half of 2025. In his absence, Okada had proven to be a reliable starter as a box safety who also has the speed to play deep.
General manager John Schneider added Bud Clark in the second round of the 2026 draft. Clark was expected to assume a vital role early on. And underlying everything, Seattle had Nick Emmanwori, who entered the league as a safety but can and does play anywhere on the defense.
Emmanwori has been recovering from ankle surgery in July and only recently returned to practice. The club hopes he will be ready for the regular season opener.
Bud Clark will not be. Sadly, he suffered a broken ankle in Seattle’s second preseason game. It appears as if the Hawks will have to wait until 2027 to see what Clark can contribute.
Even so, Seattle has depth pieces behind Love and Okada that they like. AJ Finley could become this season’s Okada if pressed into action. D’Anthony Bell has been with the club in the past and is a locker room favorite. Maxen Hook showed the athleticism the Seahawks prize in a member of the secondary.
Between them, Finley, Bell, and Hook have nine combined career starts (all of them coming from Bell) and 90 games. Wallace has started 20 games and appeared in 74 on his own. Would Schneider and Macdonald consider bringing him back to compete for one of the final spots on the roster?
Wallace is 28 and didn’t play much last season. It is possible he is slowing down after six NFL seasons. But think about the coaches who signed him last season.
After being released by the Giants in late August, he went to Minnesota and eventually Houston. That means that coaches like Brian Flores and Demeco Ryans knew enough about what Wallace could do to want to bring him in.
The fact that he was not able to carve out a permanent spot with either team may have as much to do with roster dynamics and injury situations as talent. This year, Jesse Minter (the new version of Macdonald, according to some league followers) brought him to Baltimore. Although Wallace did not win a spot, the Ravens reportedly hope to keep him on their practice squad.
Seattle may feel comfortable with what they have behind Love and Okada. But Wallace is a known entity. Back in 2024, he was seen as a very positive presence. He is a reliable veteran who can fill multiple roles as a safety and is a proven special-teamer.
Even if he returns, there is no guarantee that K'Von Wallace wins a roster spot. But given the way John Schneider has continued to tweak his cornerback room, I wouldn’t be at all surprised if he puts in a call to Wallace as well.
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