The Seattle Seahawks won the Super Bowl because they were a complete team, but with two phases that were elite. One of those was special teams, so keeping the unit together is important, and that includes re-signing players such as Brady Russell.
Seattle did just that a day after the start of the new league year, keeping the tight end and special teams ace for two more seasons. According to NFL insider Tom Pelissero, other teams were interested in Russell, but he just wanted to stay in Seattle.
Russell has played multiple roles since he was signed after going undrafted in 2023. He initially signed with the Philadelphia Eagles and then landed with the Seahawks. He has proven to be the kind of glue player that every team needs, especially on special teams. He will do anything asked of him and do it to the best of his ability.
Special teams ace Brady Russell re-signs with the Seattle Seahawks
Seattle's special teams is made up of many of those kinds of players, and intentionally so. Wide receiver Jake Bobo was also undrafted in 2023 and has been a stalwart in the third phase of the game. The same holds true of Dareke Young, who remains a free agent but likely one general manager John Schneider would want to bring back, too.
Russell has received mostly very good grades on special teams from Pro Football Focus (subscription required) and had 14 tackles this past season. He helped form a group that ranked in the top five as far as limiting the number of kick and punt returns. He, thankfully, will continue to do so.
What happens next for the Seattle Seahawks in free agency is unknown. The team hasn't yet signed a player from another team, while losing key players from the Super Bowl-winning team. The list includes running back Kenneth Walker, cornerback Riq Woolen, and edge rusher Boye Mafe.
The expectation should be that John Schneider signs some inexpensive free agents who will potentially be great fits in head coach Mike Macdonald's defense. That is the greater need than the offense overall, though the running back position is a concern currently. Brady Russell can't help with that.