The Seattle Seahawks are still working their way through 2025 free agency, but the team very well could have completely moved on from some players who remain free agents. It could be that no teams are willing to pick up the players below. The issue could be age or simply diminishing returns.
In two of the cases, the player was set to still be under contract for 2025, but Seattle chose to release them to save some money. One is a fan-favorite who could still return but likely will not do so. Maybe he signs a one-day deal with Seattle to retire as a member of the Seahawks.
What is slightly surprising is that players such as Stone Forsythe have found new homes, but the players that follow have not. In other words, these guys might be facing forced retirements.
Three Seattle Seahawks free agents who could be looking at retirement
Offensive lineman George Fant
Fant has had an interesting career. He went from an undrafted free agent who played tight end in college to being the Seahawks' starting left tackle in his rookie year of 2016. He then missed 2017. He bounced around the league a bit and was a serviceable swing tackle, but he will soon be 33 years old and might not find a home anywhere.
Part of the issue was that Seattle signed him last offseason to step in in case right tackle Abraham Lucas was slow to return from knee surgery (which he was), but then Fant got hurt in Week 1. Teams might not want to take a chance on an aging offensive lineman with a recent injury history.
Tight end Pharaoh Brown
The problem for Brown, like Fant, is that he is now over 30 years old. He has also never been a key part of any passing attack and has been more of a glorified offensive lineman. Teams can find that in the NFL draft, so paying a veteran to do the same job is likely not a wise move. Plus, in seven NFL seasons, he has just three touchdown receptions.
Maybe Brown signs for cheap somewhere, and some team likes his experience. But if a team can draft a tight end in the fourth or fifth round and pay him around a million dollars a season for four years, then why add Brown for a bit more than that amount of money but for only a year or two? That doesn't make a lot of financial sense.
Wide receiver Tyler Lockett
The question is not whether Lockett is worthy of playing longer, but how much he wants to. He could return to the Seahawks, but he would do so at a much lower amount than he was set to make in 2025. Seattle also made a touch financial decision to release the aging Lockett, who has tended to give himself easily after catching the ball recently.
He might also have the option of landing with the Las Vegas Raiders because he would get to work with former Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll again. Plus, the Raiders need receivers, but how much does Lockett expect to get paid?