Coming out of the Seattle Seahawks' second preseason game, a lot of focus is on Klint Kubiak’s offense, and for good reason. The dominance in the run game against Kansas City is something the 12s want to see translate seamlessly to the regular season.
But Mike Macdonald’s defense put in some work on the Super Bowl runners-up’s back-ups, too, holding them to just 16 points and 156 yards of total offense. Sure, no Patrick Mahomes and star company can ease the burden for the defense, but it’s not as though veteran defensive linemen like Leonard Williams and DeMarcus Lawrence were out there either.
Instead, it was young defensive lineman looking to make their argument to land on the 53-man roster at the end of the month. With his game-wrecking safety in the second quarter, Brandon Pili made as convincing an argument as anyone.
Brandon Pili showing he belongs on the Seattle Seahawks' 53-man roster
The first four names on the defensive line are pretty well set for Macdonald’s defensive front: Williams, Jarran Reed, Byron Murphy II, and Rylie Mills. It’s the two spots after them that are up for grabs, and the players fighting for those spots have been back and forth throughout camp.
But in front of Seahawks and NFL fans during the preseason contests, Pili is surging ahead of the pack. His safety was the lone stat for him against Kansas City, but such an impressive rep is foolish to overlook. Pili stayed low, got small, squeezed through the traffic, and exploded into the backfield to create the safety after the Chiefs took over at the two-yard line.
Brandon Pili with the safety for the @Seahawks!
— NFL Network (@nflnetwork) August 16, 2025
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In the first preseason game, Pili made a couple of stops in the running game, so he’s now had two preseason outings where he contributed early in the game as a first-up backup, made an impact, and wrapped up his night a bit early. That’s as good a sign as any for Pili to lock in a spot on the 53-man roster before the call for final cuts.
If Pili can continue to show solid production, he could be in line for rotation snaps early in the season. There’s no timetable for 38-year-old Jonathan Hankins to return from his injury, and Rylie Mills is still working back from his torn ACL. That paves the way for Pili to continue to make an impression on Seattle’s defense as the 2025 season gets started.