Seahawks to part ways with Pro Bowl special-teamer

One year remained on Bellore’s latest Seahawks contract; he was due to count $4M against the cap. Seattle will see $2.85M in cap savings by releasing him just ahead of free agency. Monday marks the beginning of the legal tampering window and the 34-year-old will be free to discuss a new deal with teams before signing one as early as Wednesday.

The former UDFA served as a starting linebacker with the 49ers in 2016, but throughout the rest of his career he has seen most of his playing time on special teams. Bellore has notably seen usage both at linebacker and fullback, although he only had six offensive touches during his five seasons in the Emerald City. He earned a second career Pro Bowl nod in 2023 after logging an 83% snap share on special teams. In spite of that, the team will move on.

Bellore joins a long list of veterans which have been (or will be) released as part of a financial reset this offseason. Safeties Jamal Adams and Quandre Diggs, along with tight end Will Dissly and defensive tackle Bryan Mone will not return in 2024. Bellore’s absence will not be acutely felt on offense or defense, but his third phase contributions on a Seahawks team which ranked eight in special teams DVOA last season will be missed.

The Central Michigan product has experience with the Jets, 49ers and Lions in addition to his time as a Seahawk. Bellore has played in 200 regular season games (as well as four in the postseason), and Pelissero notes he intends to continue his career. It will be interesting to see how much of a market develops for him in the near future.