The Seattle Seahawks are going to enter the 2026 campaign with a target on their back. That’s what tends to happen when you win a Super Bowl, as the Seahawks did last season. While there is still a lot of talent on this roster, Seattle has lost several key players over the offseason, which could make their task of defending its championship more difficult.
One of the most noteworthy departures over the past few months saw safety Coby Bryant sign with the Chicago Bears in free agency. Seattle should be able to replace him with Ty Okada, but more depth may be needed at the safety position. With that in mind, the front office opted to take a closer look at former Miami Dolphins starting safety Ifeatu Melifonwu.
Seahawks Bring in Ifeatu Melifonwu for a Workout
Melifonwu is a former third-round pick who latched on with the Detroit Lions in 2021. While he spent his first four seasons with the Lions, he was never able to truly carve out a starting role for himself. Injuries certainly didn’t help, but it wasn’t much of a surprise to see Melifonwu find a new home after the 2024 campaign.
That home ended up being with the Dolphins, and it saw Melifonwu put together arguably the most complete campaign of his career. Melifonwu finished the year with 53 tackles, one sack, one interception, and one pass breakup in 16 games of action (eight of which were starts). With Miami rebuilding, though, it hasn’t made much of an effort to re-sign Melifonwu.
To this point, there hasn’t been much movement in Melifonwu’s free agent market, but that could be changing. Seattle brought him in for a workout on Monday, and while no deal is imminent, he could be an option for the team in free agency at some point in the future, even if it’s just as a practice squad player.
“Former Dolphins and Lions S Ifeatu Melifonwu worked out for the Seahawks today,” Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reported in a post on X. “No signing imminent for Melifonwu, who played in 16 games with eight starts last year, but he could be in play in Seattle down the line.”
Should the Seahawks Sign Ifeatu Melifonwu?
GettyThe Seahawks aren’t signing Ifeatu Melifonwu right now, but that could change in the future
Seattle has its safety trio of Okada, Julian Love, and the versatile Nick Emmanwori in place already, but the depth behind them isn’t exactly great. Adding a guy like Melifonwu, who has starting experience, to come in and work behind them wouldn’t be a bad idea, especially because injuries are bound to pop up throughout the course of the year.
For the time being, though, a deal doesn’t appear to be imminent, and if another team shows interest in Melifonwu, he could latch on with them. Melifonwu is a good option to have in the event help at safety is truly needed, but if the Seahawks wait too long, he may no longer be an option for them if another team comes calling.
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