The Seahawks claimed receiver/returner Jaelon Darden off waivers Thursday, the team announced.
The Browns waived him Wednesday.
Darden appeared in seven games for the Browns this season, playing 22 offensive snaps and 47 on special teams. He has averaged 10.6 yards on 22 punt returns and 24.3 yards on four kickoff returns. Darden also has one catch for 6 yards.
Darden, a fourth-round pick of the Buccaneers in 2021, has appeared in 31 games the past four seasons.
The Seahawks waived cornerback and returner Dee Williams in a corresponding move.
Williams was on kickoff and punt returns, and Laviska Shenault Jr. returned kicks along with Williams before being waived earlier this week.
Williams, who signed with the Seahawks as undrafted free agent this spring, returned 15 punts for 111 yards and nine kickoffs for 254 yards.
Thursday has been a good day for Seahawks edge rusher Uchenna Nwosu.
The NFL announced that Nwosu has been nominated for the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award early in the day and the Seahawks activated him from injured reserve later in the day.
Nwosu missed the first four games of the season with a knee injury and was knocked back out with a thigh injury upon his return. His 2023 season also came to an early end in Week Six due to a pectoral injury, so it’s been a while since Nwosu has had an extended run in the lineup.
When he did have such a run in 2022, Nwosu had 9.5 sacks and the Seahawks would welcome any help he can provide to the pass rush.
The NFL has announced this year’s nominees for the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award.
Each NFL team nominates one player for the award, which recognizes players who excel both on the field and in their communities.
“The Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award celebrates Walter’s enduring legacy of excellence on the field and compassion off it,” NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said in a statement. “This award is the league’s most prestigious honor, and we are proud to recognize these 32 outstanding men for the positive impact they make in their communities every day.”
Steelers defensive lineman Cam Heyward won the award last year. This year’s nominees are:
Cardinals tight end Trey McBride
Falcons defensive tackle Grady Jarrett
Ravens linebacker Roquan Smith
Bills tackle Dion Dawkins
Panthers wide receiver Adam Thielen
Bears defensive lineman Andrew Billings
Bengals tackle Orlando Brown Jr.
Browns cornerback Denzel Ward
Cowboys guard Zack Martin
Broncos linebacker Alex Singleton
Lions quarterback Jared Goff
Packers defensive tackle Kenny Clark
Texans safety Jalen Pitre
Colts cornerback Kenny Moore
Jaguars defensive tackle Arik Armstead
Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce
Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby
Chargers kicker Cameron Dicker
Rams running back Kyren Williams
Dolphins fullback Alec Ingold
Vikings fullback C.J. Ham
Patriots defensive lineman Deatrich Wise
Saints defensive end Cameron Jordan
Giants wide receiver Darius Slayton
Jets defensive lineman Solomon Thomas
Eagles defensive end Brandon Graham
Steelers defensive lineman Larry Ogunjobi
49ers linebacker Curtis Robinson
Seahawks linebacker Uchenna Nwosu
Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans
Titans defensive lineman Jeffery Simmons
Commanders linebacker Bobby Wagner
Seahawks defensive lineman Leonard Williams made the most of his return to MetLife Stadium last Sunday.
Williams played his home games in the building as a member of the Jets and Giants, but he moved on to Seattle in a trade during the 2023 season. Williams had a big hand in helping his team to a 26-21 win in his old stomping grounds.
Williams returned an interception of Aaron Rodgers 92 yards for a touchdown in the second quarter of the game and he also sacked Rodgers twice over the course of the afternoon. It was the first touchdown of Williams’s NFL career.
The NFL announced on Wednesday that Williams has been named the NFC defensive player of the week. It’s the third time he’s won the award and his two previous wins came in 2020.
After being released by the Titans in October, safety Jamal Adams found a new squad, signing with Detroit’s practice squad.
With several injuries on defense, Adams can potentially provide some depth as another option. Adams seemingly wasn’t expecting to get any kind of opportunity with a contender like Detroit but is grateful for it.
“I mean, they’ve been kicking everybody’s ass,” Adams said, via Jared Ramsey of the Detroit Free Press. “So I’m fortunate enough to, again, just to be on a team that’s rolling like that. And whatever I can do to help, that’s what I’m here for.
“It’s a dream come true,” Adams added. “They didn’t have to call me. They didn’t need me — they’ve been doing phenomenal. So just to get that call from a first-class organization like the Detroit Lions, it’s a no-brainer for me. I’m just grateful for my opportunity, and wherever they want me out there, whenever they call my name and call my number, I’m there.”
Adams appeared in just three games for Tennessee this season before he was released. While he has been a safety throughout his career, he’s played in the box a lot, closer to the line of scrimmage. That experience could make him valuable for a team that has lost several players along its front seven.
“I just feel like I can do a little bit of everything,” Adams said. “Whatever they ask me to do, I’m definitely going to do it to the best of my ability and just fly around and continue to make plays.”
Adams, 29, has appeared in just 13 games since the start of the 2022 season. He appeared in nine contests for Seattle last year, recording 48 total tackles with seven talkies for loss, two QB hits, and two passes defensed.
