Seattle Seahawks general manager John Schneider during an NFL game.
The NFL’s daily personnel notice shows the Seahawks had four practice-squad contracts expire, including Pro Bowl defensive backs Quandre Diggs and Shaquill Griffin, a quiet but telling move that leaves both veterans free to sign elsewhere as Seattle heads into the free-agency window.
Seahawks News: 4 Practice Squad Contracts Expire
First, the key context: this isn’t a headline “cut.” Practice-squad contracts are generally short-term and end when the season ends, at which point those players become free agents unless they sign a reserve/futures contract.
That’s the precedent across the league every January/February, teams announce waves of reserve/futures signings, and the remaining practice-squad deals show up on transaction wires as “contracts expired.”
In Seattle’s case, the four names on the “contracts expired” list were:
DB Quandre Diggs
DB Shaquill Griffin
DB Shemar Jean-Charles
G Shane Lemieux
(These were listed under practice squad transactions, not the 53-man roster.)
Seahawks Depth Chart: Why Diggs and Griffin Jump Off the Page
Even though this is mostly a procedural transaction, Diggs and Griffin are recognizable because they’ve been real NFL starters.
Diggs, for example, rejoined Seattle during the season on the practice squad after being waived by Tennessee, per reporting at the time. Griffin is a former Seahawk starter and past Pro Bowler who also cycled back into the organization during the season.
So when their practice-squad deals expire, fans see the names and assume a major “parting ways” moment. The more accurate framing is: Seattle didn’t immediately lock them into the offseason roster via futures contracts, at least not yet.
Field Gulls noted Seattle signed 15 players to reserve/futures contracts, and these four practice-squad players were among the ones who did not receive those futures deals in that initial group.
The Mechanic That Matters: Reserve/Futures vs. “Contract Expired”
A reserve/futures contract is how teams “carry” players into the offseason (the 90-man roster) before the new league year begins; those deals take effect with the new league year and keep the player from shopping around.
If a player’s deal instead shows up as “contract expired,” it means the player is not currently under contract, and can explore opportunities, including signing a futures contract with another team.
That’s the real consequence here: Seattle doesn’t control the players’ rights right now.
Kenneth Walker III’s Free Agency Looms and What Happens Next for Seattle
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And while this doesn’t close the door on a return for their veterans, it’s another sign the Seahawks are willing to make the right moves. The Seahawks can still bring any of these players back later in the offseason (including on a futures-type deal or another contract structure). But letting the contracts expire signals the team is at least open to:
Younger depth/competition at DB and along the interior line
Monitoring the market before committing roster spots
Prioritizing other futures signings first (Seattle already made a sizable batch)
For Diggs and Griffin specifically, the next question is whether another team views them as (a) veteran insurance, (b) camp competition, or (c) a quick path to playing time, depending on roster needs around the league.