Seattle Seahawks defensive back D'Anthony Bell during an NFL game.
D’Anthony Bell watched the biggest game of his life from a couch.
The safety played 14 games for the Seattle Seahawks during their championship season, contributed on 251 special teams snaps and even blocked a punt in a Week 3 win over the New Orleans Saints. Then, on December 30, the Seahawks waived him. One day later, the Carolina Panthers claimed him off waivers.
Bell dressed for Carolina’s wild-card loss to the Los Angeles Rams but didn’t record a snap. Meanwhile, his former teammates in Seattle kept winning — all the way to a 29-13 victory over the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LX.
Now, Bell is getting a ring anyway.
ESPN’s Brady Henderson reported that the Seahawks plan to award Bell a Super Bowl ring, recognizing his contributions during the regular season that built the foundation for their championship run. Bell re-signed with Seattle on a one-year deal on March 24, making the homecoming complete.
“It’s just the culture that they built here,” Bell told the Seahawks’ official website about his decision to return. “From when I first signed it was like a family culture, and everybody wanted to win, and I love to win.”
He admitted the experience carried weight.
“Definitely bittersweet not being able to play in the Super Bowl,” Bell said.
D’Anthony Bell’s Role Was Bigger Than the Box Score
Bell’s 2025 stat line — 15 tackles, half a sack, one tackle for loss — doesn’t scream impact player. But his value lived on special teams, where he ranked third on the Seahawks in snaps behind only fullback Brady Russell and defensive end Mike Morris. His blocked punt against the Saints in Week 3 flipped field position in a game Seattle won and set the tone for a defense that would carry the team deep into February.
The Seahawks don’t owe Bell a ring by rule. NFL policy gives the winning team 150 rings, funded by the league up to a cap of $7,000 per ring, but distribution is entirely at the organization’s discretion. Players who were waived or traded midseason aren’t guaranteed anything. Teams have historically varied in how they handle these situations — some reward anyone who suited up during the regular season, while others draw the line at the playoff roster. Seattle chose to take care of one of their own.
A Fresh Start in a Familiar Place
Bell’s return gives the Seahawks secondary depth they need after losing safety Coby Bryant to the Chicago Bears on a three-year, $40 million deal. Alongside newly signed Rodney Thomas II and returning starter Julian Love, Bell slots in as a versatile piece who already knows the system.
He’ll compete for a roster spot this summer with the cameras rolling — the Seahawks are set to appear on HBO’s Hard Knocks for the first time in franchise history, debuting August 11.
But before training camp, before the ring ceremony, Bell’s story is one worth pausing on. A player who helped build a champion, got cut before the finish line and still found his way back.
The ring just makes it official.