How much something costs is always relatively. With that in mind, at the NFL level, a couple hundred thousand dollars is cheap for a player’s contract but not necessarily in the undrafted free agent market. Certainly not with Seattle Seahawks undrafted free agent Aidan Hubbard.
The edge rusher cost the Seahawks $267,500 to sign after the 2026 NFL Draft. That was almost as much as the amount Seattle’s other six undrafted free agents received combined.
On Sunday, Bleacher Report’s Gary Davenport argued there’s a reason the Seahawks paid what they did with Hubbard. Davenport included the rookie edge rusher on his list of “most exciting” 2026 undrafted free-agent additions for every team.
“There’s a reason that Northwestern edge Aidan Hubbard wasn’t drafted—the 6’5″, 260-pounder isn’t especially fast. Or especially strong. Or especially twitchy,” wrote Davenport.
“… There’s also a reason the Seahawks gave him the largest guarantee of any of their undrafted free agents …
“Hubbard is unlikely to flash in a single practice rep, but his steady play can help him push for a roster spot.”
Why Seahawks Should Be Excited About Edge Rusher Aidan Hubbard
Since the 2026 NFL Draft, Seattle signed veteran Dante Fowler in free agency. That calmed down any criticism the team faced about not addressing edge rusher in the draft.
After the 2026 draft, though, the Seahawks clearly made adding Hubbard a priority. And until the Fowler signing, Hubbard was deemed the “big addition” Seattle made along the edge.
Davenport referenced analysis from SB Nation’s Field Gulls’ Alexandre Castro to justify picking Hubbard as Seattle’s most exciting undrafted free agent this offseason.
“Hubbard probably won’t become the type of player who transforms an NFL defense by himself,” wrote Castro.
“But the tape strongly suggests someone capable of surviving technically, competing physically, and maintaining structural functionality within a rotation.
“His most realistic projection is probably as a solid rotational defender.”
Castro added that Hubbard appeared to be “the kind of player” that might initially need to carve out a special teams role before getting defensive snaps. But if he can play special teams, then Hubbard has the potential to earn a defensive role down the road.
Seahawks Edge Rushing Depth Entering 2026 Offseason Workouts
This isn’t the first time Hubbard received hype from Bleacher Report. BR’s Kristopher Knox named Hubbard to his list of undrafted free agents with the best chance of making the team’s roster this year.
That, though, was before the Seahawks signed Fowler.
With Fowler now in the fold, Hubbard has a harder path to a roster spot in Seattle. Including Fowler and Hubbard, the Seahawks have 17 linebackers on their offseason roster.
That’s the entire linebackers corps, not just edge players. But along the edge, Fowler, Demarcus Lawrence, Uchenna Nwosu and Derick Hall are the obvious defenders ahead of Hubbard on the pecking order.
Hubbard might have to outperform Jared Ivey and/or Connor O’Toole to find himself still in Seattle when the 2026 regular season begins.
The Seahawks will begin to see how their edge rusher room looks at offseason workouts this week. The team’s first organized practice will be Tuesday, May 26.
Seahawks Expensive New Addition Dubbed With ‘Most Exciting’ Hype