The Seattle Seahawks made a roster move Tuesday that carries more weight than a typical August transaction.
Seattle announced that second-year fullback Robbie Ouzts has been placed on injured reserve, while linebacker Aaron Smith was signed to the roster.
The team later confirmed that Ouzts had remained sidelined during training camp with an undisclosed injury.
The NFL’s 2026 calendar allows teams to designate up to two players for return when they are placed on an applicable reserve list during the final roster reduction on Aug. 30.
Ouzts went to IR nearly three weeks before that date, leaving him ineligible for one of those two cutdown-day return designations.
It’s a tough turn for a player expected to make an impact, as the Seahawks gear up for the preseason against Dallas on Aug. 15.
Ouzts Injury Changes Seahawks’ Fullback Picture
GettySEATTLE, WASHINGTON – AUGUST 7: Robbie Ouzts #40 of the Seattle Seahawks carries the ball during the first quarter of the NFL Preseason 2025 game against the Las Vegas Raidersat Lumen Field on August 7, 2025 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Jane Gershovich/Getty Images)
Ouzts, a fifth-round pick out of Alabama in 2025, appeared in 12 games with two starts as a rookie.
His first NFL season included an earlier stint on injured reserve because of an ankle injury, and he later missed the NFC championship game and Super Bowl LX with a neck injury.
Head coach Mike Macdonald hasn’t disclosed the nature of the issue that kept Ouzts out during this year’s training camp.
The Seahawks had already signaled concern at the position.
Seattle signed Brock Lampe last week after Ouzts missed several practices. Lampe spent his rookie season with the New England Patriots on injured reserve after suffering a leg injury in training camp.
Seattle Sports reported that Ouzts logged 203 offensive snaps last season after converting from tight end to fullback. The same report noted that there had been speculation about a larger role for the 6-foot-3, 274-pounder under new offensive coordinator Brian Fleury.
Now Lampe and Brady Russell are the Seahawks’ current fullback options. Russell also converted from tight end last season and played 58 offensive snaps while handling a significant special teams role.
The personnel is relevant for an offense expected to keep leaning into heavier formations and multiple-back looks. Losing Ouzts removes one of the unit’s more fixed blockers before Fleury’s first regular-season game as coordinator.
Seahawks Add Former Jets Linebacker Smith
GettyATLANTA, GEORGIA – DECEMBER 14: Quarterback Jacobian Morgan #15 of the Jackson State Tigers dives for the first down as he is tackled by linebacker Aaron Smith #11 of the South Carolina State Bulldogs during the second half on December 14, 2024 at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Butch Dill/Getty Images)
The corresponding addition brings another young linebacker into the camp competition.
Smith went undrafted out of South Carolina State in 2025 before signing with the New York Jets. The Jets waived him before the regular season, but he later joined New York’s practice squad.
The 6-foot-2, 230-pounder earned first-team All-MEAC honors during his final college season after recording 95 tackles in 10 games. He also received an invitation to the East-West Shrine Bowl during his final year at South Carolina State.
Seattle is getting a player whose quickest route to a roster spot could come on special teams. Smith recorded four tackles and one pass defensed across three preseason games for the Jets in 2025.
The move still circles back to Ouzts.
Seattle added a linebacker because the fullback’s IR placement opened a roster spot, but the larger impact lands on an offense that had already spent the past week preparing for the possibility of moving forward without him.
With roster cuts approaching, Lampe and Russell can claim the fullback work Ouzts would have handled.
Seahawks’ 2025 Draft Pick Lands on IR, Sign Former Jets LB Before Preseason Opener