Seahawks GM John Schneider and the team has decided to move on from Nick Bellore.
The Seattle Seahawks are moving on from a two-time Pro Bowler after five seasons.
According to a report from NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, the Seahawks are releasing special teams captain Nick Bellore. Bellore was named to his second Pro Bowl this past season and has appeared in 79 games with the Seahawks and 200 career NFL games.
“The #Seahawks and LB/FB/two-time Pro Bowl special teams ace Nick Bellore will part ways Monday, per source,” writes Pelissero. “Bellore, 34, has appeared in 200 career games and plans to keep playing. Now he’ll hit the free agent market.”
Why the Seahawks Are Moving on From Nick Bellore
The 34-year-old Bellore had one year remaining on his contract after signing a two-year contract extension with Seattle during the 2023 offseason. Bellore had served as the special teams captain in each of the past three season while leading the Seahawks in special teams tackles during the 2021 (15) and 2022 seasons (14).
However, with the Seahawks moving on from Pete Carroll as head coach and onto Mike Macdonald, it’s become clear they’re moving in a different direction. Prior to the start of the free agency, they’ve already released big-name players such as Quandre Diggs, Jamal Adams, Will Dissly and Bryan Mone.
The latest victim is now Bellore.
Nick Bellore’s Cap Hit May Have Been Too High
The move isn’t exactly surprising despite Bellore’s resume; his cap hit was $4 million for the 2024 season and as Lee Vowell of Fan Sided’s 12th Man Rising noted a few days prior to the move, his cap hit is high in relation to Bellore’s productivity. He also brings up how the Seahawks could always bring him back at a lower cap hit.
“Because what Bellore does is difficult to measure,” Vowell wrote on Thursday, March 7. “But his salary is measured in dollars and cents and his cap hit in 2024 is $4 million and that is too high normally in relation to Bellore’s productivity. Seattle has released him before (2020) and then re-signed him so that could be an option once again this offseason.”
Bellore — who posted 14 special teams tackles while appearing in 83% of the special teams snaps this past season — was deemed “overpaid” by Vowell.
“But while he is a great voice to have in the locker room and good at special teams he is – and I say this without emotion because emotionally I would argue Bellore is worth more than could ever be paid to him – overpaid,” writes Vowell. “This is probably because Seattle knows his value as a teammate as much as on-field production.”
As Corbin K. Smith of Seahawks Fan Nation notes, Seattle will now have between $53-to-$55 million in cap space after the Bellore move.
“Seahawks will be around $53-55 million in cap space after Bellore move, depending on full structure of Lockett reworked contract,” writes Smith.
Since entering the league in 2011 with the New York Jets, Bellore has never missed more than three games in a single season and has also had stints with the San Francisco 49ers and Detroit Lions. He has racked up 247 career tackles. His 200 games played are the 15th-most among active NFL players.