The Seattle Seahawks made a notable roster decision ahead of the Thursday Night Football matchup with the Los Angeles Rams, activating wide receiver Dareke Young from injured reserve after he missed the past eight games with a quadriceps injury.
Seattle didn’t need a corresponding move to clear space. The Seahawks opened a roster spot earlier this week when they waived safety D’Anthony Bell, who has since re-signed to the practice squad.
Key details:
- Activated from IR: WR Dareke Young (quad)
- Roster spot: Opened by waiving S D’Anthony Bell (now back on practice squad)
- Elevated from practice squad: RB Cam Akers, OT Amari Kight
Seahawks Get Dareke Young Back for Rams Game
Young has quietly become one of Seattle’s core special teams pieces since arriving as a 2022 seventh-round pick, and that role is a big part of why his return matters now.
While he’s primarily a special teams contributor, Young has also chipped in on offense this season, logging two catches for 48 yards before the quadriceps injury sidelined him for more than half the year.
For Seattle, getting Young back isn’t just about adding another receiver body, it’s about stabilizing multiple special teams units at the exact time the schedule tightens and the margins shrink.
What It Means for Seattle’s Depth Chart on Thursday Night
The Seahawks also elevated Cam Akers and Amari Kight from the practice squad, giving the roster a little extra flexibility in two spots that can get stressed quickly on game day: running back and tackle.
If Akers is active, it would mark his Seahawks debut, and it would come against the Rams, the team that drafted him in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft. Akers spent three-plus seasons in Los Angeles and was part of the team’s Super Bowl run after the 2021 season. He later had stints with the Vikings and Texans, then returned to Minnesota and most recently appeared in five games with the Vikings earlier this year.
Kight’s elevation is a depth-and-emergency move up front, but it’s a timely one. With Josh Jones expected to start at left tackle in place of injured starter Charles Cross, Seattle’s tackle depth becomes a bigger game-day storyline than usual. Kight has already been elevated once this season. He was called up for Seattle’s Week 4 win in Arizona, playing two offensive snaps and six special teams snaps.
In other words: the Seahawks are reinforcing the edges—both on special teams (Young) and the offensive line (Kight)—while also giving themselves another option in the backfield (Akers) in case the game flow or health forces quick adjustments.
What to Watch Next
Thursday night should offer immediate clues on how Seattle plans to use these moves.
If Young is active, his snap count on special teams will be the first tell. For Akers, the key question is whether he’s active and, if so, what his early rotation looks like. And for Kight, the focus is simple: if tackle injuries strike again during the game, Seattle now has another emergency option available.
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