Seahawks' Week 6: roster moves and red-zone answers
Jones to the practice squad, Charles back from IR, and Durde on red-zone defense.
- The Seahawks released RB Velus Jones Jr. from the 53-man roster on October 13, 2026, then re-signed him to the practice squad the same afternoon; as a vested veteran he was not subject to waivers, the team announced. Self-reported m:…9205
- The Seahawks activated WR Irv Charles from injured reserve on October 13, clearing him for a potential team debut against Denver; GM John Schneider has called Charles a 'dominant gunner' expected to play a big special-teams role. Self-reported m:…6777
- Charles recorded 14 special-teams tackles over two seasons with the Jets; he tore his ACL late in his second season and missed all of 2025, per the team. Self-reported m:…6777
- Defensive coordinator Aden Durde told reporters the red-zone defense 'hasn't quite got where you want it to be,' and said the staff is studying specific breakdown patterns; he called Byron Murphy II the 'North Star' of the defense. Self-reported m:…5437
A Tuesday of transactions
The Seahawks spent Tuesday, October 13, churning the bottom of the roster ahead of Week 6. Running back Velus Jones Jr. was released from the 53-man roster earlier in the day and re-signed to the practice squad that afternoon — a same-day round trip made possible because Jones is a vested veteran and therefore not subject to waivers, the team announced. m:…9205
The corresponding move: wide receiver Irv Charles was activated from injured reserve, clearing him for a potential Seahawks debut against Denver. Jones had appeared in four of five games this season, mostly on special teams, after opening the year on the practice squad and getting promoted in Week 4. m:…6777 m:…9205
The two moves are really one move. Charles's activation created the roster vacancy; Jones's release filled it, and the vested-veteran rule turned the return trip into an afternoon errand. Jones first joined Seattle during the 2025 season and opened 2026 on the practice squad before his Week 4 promotion — this is a player the coaching staff knows and wants nearby, just not on the 53 this week. For Denver-week planning, the signal is priorities: a special-teams upgrade over a running-back depth piece. m:…9205 m:…6777
Why Charles matters: special teams
Charles is not being brought in to catch passes. General manager John Schneider has described him as a 'dominant gunner,' and the team expects him to play a big special-teams role. The résumé backs the hype: 14 special-teams tackles and one blocked punt over two seasons with the Jets, acquired by Seattle in an offseason trade. m:…6777
The catch is rust. Charles tore his ACL late in his second season with the Jets and missed all of 2025. Tuesday's activation ends a long layoff; whether he returns to the form that earned Schneider's 'dominant gunner' label is the open question heading into Denver week. m:…6777
For Jones, Tuesday was the latest turn in a year of roster churn: he first joined Seattle during the 2025 season, opened 2026 on the practice squad, earned a promotion to the 53-man roster in Week 4, and has now been released and re-signed without clearing waivers — the vested-veteran designation turning what used to be a procedural headache into a same-day transaction. m:…9205 m:…6777
The trade context sharpens the bet. Seattle acquired Charles from the Jets in an offseason trade — spending capital on a player who then spent 2025 on injured reserve — and Schneider's public praise of Charles as a 'dominant gunner' reads like a front office talking up its own investment. Fourteen special-teams tackles in two Jets seasons is the evidence; the ACL tear is the risk. If he returns to form, the implication is Seattle has a special-teams contributor for the season. m:…6777
Durde's red-zone homework
Defensive coordinator Aden Durde used his media session to name the unit's problem plainly: red-zone defense 'hasn't quite got where you want it to be,' even with other numbers looking fine. His prescription is film-room forensics: the staff is studying the specific breakdown patterns, as the session recap describes. m:…5437
Durde also handed out the internal praise that hints at where the defense is headed: Byron Murphy II is the unit's 'North Star,' the player who controls the defense and gets everyone lined up, while Josh Jobe earned notice for his mindset — going back out and going again after getting beat in big situations — and Nehemiah Pritchett for maximizing his limited reps and showing consistent improvement. On the upcoming opponent, the session's description of Denver's offensive line was an aggressive, cohesive unit that plays well together — which, translated from coach-speak, means the red-zone fixes get tested immediately. m:…5437
Durde's personnel notes double as a depth-chart read. Byron Murphy II as the 'North Star' who controls the defense and gets everyone lined up is a coordinator anointing his on-field organizer; Josh Jobe's praised mindset — going back out after getting beaten in big situations — is what coaches say about young corners they intend to keep playing; and Nehemiah Pritchett maximizing his limited reps is the classic prelude to more reps. On Denver, the scouting report was respectful to a fault: an aggressive, cohesive offensive line that plays well together. m:…5437
What Denver week decides
All three threads converge on Sunday. The roster churn says special teams is where Seattle thinks games are won this week; Durde's red-zone self-assessment says the staff is studying where the breakdowns are; and Charles's debut — if it comes — is the live test of an ACL recovery against a Denver line Durde's session described as aggressive and cohesive. On the evidence in hand, none of Tuesday's moves touches the starting 22 — this reads as margin moves, not lineup changes. But the margins the Seahawks are working — a gunner here, a red-zone stop there — are the margins that decide close games in October. m:…6777 m:…5437 m:…9205
What is still unresolved
- Specific tactical changes to the red-zone defense were not disclosed.
- Whether Irv Charles debuts against Denver and how many snaps he takes.
- Velus Jones Jr.'s path back to the 53-man roster remains unclear.
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