Less than a day after finalizing their initial 53-man roster, the Seattle Seahawks made adjustments. On Aug. 27, the team added linebacker Him to the active roster. According to NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo, Surratt had multiple offers from other teams but chose Seattle.
The San Francisco 49ers released Surratt on Aug. 26 during final roster cuts, but since he wasn’t subject to waivers, the Seahawks were able to sign him immediately.
His spot on the active roster suggests the 28-year-old could see playing time right away, either at linebacker or on special teams. Fittingly, Seattle’s season opener on Sept. 7 is against the 49ers.
Drafted in the third round by the Minnesota Vikings in 2021, Surratt played nine games as a rookie before being waived and later joining the New York Jets in 2022.
Over three seasons with the Jets, he appeared in 32 games, recording 37 tackles and two tackles for loss. Most of his snaps came on special teams, where he logged more than 600 plays.
Surratt’s Unique College Career
Chazz Surratt’s road to the NFL was anything but typical. He began his career at North Carolina as a quarterback before switching to linebacker in his junior year. While it’s fairly common for college quarterbacks to move to wide receiver in the pros—think Terrelle Pryor, Julian Edelman, Hines Ward, or Antwaan Randle El—it’s much less common to see one move to linebacker.
Thanks to his size and athleticism, though, Surratt made the transition work and was selected 78th overall by the Vikings.
During his two seasons at linebacker for UNC, Surratt recorded 116 tackles, 12.5 sacks, 23 tackles for loss, and two interceptions, primarily playing on the inside.
Before the switch, he appeared in 10 games at quarterback, nine as a freshman in 2017, when he passed for 1,342 yards with eight touchdowns and three picks. Still, the only way he’d see time under center for the Seahawks in 2025 would be if things went completely off the rails.
Adding Depth at Linebacker
The Seahawks opened with eight linebackers on their initial 53-man roster: Ernest Jones IV, Tyrice Knight, Drake Thomas, Derick Hall, Jared Ivey, Boye Mafe, Uchenna Nwosu, and Connor O’Toole. Of that group, only Jones IV, Knight, and Thomas play on the inside, while the others are primarily edge rushers.
Reporters like Michael-Shawn Dugar of The Athletic pointed out the team’s lack of depth at inside linebacker and along the interior defensive line.
The addition of Chazz Surratt gives Seattle more flexibility in Mike MacDonald’s defense, which shifts between 4-3 and 3-4 alignments. Surratt should also contribute on special teams, where he logged 63 percent of the Jets’ snaps in 2024.
To make room for him, the Seahawks will need to cut or move a current player, though that transaction has not yet been revealed.
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