In Biggest Surprise of Day, Seahawks Waive WR Penny Hart

The 1:00 p.m. deadline for roster cuts has come and gone, but in true Seahawks fashion, the team has yet to formally announce their initial 53-man squad. One of the names that won't appear among those 53 players, however, is receiver Penny Hart, who's reportedly been waived, per ESPN's Brady Henderson.

This comes as quite the surprise. Though he missed a significant portion of training camp and two preseason games with ankle injury, many believed Hart had virtually locked up a spot on the roster. He appeared in 13 games for the Seahawks last year, earned high praise from head coach Pete Carroll over the course of the offseason and started off strong in OTAs, mandatory minicamp and training camp.

But now, Hart hits the waiver wire and the team will sweat it out as they await to see if he gets claimed. If not, then it's anticipated they will jump at the opportunity to re-sign him to their practice squad. 

Outside of DK Metcalf, Tyler Lockett, Dee Eskridge and Freddie Swain, undrafted rookie Cade Johnson is the lone receiver on Seattle's roster whose future remains up in the air. Sources have told Rob Rang and Seahawk Maven's Corbin Smith that only one UDFA—believed to be offensive lineman Jake Curhan—has made the team. In that case, then it would appear Johnson is also on his way to the waiver wire and the Seahawks, for now, will only roster four pass catchers.

Under new league rules, the Seahawks can now carry up to 16 players on their practice squad. Two players can be promoted to the active roster each game without removing anyone from the 53-man and, unlike for most of the 2020 season, there is no limitation on how many times a player can be elevated. Seattle is expected to utilize that heavily with its receivers, meaning the likes of Hart, Aaron Fuller and Cody Thompson could still appear this fall if they make their way back to the Pacific Northwest.

The Seahawks may also turn their attention to the free agent market, which has now gotten a bit more appealing following the releases of veterans John Brown and Phillip Dorsett. Seattle signed Dorsett last season and had big plans for the speedy receiver, but a foot injury forced him to miss the entire 2020 campaign without playing a single down for the team.