Seahawks Terminate Contract of 26-Year-Old Defender

The Seattle Seahawks have terminated their relationship with 26-year-old linebacker Joseph Vaughn, waiving the former undrafted free agent from injured reserve on Wednesday and ending a brief, injury-interrupted stay in camp.

Vaughn, a 6-foot-3, 238-pound linebacker, signed with Seattle on Aug. 1 after a workout, giving the defending Super Bowl champions extra depth as they built toward the regular season. Less than a week later, the team waived him with an injury designation.

He cleared waivers and reverted to injured reserve with an undisclosed issue. On Aug. 26, with Vaughn reportedly healthy again, Seattle waived him from IR. He has already cleared waivers and is a free agent who can sign with any club.

The move is typical late-camp housekeeping. NFL teams must cut to 53 players by Sunday, Aug. 30. Seattle has also shuffled other spots this week while placing players such as safety Bud Clark and guard Mason Richman on injured reserve.

Vaughn has never appeared in an NFL regular-season game.

After going undrafted in 2025 out of UCLA, he signed with the Indianapolis Colts, spent training camp there, and was released before the season. Indianapolis signed him to a futures deal, then waived him in late April. Seattle was his next stop.

His college résumé is stronger than his NFL sample. At Yale he was a two-time All-Ivy League pick and a first-team selection in 2023, when he posted 88 tackles, 13 tackles for loss, two sacks, three interceptions, five pass breakups, and three forced fumbles.

He transferred to UCLA for 2024, appearing in 12 games with eight tackles and a heavier special-teams workload. Athletic testing after college was impressive — including a 4.66-second 40-yard dash, a 41.5-inch vertical, and a 9.45 Relative Athletic Score — but production at the Power conference level was limited.

For Seattle, Vaughn was always a depth and special-teams candidate rather than a projected starter. Head coach Mike Macdonald’s linebacker group has been in flux throughout camp, with other names cycling through the 90-man roster.

Releasing a healthy player from IR suggests the staff did not see a clear 53-man or practice-squad fit as cuts approach.

Vaughn’s next opportunity will likely come as a camp or practice-squad addition elsewhere. Teams looking for size, speed, and Ivy League production on coverage units may take a look.

For the Seahawks, the transaction is another small step in trimming a championship roster before the regular season begins.