Our Seattle Seahawks special teams have been straight-up struggling this season, sitting near the bottom of the league in yards allowed per kick return. It’s been tough to watch. But guess what? Help is finally on the way for our crucial Week 6 road game against the Denver Broncos, with wide receiver and special teams gunner Irv Charles, alongside linebacker Jimmy Ciarlo, getting the call-up from the practice squad. Both are set to make their team debuts.
Irv Charles’ Rollercoaster Journey to the Field
Talk about a journey! Irv Charles, who we picked up from the New York Jets back in May, has had a wild ride just to get to this point. He missed our first five games, stuck on injured reserve with a knee issue. We finally designated him to return to practice on October 7, and then the team activated him to the active roster on Tuesday. You thought that was it, right? Nope! He was released a day later to make room for running back Velus Jones Jr. But because Charles is a vested veteran, he wasn’t subject to waivers and was rerouted straight to our practice squad. Now, after all that back and forth, he’s been elevated and is expected to play a key role on kick and punt returns. He’s highly regarded in those areas, and let’s be honest, our return game needs that kind of impact.
Thin Linebacker Room Gets a Much-Needed Boost
On the defensive side, Jimmy Ciarlo’s elevation was pretty much a no-brainer. We’re going into this Broncos game without starting linebacker Drake Thomas, who’s dealing with an ankle injury, and Chazz Surratt, sidelined with a chest issue. That leaves our already thin linebacker group even thinner. Ciarlo, a third-year linebacker, went undrafted out of Army in 2024 before signing with the Jets, but he missed his entire rookie season with a knee injury. He was released in May 2025 and spent time bouncing around with the Buffalo Bills, Miami Dolphins, and Tennessee Titans before he finally signed with our Seahawks on September 30. We need healthy bodies and a spark at linebacker, and Ciarlo is here to provide it.
This Sunday, it’s the Broncos in Denver, a huge road matchup. We know our special teams needs a shot in the arm, and the linebacker corps is stretched. Seeing Charles and Ciarlo out there making their debuts, fighting for every yard on returns and every tackle on defense, that’s what we’re looking forward to. Let’s get this win, 12s!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Field Gulls.
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