SEATTLE, WA - NOVEMBER 15: Nick Vannett #81 of the Seattle Seahawks in the first half against the Green Bay Packers at CenturyLink Field on November 15, 2018 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Abbie Parr/Getty Images) Getty
The Seattle Seahawks brought back an ex-tight end at the start of training camp, but Nick Vannett 's second run with the franchise lasted barely more than a month.
The veteran tight end has found his next stop, though.
The Baltimore Ravens announced Wednesday that they signed Vannett and A.J. Arcuri to their practice squad, filling the final two spots in the group. Vannett, 33, is entering his 11th NFL season and gives Baltimore another experienced option behind a tight end room led by Mark Andrews.
The move comes only three days after Seattle released Vannett as part of its final cuts to reach the initial 53-man roster.
For the Seahawks, it closes a brief reunion with one of their former third-round picks. Vannett returned to Seattle in July nearly seven years after the franchise traded him away, then made one more push for a roster spot with the team that drafted him.
GettySEATTLE, WA – NOVEMBER 15: Nick Vannett #81 of the Seattle Seahawks in the first half against the Green Bay Packers at CenturyLink Field on November 15, 2018 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Abbie Parr/Getty Images)
Seattle signed Vannett on July 24 , bringing him back ahead of training camp after he split the 2025 season between the Minnesota Vikings and Los Angeles Rams .
The reunion gave the Seahawks another veteran blocker at tight end and gave Vannett an opportunity to compete in a place he already knew well.
He flashed during the preseason, including a 4-yard touchdown catch from Jalen Milroe in Seattle's finale against the Kansas City Chiefs . The score came with Vannett open at the goal line and offered him a late highlight in his bid to make the roster.
Seattle still went in another direction at the position.
The Seahawks kept four tight ends on their initial 53-man roster and terminated Vannett's contract as a vested veteran on Aug. 30. Because he was not subject to waivers, Vannett was free to sign elsewhere immediately.
Baltimore moved quickly enough to give him a place on its practice squad before Week 1. The Ravens described Vannett and Arcuri as veterans who could be ready to play "in a pinch" because of their experience.
Vannett's role has increasingly centered on blocking and special teams. Baltimore noted that he has not topped 20 catches or 200 receiving yards in a season since 2018, but his experience gives the Ravens another plug-and-play option if injuries hit the position.
Vannett's connection to Seattle stretches back to the 2016 NFL draft.
The Seahawks selected the Ohio State product with the No. 94 overall pick in the third round. He went on to appear in 42 games with 16 starts over three-plus seasons in Seattle, catching 48 passes for 463 yards and four touchdowns.
His best statistical season came in 2018, when he posted career highs with 29 catches for 269 yards and three touchdowns.
Seattle moved on early in the 2019 season, trading Vannett to the Pittsburgh Steelers for a fifth-round pick in the 2020 draft. He has bounced around the league since, with stops that have included Denver , New Orleans, New York, Los Angeles , Tennessee and Minnesota.
His July return gave the Seahawks a chance to revisit a player from an earlier stage of the franchise, while Vannett had an opportunity to extend his career where it started.
That reunion didn't survive roster cutdown, but his NFL run is continuing.
Instead of opening the season back in Seattle, Vannett will now begin it on Baltimore's practice squad, staying available for a Ravens team that valued his experience enough to use one of its final spots on him.
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