The Seattle Seahawks have two starting-quality centers , but neither is a premium talent at the position at this stage in their careers. Jalen Sundell is heading into 2026 as the incumbent starter with Olu Oluwatimi as his backup.
Seattle has a third center, however, who is still in the competition. Federico Maranges, a 2025 undrafted free agent, is competing to see some playing time in his second NFL season.
Can Maranges battle for a second-string or starting role this season?
Maranges is from Dorado, Puerto Rico, but moved to the U.S. in 2017. Two years later, Maranges landed at Florida Atlantic after being a three-star recruit out of high school . He spent six total seasons there from 2019-24 and started 29 of his 44 total games played.
Considering how many seasons Maranges was at FAU, he didn't have an extensive resume entering the pros. What did help Maranges, however, was that he qualified for the International Player Pathway program, allowing him to be the 17th player on a generally 16-player practice squad.
After going undrafted in the 2025 NFL Draft, Maranges signed with the Seahawks. Although he was released as part of final roster cuts, Maranges re-signed to the practice squad and spent the entire season there.
In a way, unless the Seahawks sign another player who is eligible for the IPP practice squad slot, Maranges' job is not at risk. Of course, the team could still cut him and opt not to re-sign him, but there's no reason not to fill that spot.
It also makes the Seahawks less likely to need to trade a player like Oluwatimi, as they don't have to make a difficult roster decision at center. They can keep Sundell and Oluwatimi where they are and have what is essentially a free third option.
If the Seahawks did decide to trade Oluwatimi, who could end up being one of the team's top targets by other teams, Maranges would need to be ready to potentially step into game action if Sundell were injured. Beyond that, he should be battling to overtake Oluwatimi in general to try to take the next step in his career.
Maranges has potential, but he came into the league as a raw talent. At 24 years old, he still has some time to develop into the player he should become.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/nfl/seahawks/onsi as Seahawks C Federico Maranges Maintains Unique Role Entering 2026 .
