SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - NOVEMBER 24: Olu Oluwatimi #51 of the Seattle Seahawks on the sidelines during the second quarter in the game aagainst the Arizona Cardinals at Lumen Field on November 24, 2024 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Rio Giancarlo/Getty Images) Getty
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - DECEMBER 07: Sam Darnold #14 and Olu Oluwatimi #55of the Seattle Seahawks warm up prior to facing the Atlanta Falcons at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on December 07, 2025 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) Getty
With the 53-man roster crunch coming soon throughout the NFL, trade speculation links former Seattle Seahawks starting center Olu Oluwatimi to the Detroit Lions . With Jalen Sundell firmly cemented as the starting center in Seattle, the Seahawks front office may shop Oluwatimi around the NFL to see what they can get. Reportedly, they tried testing his value around the 2026 NFL Draft, but obviously nothing finished.
Oluwatimi enters the 2026 NFL Season on the final year of his rookie contract. The Seattle Seahawks drafted him in the fifth round of the 2023 NFL Draft. The organization would be seeking a similar evaluation before trading him off their roster. A backup center still has plenty of value, and the organization values continuity heavily. The Seahawks have thirteen offensive linemen returning from last season's Super Bowl roster.
However, another NFL franchise may offer the Seattle Seahawks an offer they cannot refuse given Oluwatimi's experience. There are not many backup centers available with starting experience. Oluwatimi has started thirteen games in his NFL career. Detroit Lions center Cade Mays fractured his wrist and is projected to be out for a few months. If the Seahawks receive an incentivized fifth or sixth round pick for Oluwatimi, it could be too much to turn down given his contract.
Despite losing the starting job last offseason, Oluwatimi has been a valuable member of the Seattle Seahawks throughout his rookie contract.
The current center behind Oluwatimi is Federico Maranges . Maranges joined the Seattle Seahawks as an undrafted free agent out of Florida Atlantic in 2025. He spent the season on the practice squad after missing out on the 53-man roster. Its possible that the Seahawks feel confident that he can perform in their system. In Saturday's preseason game against the Dallas Cowboys , Maranges earned a 71.1 PFF grade in 24 snaps. In comparison, Oluwatimi only received a 56.4 grade in 32 snaps.
Its possible that Maranges has surged up the the Seahawks' depth chart and could be a capable backup center. That would make Oluwatimi an ideal trade candidate and a move to the Detroit Lions makes plenty of sense for the Seattle Seahawks. Not to mention, Oluwatimi played for the University of Michigan, so he should receive love from the fellow Wolverine fans in that state.
The Seahawks can afford to finally trade from offensive line depth to improve the future of the organization.
Obviously, the Seahawks may not end up trading Oluwatimi. However, the fact that such a move is even a possibility is incredible for Seattle. After years of struggles on the offensive line, the unit has become one of the highlights of a wonderful roster. The Seahawks have ascending young talent on their offensive line. Additionally, they've done a decent job of acquiring and developing depth options behind those starters. A trade involving Oluwatimi to the Detroit Lions could make a lot of sense as the Seahawks build quite the haul of picks for the 2027 NFL Draft.
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