The Seahawks worked out free agent safety Ifeatu Melifonwu on Monday, Mike Garafolo of NFL Network relays. No deal is imminent, per Garafolo.
Melifonwu became a free agent in March, but this is the first reported interest he has received since then. The 27-year-old is coming off what could go down as his lone season in Miami, where he started a career-high eight times in 16 games. While playing just over 51% of defensive snaps, Melifonwu totaled a personal-best 53 tackles, an interception and a sack. He was Pro Football Focus’ 53rd-ranked safety out of 91 qualifiers.
Before joining the Dolphins, Melifonwu spent his first four years in Detroit, which took him in the third round of the 2021 draft. Melifonwu posted a full season with the Lions in 2023, but the Syracuse product missed between seven and 14 games in each of his other three years in the Motor City. An ankle injury limited him to a career-low three appearances in 2024, his last season with the club. He ended his 37-game, 14-start Lions tenure with 72 tackles, 13 passes defensed, 4.5 sacks and two picks (both of which came in 2023).
Along with his work as a defensive reserve, Melifonwu has garnered a decent amount of special teams experience in the pros. He logged a career-high 40% special teams snap share in 2023 and was on the field for 24% of the Dolphins’ ST plays last year. He would likely continue factoring in on special teams in Seattle, which boasts a starting safety tandem of Julian Love and Ty Okada. The reigning Super Bowl champions lost Coby Bryant to the Bears in free agency, but they replenished the position when they added Bud Clark in the second round of the draft. The Seahawks also have Rodney Thomas, D’Anthony Bell, Maxen Hook and AJ Finley on their roster.