The Seattle Seahawks are bringing in a new weapon for their special teams, signing veteran return specialist and wide receiver Steven Sims Jr. on Tuesday.
Sims, who has been in the NFL for six years, offers much-needed experience in the return game—a weak spot for Seattle last season. His arrival also adds another receiver to the roster after the Seahawks made big moves by trading DK Metcalf and releasing Tyler Lockett earlier this month.
An undrafted free agent out of Kansas, Sims has bounced around the league, spending time with Washington, Pittsburgh, Houston, and Baltimore. Over his career, he’s logged 74 punt returns for 462 yards and 62 kick returns for 1,561 yards, including a touchdown. He’s also averaged an impressive 25.2 yards per kick return.
One of his biggest highlights came in the 2024 AFC Divisional Round when he took a punt 67 yards to the house while playing for Houston—right in front of then-Ravens defensive coordinator (and now Seahawks head coach) Mike Macdonald.
As a receiver, Sims has 78 career catches for 704 yards and five touchdowns, though most of that production came in his first two seasons. Last year, he played in nine games for Houston and Baltimore but saw limited action on offense.
Seattle had a messy season when it came to returns, with multiple costly mistakes leading to a disastrous Week 13 performance against the Jets. That game resulted in the team cutting returners Dee Williams and Laviska Shenault Jr. the very next day. The Seahawks later signed Jaelon Darden, who handled return duties to close out the season, but he’s now a free agent.
Sims will have a chance to take over the role and stabilize Seattle’s special teams while also competing for snaps at wide receiver.
