In a shocking roster move that has sent ripples through the NFL, the Seattle Seahawks have waived former Minnesota Vikings starting cornerback Shaq Griffin, along with running back Cam Akers. The decision, announced on Thursday, December 11, 2025, comes as a brutal blow to two players with deep ties to the Vikings organization, leaving fans and analysts questioning the Seahawks’ strategy amid their playoff push.
Griffin, a 2017 third-round pick originally drafted by the Seahawks, had come full circle in his career. After earning Pro Bowl honors in 2019 during his initial stint in Seattle, he departed following his rookie contract. His journey took him to the Jacksonville Jaguars, Houston Texans, and Carolina Panthers before landing with the Vikings in 2024. In Minnesota, Griffin solidified his role as a starter in nickel packages, serving as the team’s third cornerback behind Byron Murphy Jr. and Stephon Gilmore. He recorded six pass breakups and two interceptions while logging 597 defensive snaps.
However, Griffin’s return to Seattle this season was far from triumphant. Bouncing between the practice squad and the active roster, he appeared in just two games before his release. The move is particularly harsh given Griffin’s history with the franchise that drafted him, and it underscores the cutthroat nature of NFL roster management as teams fine-tune for the postseason.
Joining Griffin on waivers is Cam Akers, another familiar face to Vikings fans. Akers has become something of a recurring midseason acquisition for Minnesota over the past three years, but he never participated in a Vikings training camp. His back-and-forth history with the team began in 2023 when the Vikings, dissatisfied with the production from Alexander Mattison and Ty Chandler, traded for him from the Los Angeles Rams. Head coach Kevin O’Connell’s prior familiarity with Akers from their time together made him an ideal fit, and he contributed immediately until a season-ending Achilles injury sidelined him.
Since then, Akers has battled to carve out a larger role elsewhere. He spent the 2024 offseason with the Texans, was traded midseason, and later joined the New Orleans Saints for the summer. Failing to make the Saints’ 53-man roster, he returned to the Vikings via free agency in September 2025. Akers played in three games for Minnesota before his release on November 22, without seeing any action in Seattle.
This year’s stint was different due to the Vikings’ stacked running back room, featuring Aaron Jones, Jordan Mason, and the emerging Zavier Scott, which left little opportunity for Akers. His departure from Seattle marks the end of a brief and uneventful chapter with the Seahawks.
With these cuts, the Seahawks’ roster now features only quarterback Sam Darnold and running back Myles Gaskin as former Vikings players. Seattle, having nearly secured a playoff spot, appears to be streamlining its lineup for a deep postseason run, but at the cost of jettisoning experienced talent like Griffin and Akers.
Vikings’ Enduring Bond With Cam Akers
Despite the revolving door, Akers’ connection to the Vikings runs deep. For three straight seasons, Minnesota brought him in midseason, drawn to his resilience and potential. O’Connell, in particular, has been vocal about his admiration for the former second-round pick, who has overcome three Achilles injuries in his career.
“Cam has something inside him that allowed him to push through the adversity of what’s happened to him over the course of his career,” O’Connell told reporters in December 2024. “He loves football, I think he loves being a Minnesota Viking, he loves his teammates. His teammates were probably the most excited all season when Cam scored on that screen and then, obviously, the catch late.
“He just brings something. Brings physicality, brings a level of mental and physical toughness that I think makes us all better. We’ve got a lot of examples like that on our team,” O’Connell added. “But Cam’s just another one of them that I feel very fortunate to have him on this team.”
Akers echoed the sentiment, expressing gratitude for O’Connell’s support. “It’s a blessing, especially coming from KO, a person who has seen first-hand my journey,” Akers said, per ESPN’s Kevin Seifert. “It’s a blessing to be able to have a coach like him, a personable coach like him. I’m going to try to run through a wall for him every chance I get.”
Given this mutual respect, it’s not out of the realm of possibility that Akers could find his way back to Minnesota yet again. As for Griffin, his release opens the door for a potential reunion with the Vikings or another contender in need of cornerback depth.
The Seahawks’ brutal decision highlights the unforgiving reality of the NFL, where even proven starters like Griffin can be cast aside in pursuit of perfection. As waivers clear, both players will look to latch on elsewhere, carrying their Vikings legacy with them.