Seattle, WA
Seattle Seahawks GM details plan with returning OL George Fant
The Seattle Seahawks went into the offseason in need of help on the offensive line, and they started addressing that Wednesday by bringing back a familiar face.
Seahawks Offseason Tracker: Free agency moves and more
Seattle has reunited with 6-foot-5, 322-pound offensive tackle George Fant, who began his NFL career in 2016 as an undrafted signing by the Seahawks out of Western Kentucky.
Fant appeared in 14 games as a rookie, including 10 starts, and he went on to play 16 games with seven starts in each of the 2018 and 2019 seasons with the Seahawks. That earned him a payday in free agency from the New York Jets, who picked up Fant on a three-year, $30 million deal in 2020. After spending those three seasons as a starter at tackle for the Jets, he spent last season with the Houston Texans, where he started 13 of the 16 games he played.
Now 31, Fant returns to Seattle on a reported two-year, $14 million deal with a $3.7 million signing bonus, per Texans reporter Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 in Houston.
Fant has been versatile in his career, not only by playing guard at times but also featuring as a tight end in certain packages during his first stint with Seattle (he has one catch in his career, a memorable one from a Monday Night Football game in 2018). How does that all factor into his role the Seahawks have planned for him, especially since Seattle has 2022 NFL Draft picks Charles Cross and Abraham Lucas penciled in at the tackle positions?
Seattle Sports’ Wyman and Bob got to the bottom of it when they talked to the Seahawks’ general manager and president of football operations Thursday on the weekly John Schneider Show.
Here’s what Schneider said about the returning Fant when asked about his role for the 2024 season:
“He did a really nice job last year down in Houston. He can play left tackle, can play right tackle, has played a little guard in the past. We know him very well, obviously. He’s a great guy, really excited to be back in the building so it’s great to see his smiling face today. He’s a great competitor and really good dude. It was pretty neat to see him hugging all the people in the building that he’s missed over the years, so he was excited to get back. But yes, his role will be as like a utility offensive tackle.”
Catch The John Schneider Show every Thursday afternoon during Seattle Sports’ Wyman and Bob leading up to the first day of the NFL Draft on April 25. Listen to this week’s edition in the podcast below or at this link, and find every episode after it airs here.
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SEATTLE – Wednesday will be another warm day with highs in the mid to upper 80s for parts of western Washington. Eastern and central Washington will reach near 100F with high fire danger. The coast and north interior will be cooler, only in the 60s to 70s.
Wednesday will be another warm day with highs in the mid to upper 80s for parts of western Washington.
Fire Weather Watch
A Fire Weather Watch goes into effect Wednesday evening through Thursday evening for thunderstorms and gusty winds. Lightning strikes could create new fire starts and, with very dry conditions in place, any new fire could spread quickly.
A Fire Weather Watch goes into effect Wednesday evening through Thursday evening for thunderstorms and gusty winds.
What’s next:
An upper level low will move into the Pacific Northwest, bringing scattered showers and a chance of thunderstorms. The heaviest showers will be in the morning hours and will turn more scattered into the evening hours.
An upper level low will move into the Pacific Northwest, bringing scattered showers and chance of thunderstorms.
Looking Ahead:
High pressure will build again Friday and into the weekend, increasing temperatures and sunshine. We will start to see highs reach the upper 80s to low 90s by early next week.
High pressure will build again Friday and into the weekend, increasing temperatures and sunshine.
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The Source: Information in this story came from the FOX 13 Seattle Weather Team and the National Weather Service.
After so many disappointing seasons with the interior offensive line, the Seattle Seahawks made a commitment last offseason to improve the unit. They started one big step at a time by drafting North Dakota State guard Grey Zabel in the first round, 18th overall pick, of the 2025 NFL Draft. This one was one of the last steps for the Seahawks to create one of the most productive offenses in the NFL.
Zabel wasn’t perfect in his rookie season, but he was good enough to validate the decision to draft him in the first round, and he showed improvement. Zabel is already a favorite among some Seahawks fans and some media outlets as they love his determination and spirit. It was a big jump from the FCS collegiate level to the NFL and this season, he has a chance to show why he might be a top-half-of-the-league guard.
Why Zabel Could Be Ranked Higher?
The Seahawks wanted a determined workhorse when looking for a guard. That’s exactly what they got in Zabel. Last season, he appeared in 1,051 snaps, which is only 10 fewer snaps than right tackle Abraham Lucas, who had the most offensive snaps. Zabel got better as the season progressed. Pro Football Focus gave him an overall grade of 81.5 and a run-block grade of 81.2 in Week 14 through the NFC Championship Game.
There were times last season when he looked like a monster against several defenders. He was pushing some defenders completely out of the way on pulling plays and even ran to defenders after the pass-catcher caught the ball. This is the mentality the Seahawks expect him to have going into his second season in the league. He has more experience and the complete trust of the team to be a franchise player on par with Lucas and left tackle Charles Cross. If he continues to improve, he will be another steal for the Seahawks.
Why Zabel Could Be Ranked Lower?
There were times last season when he didn’t quite catch up to the learning curve of the NFL. Zabel allowed two sacks, four hits and 24 pressures in 2025. The Seahawks expect those numbers to decrease significantly as he is experienced and capable of playing at an efficient level. While Zabel is impressive, he might not be the best player the Seahawks have selected in the 2025 NFL Draft. That honor belongs to slot cornerback Nick Emmanwori, who is stepping up to be the steal of the draft.
Zabel is easily one of the best second-year players and is one of the top offensive linemen, but there are players behind him because they haven’t proven to be consistently explosive for the Seahawks. There is going to be even more pressure on him this upcoming season. The Seahawks hired a more run-friendly coach in Brian Fleury as offensive coordinator. His ranking at the end of the season might be much better if he improves, or worse if he fails to reach expectations.
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SEATTLE – High pressure continues early this week, leading to more sunshine and warmer afternoon temperatures. Skies will be sunny, warm and dry through the middle of the week.
High pressure continues early this week, leading to more sunshine and warmer afternoon temperatures.
What’s next:
Highs today in the low to mid 80s for parts of western Washington, with highs in central and eastern Washington getting close to 100 degrees. The coast and northern interior will remain in the 70s with mostly sunny skies.
Highs today in the low to mid 80s for parts of western Washington.
Fire Risk Levels
The Fire Risk Levels this week will continue to elevate as we see warming temperatures and increased chance of thunderstorms. East of the cascades is already dry and warm, so the increased chance of new fire starts will be something to watch with the storms.
The Fire Risk Levels this week will continue to elevate as we see warming temperatures and increased chance of thunderstorms. (FOX 13 Seattle)
Looking Ahead:
Temperatures will continue to warm for western Washington through midweek, before we see another low pressure system swing inland Thursday. This low will increase changes of showers and isolated thunderstorms on Thursday, and temperatures will be back to normal for this time of year. This cool down is short-lived as high pressure builds again and highs warm back up into the 80s by the weekend.
Temperatures will continue to warm for western Washington through midweek, before we see another low pressure system swing in Thursday.
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To get the best local news, weather and sports in Seattle for free, sign up for the daily FOX Seattle Newsletter.
Download the free FOX LOCAL app for mobile in the Apple App Store or Google Play Store for live Seattle news, top stories, weather updates and more local and national news.
The Source: Information in this story came from the FOX 13 Seattle Weather Team and the National Weather Service.
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