Seahawks and Tatupu “part ways”
Jul 31, 2011, 11:30 AM | Updated: 12:17 pm
By Liz Mathews
UPDATE: The Seahawks have now confirmed that the team and linebacker Lofa Tatupu have “mutually parted ways.”
Early Sunday morning, ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweeted: “After Seahawks asked LB Lofa Tatupu to take a paycut, he asked them to release him. The team now plans to do so, albeit reluctantly.”
This tweet seems to shed light on the happenings in the last 12 hours, most specifically, the reason the linebacker was nowhere in sight for the Saturday afternoon walk-thru.
Danny of O’Neil of the Seattle Times had reported Saturday evening that the Seahawks had asked Tatupu to take a pay cut, but that the LB had yet to give the team an answer. “If he doesn’t,” wrote O’Neil, “the team could release him, which would be a sudden end for one of the defining players on Seattle’s only Super Bowl team.”
Throughout the evening, various Seahawks players appeared to confirm the news via their Twitter accounts, although no one mentioned Tatupu by name.
Later Sunday morning, Schefter posted an updated tweet: “It’s official: Seahawks and LB Lofa Tatupu decided to mutually part ways. He will be released and will be looking for work elsewhere.”
This is not the only LB move to effect the team in the last couple of days. The Seahawks have re-signed Leroy Hill after losing free agent Will Herring to the New Orleans Saints.
The Seahawks are scheduled for a single practice Sunday at 1:30pm.
