Nick Bellore Bio
Nicholas Lalonde Bellore is an American professional football linebacker and special teamer for the Washington Commanders of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Central Michigan Chippewas and signed with the New York Jets as an undrafted free agent in 2011. Bellore has also played for the San Francisco 49ers, Detroit Lions, and Seattle Seahawks, making two Pro Bowls for his special teams play. He has also played fullback occasionally during his NFL career.
Standing 6 feet 1 inch tall and weighing around 250 pounds, Bellore has built a long career on the strength of his special teams work and positional versatility. He has earned recognition as a Pro Bowl special teamer and an All-Pro performer, carving out a reputation as one of the league’s most dependable coverage and core players.
Early Life and Background
Nick Bellore was born on May 12, 1989, in St. Paul, Minnesota. He grew up with ties to the upper Midwest and attended Whitefish Bay High School in Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin, graduating in 2007. His high school years set the stage for a college career that would turn him into a durable, every-down linebacker prospect.
Coming out of high school, Bellore chose to attend Central Michigan University, where he could step onto the field early and develop his defensive skills. The Chippewas program offered a clear path for a hard-working young linebacker looking to prove himself at the Division I level. His commitment to Central Michigan marked the beginning of one of the most consistent starting stretches in school history.
Path to American Football
At Central Michigan, Bellore started at linebacker as a freshman and never gave the job back, holding the second-highest consecutive start streak in program history with 51 games across his career. He earned All-Mid-American Conference first-team honors on defense in 2008, 2009, and 2010, and was named the Chippewas’ Defensive Player of the Year in 2008 and 2009. During his time in Mount Pleasant, the Chippewas appeared in three bowl games and won one, the 2010 GMAC Bowl, which was only the second bowl victory in Central Michigan history.
Despite his production, Bellore went undrafted in the 2011 NFL Draft, but he drew interest from more than half of the league’s teams as an undrafted free agent. His college resume, leadership, and special teams upside convinced the New York Jets to sign him on July 26, 2011, launching a career that has now spanned more than a decade. That opportunity, paired with his relentless approach on coverage units, helped him turn a non-drafted pedigree into one of the NFL’s most respected special teams roles.
Nick Bellore Career
Early Career (2011-2014)
Bellore spent his first four NFL seasons with the New York Jets, working almost exclusively on special teams while learning the linebacker position. He made the Week 1 roster as a rookie in 2011 and recorded 19 tackles that season, most of them coming on coverage units. In 2012, he caught his first career pass on a Tim Tebow fake punt, gaining 23 yards, and briefly was tested as a fullback in training camp before returning to linebacker.
By January 2015, Bellore had been named to the 2014 Pro Football Focus All-Pro Special Teams team, signaling his emergence as one of the league’s most reliable special teamers. His reliability and tackling in the open field made him a core piece of the Jets’ third phase, even as he continued to develop his defensive role. The All-Pro recognition helped set the stage for his next stop in the league.
San Francisco 49ers Era (2015-2016)
Bellore signed a two-year contract with the San Francisco 49ers on April 3, 2015, joining a defense in transition. In his second season with the team, 2016, he appeared in 14 games and started a career-high 10, piling up 82 tackles, four passes defensed, and the first sack, interception, and fumble recovery of his career. His expanded role showed he could be more than just a special teams ace.
That progress was cut short on December 19, 2016, when Bellore was placed on injured reserve with an elbow injury, ending his 49ers tenure on a difficult note. Even so, the San Francisco years proved he could handle a starting defensive workload when asked. The experience prepared him for the next phase of his career as a versatile defender and core special teamer.
Detroit Lions Era (2017-2018)
Bellore signed with the Detroit Lions on April 3, 2017, and was briefly released on September 9, 2017, only to be re-signed two days later. He began taking offensive snaps as a fullback and scored his first career touchdown on a one-yard reception against the Baltimore Ravens on December 3, 2017. The new offensive role expanded his value beyond defense and special teams.
He re-signed with the Lions on March 14, 2018, and played exclusively on offense and special teams without logging any defensive snaps. That season he recorded one rushing attempt, four receptions for 15 yards, and 9 special teams tackles. His time in Detroit showed teams he could be a true three-phase contributor and a reliable short-yardage and lead-blocker option.
Seattle Seahawks Era (2019-2024)
Bellore signed with the Seattle Seahawks on May 9, 2019, beginning the longest and most decorated stretch of his career. In 2019, he finished with two receptions for 23 yards, including a three-yard touchdown reception in a Week 16 loss to the Arizona Cardinals. After being released during final roster cuts in September 2020, he was re-signed two days later and went on to record 15 tackles, a fumble recovery, one rush for five yards, and one reception for nine yards, earning his first career Pro Bowl selection as a special teamer.
On March 18, 2021, Bellore signed a two-year deal worth $4.4 million, including $1.2 million guaranteed, to remain in Seattle. Over the next two seasons, he served as a core special teamer while also playing fullback on offense and spot duty at linebacker. On February 22, 2023, he signed a two-year extension and recorded 14 tackles in 2023, then was selected to the 2024 Pro Bowl as an alternate special teamer, replacing Detroit’s Jalen Reeves-Maybin. Seattle released him on March 11, 2024, closing a Seahawks chapter that included two Pro Bowl honors.
Washington Commanders Era (2024-Present)
Bellore signed with the Washington Commanders practice squad on September 2, 2024, and was added to the active roster on September 14. In 16 appearances for Washington, almost exclusively on special teams, he logged 21 total tackles, continuing his role as a core coverage player. On March 18, 2025, he re-signed with the Commanders on a two-year contract, locking in his place in the team’s special teams plans through 2027.
Driving Style and Strengths
Bellore’s game is built on physicality, discipline, and field awareness rather than top-end athletic traits. He is at his best as a downhill run-and-hit linebacker and a smart, assignment-sound special teamer who can cover kicks, block on punt and kick return units, and finish tackles in space. His experience at fullback also gives him a rare comfort level with offensive responsibilities, which coaches have leaned on in short-yardage and trick-play situations.
Notable Events and Milestones
Among the highlights of Bellore’s career are his two Pro Bowl selections (2020 and 2023), his 2014 Pro Football Focus All-Pro Special Teams nod, and his first career touchdown on a one-yard reception against the Baltimore Ravens in 2017. He also holds the second-longest consecutive start streak in Central Michigan history at 51 games, a testament to his durability and consistency at the college level.
Nick Bellore Career Wins
While linebackers and special teamers are not measured by traditional win totals, Nick Bellore has produced a long list of team and individual victories across his NFL stops. From his four seasons in New York to his run in Seattle and his current tenure in Washington, he has been a steady contributor on units that value toughness, smarts, and reliability.
Seattle Seahawks Highlights
During his time in Seattle, Bellore helped anchor one of the league’s most consistent special teams groups while also serving as a steady fullback and reserve linebacker. His two Pro Bowl selections came in 2020 and 2023, both as a special teamer, marking the crowning individual achievements of his Seahawks years.
Other Performances
Beyond Seattle, Bellore was named to the 2014 Pro Football Focus All-Pro Special Teams team while with the Jets, posted a career-high 82 tackles in 2016 with the 49ers, and scored his first career touchdown in 2017 with the Detroit Lions. Across his career, he has tallied 280 total tackles, 1 sack, 3 forced fumbles, 6 fumble recoveries, 1 interception, 5 pass deflections, and 2 touchdowns through the 2025 season.
Nick Bellore Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Publicly available details about Nick Bellore’s parents and family lineage are limited. He was raised in the St. Paul, Minnesota area before moving to Wisconsin for high school at Whitefish Bay, but specific information about his parents or extended family is not widely documented in verified sources.
Personal Life
Bellore has kept most of his personal life private, and verified public details about a spouse or children are not available. He has spent much of his professional career based in the United States, with stops in the New York, San Francisco, Detroit, Seattle, and Washington, D.C. metropolitan areas tied to his NFL teams.
2025 Season Performance
Entering the 2025 season, Nick Bellore re-signed with the Washington Commanders on March 18, 2025, on a two-year deal that keeps him under contract through 2027. The signing underlined how highly the Commanders value his special teams leadership and locker room presence. He is expected to remain a core member of Washington’s coverage and core units.
Bellore is once again listed as a linebacker and special teamer, wearing No. 57 for Washington. Coming off a 2024 campaign in which he posted 21 total tackles in 16 appearances, his role with the Commanders is built around reliability in the third phase and the occasional offensive or defensive cameo at fullback or linebacker.
Looking ahead, Bellore’s 2025 outlook centers on continuing to anchor Washington’s special teams while providing veteran depth on defense and offense if called upon. With two Pro Bowl selections already on his resume, he has a chance to further cement his legacy as one of the most durable and dependable special teams players of his era.