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Uchenna Nwosu

Seahawks Rework Uchenna Nwosu’s Deal

March 20th, 2025 at 5:53pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

The Seahawks agreed to a reworked contract with outside linebacker Uchenna Nwosu, creating $9.4MM in 2025 salary cap space, per Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times.

Nwosu signed a three-year, $45MM extension in July 2023 that tied him to the Seahawks through 2026. He was set to earn a base salary of $14.48MM in 2025 with a $6MM injury guarantee that would have vested into a full guarantee earlier this month. The two sides agreed to push back that vesting date as they worked on a revised contract that would lower Nwosu’s $21.2MM salary cap hit.

That new deal features a $6.99MM pay cut with $6.98MM in guaranteed money via a $4MM signing bonus and a fully-guaranteed $2.98MM base salary in 2025. Nwosu’s cap hits are now $11.8MM in 2025 and $20MM in 2026. Since none of his $11MM 2026 salary is guaranteed, he will be a cap casualty candidate next offseason.

Originally a Chargers second-round pick in 2018, Nwosu played a rotational role on defense in his first three years before emerging as a starter in 2021. That earned him a two-year, $19MM deal with the Seahawks in 2022 where he took over as a starting outside linebacker.

Nwosu impressed with 9.5 sacks in his debut season in Seattle, but injuries limited him to 12 games and 3.0 sacks in the last two years. Though the Seahawks have plenty of cap space, even after signing Sam Darnold, Nwosu’s cap hit was still too high given his lack of availability and production.

The revised contract allows him to stay in Seattle for the 2025 season as part of a four-man edge rotation. Derick Hall and Boye Mafe are returning after combining for 25 starts, while new signing DeMarcus Lawrence will likely eat into Nwosu’s snap share.

Seahawks, Uchenna Nwosu Discussing Reworked Contract

March 13th, 2025 at 10:10pm CST by Ben Levine

If Uchenna Nwosu hopes to stick in Seattle for the 2025 campaign, he’ll likely have to take a pay cut. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Seahawks have had discussions with the pass rusher about a reworked deal.

[RELATED: Seahawks Sign DeMarcus Lawrence]

Nwosu is still attached to a three-year extension he inked with the organization in 2023. He’s set to make $14.99MM in 2025, and he’s attached to an untenable $21MM cap charge. Following the departures of Geno Smith and D.K. Metcalf, that number represents the highest charge on the organization’s cap sheet, and it’s the 12th-highest cap charge among NFL edge rushers.

Considering Nwosu’s recent injury woes, the organization will have a tough time justifying that commitment. A pectoral injury limited the pass rusher to six games in 2023, and separate knee and thigh injuries resulted in another six-game showing in 2024. The former Chargers draft pick showed plenty of talent when healthy, including a debut season with the Seahawks when he compiled a career-high 9.5 sacks. Since then, he’s been limited to only three sacks.

Still, the organization has hinted that they’d like to retain the veteran. GM John Schneider confirmed last month that the two sides agreed to push back the trigger date on the contract (via ESPN’s Brady Henderson), buying them extra time to negotiate a new deal. Coach Mike Macdonald also acknowledged the player’s pass-rush ability while speaking with reporters at the combine.

“[Y]ou just saw what he could be, a force on the edge,” Macdonald said (via Gregg Bell of the Tacoma News Tribune). “He’s a great game runner. You just feel the toughness. The physicality, intelligence. … It’s been awesome having him in the film room and being with the guys all the time. But to be able to do it on the field with the guys to take it to that level…”

The Seahawks, of course, already made a splash on the edge when they signed DeMarcus Lawrence to a three-year deal, so the team isn’t entirely dependent on Nwosu heading into 2025. Still, the organization would surely want as much pass-rush depth as possible, and that could be dependent on Nwosu’s willingness to reduce his salary.

Seahawks Activate Uchenna Nwosu From IR

December 5th, 2024 at 2:18pm CST by Sam Robinson

As they vie for their first NFC West title since 2020, the Seahawks will have some more help in a crucial division matchup. They are activating Uchenna Nwosu ahead of Sunday’s Cardinals rematch, ESPN.com’s Brady Henderson notes.

Nwosu has missed almost all of this season, sustaining separate injuries that have required weeks-long rehab odysseys. This comes after the former Chargers draftee missed much of the 2023 season. Nevertheless, the Seahawks will have him back after an quadriceps injury.

Nwosu said (via The Athletic’s Michael-Shawn Dugar) he sustained a torn quad that did not ultimately require surgery. While Seattle is in good shape for injury activations, still holding four after this move, it has continued to see roadblocks form for Nwosu.

The quad strain occurred 20 plays into Nwosu’s season debut — against the Giants in Week 5 — and it brought more rehab time. Nwosu had missed the Seahawks’ first four games due to an MCL injury sustained during the preseason. Nwosu entered the offseason after a pectoral injury shut him down in October 2023. He has missed 22 games since that point, effectively putting a promising career on pause.

This is Nwosu’s third season as a Seahawk. A productive 2022 slate (9.5 sacks, 26 quarterback hits, three forced fumbles) earned him a three-year, $45MM extension. The run of injuries has prevented Seattle from benefiting much from that deal. The former Joey Bosa Bolts sidekick has more to prove now, stepping into Mike Macdonald‘s defense. No guaranteed money remains on Nwosu’s deal for 2025. At the same time, the Seahawks are welcoming a productive edge defender back at a key juncture.

In terms of resources allocated, the Seahawks have a deep OLB corps. Homegrown second-rounders Boye Mafe and Derick Hall are on rookie deals, while Dre’Mont Jones — primarily an interior defensive lineman in Denver, before shifting to more of an EDGE role under Macdonald — is attached to a three-year, $51MM deal. Hall (six sacks) has elevated his play this season, doing so after Maye thrived during Nwosu’s 2023 absence. Mafe has five sacks this year. How the Seahawks use Nwosu after his batch of injuries will be interesting, but this activation certainly gives Macdonald more options as he attempts to secure the team its first division crown since the Russell Wilson years.

Nwosu, 28, is also a former second-round pick. He spent much of his Los Angeles stay as a rotational player behind Bosa and Melvin Ingram. The Bolts traded for Khalil Mack in 2022 and let Nwosu walk in free agency. Nwosu’s second Seahawks contract runs through the 2026 season, and while the team has not seen much from the seventh-year veteran since authorizing it, a return to form would give the Seahawks a bargain. Whether Nwosu can return to form will be a key storyline in a tightly bunched NFC West — a division that may well send only one team to the playoffs this season.

Minor NFL Transactions: 11/27/24

November 27th, 2024 at 6:50pm CST by Ely Allen

Wednesday’s minor transactions, including some standard gameday practice squad elevations for the Thanksgiving Day slate:

Buffalo Bills

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

Cleveland Browns

  • Designated to return from IR: CB Myles Harden

Dallas Cowboys

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Houston Texans

Los Angeles Rams

Minnesota Vikings

New York Giants

New York Jets

Pittsburgh Steelers

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The Vikings’ release of Murphy is disappointing one for the organization for sure. The rookie pass rusher out of UCLA was not healthy enough to be on the active roster to start the season, but Minnesota liked him enough to dedicate one of their eight IR activations on him in August. He was activated yesterday but hit waivers today. If he clears the waivers, he’ll be available to sign to the team’s practice squad.

Adams has seen his biggest NFL roles during his time in Pittsburgh. Though he hasn’t gotten the same number of starts as he had in 2022 and 2023, he’s continued the same level of production. After missing the last four games, he’ll be looking to return to the field soon.

Seahawks’ Uchenna Nwosu To Return To Practice

November 26th, 2024 at 8:59am CST by Adam La Rose

Uchenna Nwosu has been out of the Seahawks’ lineup since October, but he is making progress in his recovery. The team’s highest-paid edge rusher is set to practice today, per head coach Mike Macdonald. 

“This week is going to be pretty limited,” Macdonald acknowledged when speaking about Nwosu’s immediate workload in practice (via ESPN’s Brady Henderson). “So we won’t be seeing him this week, and then we’ll take it from there.”

Nwosu suffered a thigh injury in Week 5, his season debut. The 27-year-old missed Seattle’s first four games due to an MCL sprain; that did not lead to time on injured reserve, but he was moved to IR after the thigh ailment was suffered. Nwosu’s 21-day activation window will open once he officially takes part in practice, and Macdonald’s remarks confirm he will spend a portion of that time ramping up before he returns to game action.

Once that takes place, the Seahawks’ pass rush will receive a notable boost. Nwosu set a career high with 9.5 sacks during his debut Seattle campaign (2022), and expectations were high entering this season after he was limited to only six games the previous year. Remaining healthy the rest of the way would allow for Nwosu – who is on the books through 2026 – to reprise a starting role along the edge as Seattle looks to remain in contention to win the NFC West.

In his absence, the Seahawks have relied on Derick Hall and Boye Mafe for pass rush production. Hall leads the team with six sacks, and Mafe is tied for second with five; adding Nwosu to the mix will give Seattle a notable trio of options on the edge along with Leonard Williams on the interior. Sitting at 6-5 on the year, the Seahawks rank only 17th in the league in sacks, so improving in that department could be key in reaching the postseason.

Seattle has six IR activations remaining, and using up one of them will be required to bring Nwosu into the fold. Doing so will allow him to make an impact in 2024 as he looks to move past his recent injury troubles.

Minor NFL Transactions: 10/10/24

October 10th, 2024 at 7:04pm CST by Adam La Rose

Thursday’s minor moves, including elevations for the opening game of Week 6:

Cleveland Browns

Green Bay Packers

Las Vegas Raiders

New England Patriots

  • Signed (off Raiders’ practice squad): C Ben Brown

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Washington Commanders

Seahawks To Place Uchenna Nwosu On IR

October 8th, 2024 at 11:25am CST by Nikhil Mehta

The Seahawks are expected to place edge rusher Uchenna Nwosu on injured reserve after injuring his thigh in Seattle’s Week 5 loss to the Giants, per NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo.

This is a disappointing setback for Nwosu after he missed the Seahawks’ first four games with a sprained MCL suffered at the end of the preseason. He avoided a stint on injured reserve after that injury, debuting Sunday against the Giants, but his thigh will sideline him for four more games and potentially longer.

Nwosu has struggled with injuries over the last two seasons, landing on season-ending injured reserve with a pectoral injury in October 2023. He played all 17 games in 2022, his first year in Seattle, with career highs in tackles (66), tackles for loss (12), sacks (9.5), and forced fumbles (three). That earned him a three-year extension off of an initial two-year deal, but Nwosu has appeared in just six games since.

The Seahawks will rely on a trio of young outside linebackers to replace Nwosu in head coach Mike Macdonald‘s defense: Derick Hall, Boye Mafe, and Trevis Gipson. Macdonald also has multiple potential options on the practice squad, including former fifth-round pick Tyreke Smith.

The Seahawks had ex-Ravens linebacker Tyus Bowser on their practice squad last week, but he was signed to the Dolphins’ active roster on October 3. Seattle could take a look at Yannick Ngakoue, who is currently on the Ravens’ practice squad. He played his first 11 snaps of the season against the Bengals on Sunday with a strong first step and one quarterback pressure on eight pass-rushing snaps, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required). Macdonald briefly coached Ngakoue during the 2021 season when Baltimore acquired the veteran edge rusher at the deadline while Macdonald was the team’s linebackers coach.

Seahawks RB Kenneth Walker Back For Week 4

September 28th, 2024 at 5:15pm CST by Ely Allen

Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker was off to a hot start in Week 1 with 103 yards and a touchdown on 20 carries before leaving the game with an oblique injury. He’s been out ever since, but according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the third-year rusher will make his return to the field in Week 4.

Since Walker’s departure, Zach Charbonnet has stepped in as the lead back in Seattle. He struggled in his first start of the season, amassing only 38 rushing yards on 14 carries but saved the performance with a touchdown, as well as five catches for 31 yards through the air. Last week, he showed RB1 potential with a 91-yard, two-touchdown performance.

While Walker is returning to the field, it might be in the Seahawks’ best interest to slow-play his comeback. The team will obviously want to get Walker involved in the offense, but if they feel confident with the body of work Charbonnet has put forth thus far, they may continue to give Charbonnet a good number of carries until they’re certain Walker is 100 percent.

Walker’s return is obviously good news, but unfortunately, it comes alongside the announcement that four defensive players will be unavailable this coming Monday. Per Brady Henderson of ESPN, defensive tackles Leonard Williams and Byron Murphy and outside linebackers Uchenna Nwosu and Boye Mafe have all been ruled out for Week 4. Williams, Nwosu, and Mafe have been starters so far this year, while Murphy has played a strong rotational role on the line.

Nwosu has missed Seattle’s first three games with an MCL sprain and is not yet ready to come back. The other three all suffered injuries in last week’s matchup with the Dolphins. Murphy suffered a hamstring injury, Williams hurt his ribs, and Mafe aggravated a previous knee issue. The Seahawks will attempt to use Mike Morris and Myles Adams to fill the holes on the line, while Derick Hall and Dre’Mont Jones should fill in at outside linebacker.

NFL Injury Updates: Higgins, Herbert, Seahawks

September 20th, 2024 at 9:05pm CST by Ely Allen

The Bengals have operated through the first two weeks of the season without two of their top targets from the 2023 NFL season. Tyler Boyd found his way to Tennessee in free agency, and Tee Higgins has missed the first two games of the year with a hamstring injury. Quarterback Joe Burrow will be happy to see one of the two return in Week 3 against the Commanders, according to Ben Baby of ESPN.

Higgins has been limited at practice throughout this past week, but the fifth-year wideout claimed that “he feels 100% healthy and…should be able to play at full strength” this Monday night. Higgins broke 1,000 yards receiving in his second NFL season despite missing three games, and he’ll be challenged to do so in 2024 after missing two already.

Star wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase may be just as happy to see Higgins as Burrow is. The only major receiving threat in the team’s first two games, Chase has been limited to 10 catches for 97 yards so far this season. Andrei Iosivas and Trenton Irwin have been the beneficiaries of Higgins’ missed time, and they’ll hope that their early efforts have earned them some targets as WR3 and WR4 moving forward.

Here are a few other injury updates from around the NFL:

  • Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert has been seen very little at practice this week after getting rolled up on in last week’s game. Per James Palmer of Bleacher Report, Herbert told reporters he had been dealing with a high ankle sprain. Herbert also mentioned that a decision hasn’t been made yet on whether or not he’ll play this Sunday.
  • The Seahawks will likely be without four starters in Week 3. Running back Kenneth Walker and linebacker Jerome Baker are both doubtful, while outside linebacker Uchenna Nwosu and right tackle George Fant have already been ruled out. Per Michael-Shawn Dugar of The Athletic, Walker could return in Week 4 after missing two contests. ESPN’s Brady Henderson adds that the team is hopeful Nwosu will be back by then, too. He’s reportedly “progressing really quickly,” according to head coach Mike Macdonald.

Seahawks’ Uchenna Nwosu Out Multiple Weeks, Becomes IR Candidate

August 26th, 2024 at 2:05pm CST by Sam Robinson

An Uchenna Nwosu injury last season wounded the Seahawks’ edge rush. It looks like Mike Macdonald will need to adjust early in his tenure, with the team’s highest-paid edge defender set to miss time once again.

Nwosu suffered a knee injury in Seattle’s preseason finale, and NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport indicates he is expected to miss multiple weeks. Nwosu is an IR candidate, Rapoport adds. He would miss at least four games if placed on IR, though the Seahawks do have more flexibility here than they would have enjoyed a season ago.

The 2022 free agency addition went down on a Wyatt Teller cut block against the Browns. Nwosu suffered an MCL sprain, according to ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter, who indicates he faces a two- to six-week recovery timetable. This would make an IR stint sensible. This is a bad break for Nwosu, who missed the second half of last season with a pectoral injury. Impressing during camp in Macdonald’s scheme, Nwosu may now face a best-case scenario of returning in Week 5.

Seattle could go week-to-week with its $15MM-per-year pass rusher. That would take up a roster spot and force the team to declare the seventh-year veteran out until he is ready to go. That would not be the biggest inconvenience, especially if Nwosu is deemed in range to return in September, but the NFL gave teams more flexibility this offseason. A rule tweak will allow teams to place up to two players on IR before setting their 53-man rosters Tuesday. If Nwosu is moved to IR before the 3pm CT deadline, he will immediately count toward the team’s eight-activation limit.

This development stands to prevent the Seahawks from pairing their top edge rusher with a D-line that includes Leonard Williams, Dre’Mont Jones and first-round pick Byron Murphy. Nwosu did not have a chance to play with Williams last year, as the high-priced D-lineman was acquired days after he went down. The Seahawks still have promising third-year cog Boye Mafe, 2023 second-rounder Derick Hall and the recently acquired Trevis Gipson. The team, which had traded Darrell Taylor shortly before Nwosu’s injury, added Gipson in the wake of the setback.

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