Pete Carroll, Seahawks Leaving Door Open For K.J. Wright to Return
RENTON, WA - It's been more than two months since K.J. Wright became an unrestricted free agent, and with the calendar soon to flip to June, the veteran linebacker somehow still doesn't have a job for the 2021 season.
While coach Pete Carroll indicated on Thursday that the Seahawks plan to move forward evaluating the 90 players currently on their roster and don't have any other significant moves planned at this time, they remain open to the idea of bringing Wright back to the only franchise he has ever known.
"The door is still open for players. We're still working at figuring out the roster and how it's going to go," Carroll said, adding, "Until we get on the field and can see how things are starting to come together, there won't be major changes in what's going on, because we're pretty committed at this point. That doesn't mean that we're not tuned into all of the options and the opportunities that are out there, because we are."
"But K.J. is OK at this point, he's doing fine and if we get a chance to call on him, we'll go after it and see if we can put something together."
Putting together one of his finest seasons in 2020, Wright amassed 86 tackles, 2.0 sacks, 10 passes defensed, and an interception while starting all 16 games for the fifth time in his 10-year career. Transitioning to strongside linebacker in Week 3 to replace an injured Bruce Irvin, he concluded the season as the only player in the NFL with double-digit tackles for loss and passes defensed.
Continuing to play at a high level, Wright went into the free agency process making it abundantly clear he wouldn't take a "hometown" discount to finish his career in Seattle. He understandably wanted to cash in one last time and based on his performance, he deserved to get paid.
"I do way too much on the football field to take a discount," Wright said on CBS's Jim Rome Show. "It makes absolutely no sense. If you want to win all these championships and look good on Sundays, you've got to compensate your guys that are making plays... I have a family and I'm trying to set up long, long-term success for my family."
But despite his impressive production and consistency over the past decade, however, Wright hasn't generated as much interest on the market as he expected for a myriad of reasons. At this point, it's worth wondering if there's actually a door on the hinges in this instance.
As a result of fans not being able to attend games due to the COVID-19 pandemic and a league-wide revenue crunch, the salary cap plummeted to $182.5 million per team. Set to turn 32 years old in July, potential suitors clearly haven't been interested in spending their limited cap space on the aging defender, including the Seahawks. Wright's position may also be a factor, as the league seems to be trending toward more "position-less" defenses with smaller, more athletic hybrid linebackers rather than traditional off-ball players.
Still, general manager John Schneider told reporters during draft weekend earlier this month that he was surprised a player of Wright's caliber remained unsigned, especially considering the sheer number of assistant coaches around the league with past ties to Seattle such as Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn and Raiders defensive coordinator Gus Bradley.
Like Carroll, with Wright still available and no other teams emerging as front-runners for his services, Schneider wasn't about to rule out the possibility of the two sides returning to the negotiating table at some point later in the offseason.
"We have the utmost amount of respect for him," Schneider stated. "He’s done a ton for this organization. He’s a great person, great leader."
Ultimately, Wright hasn't received anything close to the offers he believes he has rightfully earned and like many other veterans without a team, he has opted to continue waiting things out and hasn't walked through the door for less money. As for the Seahawks, they have began transitioning former second-round pick Darrell Taylor to the SAM linebacker spot and the team may be content moving forward with him playing a similar role to Irvin.
But as Carroll has noted numerous times in recent weeks, the Seahawks have stayed in touch with Wright throughout the offseason for a reason. Third on the franchise's all-time list in tackles, he's been a foundational cornerstone for the team's defense since arriving as a fourth-round pick in 2011 and he's highly-respected in the locker room as a leader. Fellow linebacker Bobby Wagner has already made it clear the team needs to bring him back.
Once training camp draws closer, assuming another team doesn't step in and sign him, they could always re-explore making it happen if necessary. By that point, with his options dwindling, Wright may have no choice but to play for less than perceived market value and Carroll and the Seahawks would welcome him back with open arms.
