Seahawks Offseason Profile: K.J. Wright

After missing 11 games due to knee issues in 2018, the Seahawks were hopeful that linebacker K.J. Wright would be able to bounce back with a strong season, showing their faith in him by signing him to a new two-year deal.

Luckily for Seattle, Wright didn’t miss a single game and played 93 percent of the defensive snaps in 2019 (his most snaps since 2016), allowing him to rebound and produce one of the best statistical years of his entire career.

Let’s revisit some of the good and the bad from Wright’s ninth NFL season, along with a prediction of how next season may play out for him as he’s set to become an unrestricted free agent next spring.

What Went Right

When healthy, Wright has been a model of consistency over his nine seasons in the Pacific Northwest. Despite crossing the age-30 threshold, the veteran linebacker was able to increase his production level across the board in 2019.

In total, the Mississippi State product recorded career-highs in total tackles (132), pass deflections (11), and interceptions (three) during the 2019 campaign. Along with these impressive results, he also produced 67 solo tackles and five tackles for loss while starting all 16 games.

Among all qualified linebackers in the league, Wright finished tied with the second-most interceptions, the fourth-most pass deflections, and the ninth-most total tackles, according to Pro-Football-Reference.com.

In addition, Wright remained disciplined and only drew one penalty last year. He’s drawn three penalties or fewer in eight of his nine seasons with the Seahawks.

Prior to the 2019 campaign, the 6-foot-4 linebacker had been to the playoffs six different times and was very effective during each postseason run, a trend that continued for him during this past winter. During Seattle’s two playoff matchups, Wright started in both games and recorded 12 total tackles, 1.5 sacks (playoff career-high) and one tackle for loss.

What Went Wrong

Despite setting multiple career-highs in 2019, Wright definitely showed he's lost a step or two in coverage during his age-30 season.

During the 2019 campaign, the one-time Pro Bowler was targeted 90 times and he allowed 64 receptions (most among all linebackers in the league), 625 yards (third-most), 424 yards after the catch (second-most), a 71.1 percent completion percentage, and three touchdowns. Quarterbacks posted an 87.5 passer rating when targeting him and receivers averaged nearly 10 yards per reception.

Along with Wright’s struggles in coverage, he also failed to be effective when rushing the quarterback, preventing him from generating a sack during the regular season for the third straight year.

In 2019, the former fourth-round pick blitzed the quarterback 39 different times, producing just four quarterback pressures (tied for 14th-fewest among all linebackers with at least 20 rushes) according to Sports-Info-Solutions.com.

Unfortunately for Wright, father time also continued affecting his tackling ability, leading to a significant increase in missed tackles during this past season. After recording four missed tackles during his limited playing time in 2018, the former Bulldog increased that number to 11 this past season.

2020 Outlook

Despite undergoing surgery on his shoulder this offseason, the Seahawks are hopeful that Wright will be fully recovered once training camp begins this summer.

With Seattle selecting linebacker Jordyn Brooks with their first pick in this year’s NFL Draft, the 10th-year pro could be changing positions next season, something that general manager John Schneider mentioned earlier this month.

If the Seahawks insert Brooks at the weakside linebacker position, Wright would likely be moved over to the strongside linebacker spot, providing him with more opportunities to rush the quarterback next season. As a result, he’d have fewer responsibilities in coverage, negating his diminishing athleticism.

In comparison to Wright’s first nine seasons in the league, there have been 10 other linebackers who’ve produced at least 500 solo tackles, 44 pass deflections, 11 sacks and five interceptions through their first nine years in the NFL.

Among the names listed above, Keith Bulluck, Donnie Edwards, and Karlos Dansby were the only players who produced at least 100 total tackles, 60 solo tackles, five pass deflections, and one interception during their 10th seasons in the league.

With such a small sample size, it could be difficult for Wright to replicate his impressive results for a second straight season. Given his recent injury concerns, staying on the field next season could also be tough for the veteran linebacker.

Since he’s slated to enter the free-agent market next spring and he’ll be entering his age-32 season in 2021, this could be the fan favorite’s final season with the Seahawks. If so, he’ll be looking to cap off his stellar tenure in blue and green during the 2020 campaign.