Uchenna Nwosu Returning For Seahawks' Playoff Push With Future Uncertain

RENTON, Wash. - For the majority of his seven-year NFL career, Uchenna Nwosu hasn't had to worry about making positive contributions for his team, rarely missing time due to injury.

However, Nwosu has had to deal with the risk of playing the brual sport of professional football since agreeing to a new contract extension with the Seahawks in July 2023. In the 18 months that have passed after signing the dotted line, he has suited up for just six out of 29 possible regular season games due to a litany of injuries, including playing only 20 snaps this season in his debut against the Giants in Week 5 before landing on injured reserve with a torn quad muscle.

Prior to this latest setback, Nwosu missed the final 11 games last season with a torn pectoral muscle and then suffered a sprained MCL in his knee on an illegal chop block by Browns guard Wyatt Teller early in the preseason finale back in August. Speaking with reporters for the first time since his brief return in October, he discussed at length how difficult it has been to be shelved for such an extensive period of time and not be able to help his team on the field.

"I'm just trying to refigure out myself, what I need to do better," Nwosu explained. "I feel like it's really things that has kind of been out of my control, especially with the knee injury that I had. And then one thing leads to another, so who knows? Kind of just refiguring myself out and just trusting my process and knowing that I know my career is going to be great. I'm going to still be the same player I am and just continue to trust myself."

Following his latest rehab from injury, the Seahawks activated Nwosu from injured reserve on Thursday to set the table for him to play in this weekend's critical rematch with the Cardinals in Glendale, the same day that the NFL announced he had been selected as the team's nominee for the prestigious Walter Payton Man of the Year award for his dedication to helping the community and disadvantaged youth.

Over the past few months, while rehabbing from both his knee and thigh injuries, Nwosu made it a priority to stick around to provide support for his teammates, something he didn't feel he did well enough last year. At the time, coaches advised him to go home and spend time with his family while he recovered from the pectoral injury, and he felt he owed it to his teammates to remain present and offer insight during practice and game prep even if he couldn't play.

"I wanted to be around those guys, keep being the leader that I am, keep being a coach pretty much out there on the sideline, helping guys figure out how to beat certain blocks or how to play certain things that they're getting," Nwosu explained. "I was able to offer that part of my game, even though it's not on the field, it was more mental. I felt like that was really important to those guys and being their kind of quote-unquote cheerleaders on the sideline I guess to help them keep their confidence up and stuff."

Prior to being stricken by injury misfortune, Nwosu emerged as one of Seattle's premier players and a key leadership cog in the locker room. Coming over on a two-year contract from Los Angeles in free agency in March 2022, he posted career-highs with 66 tackles, 9.5 sacks, 26 quarterback hits, and 12 tackles for loss, receiving Pro Bowl alternate consideration as he helped the team make the playoffs.

Per Pro Football Focus, Nwosu ended the season ranked 14th in pressures (61), 16th in sacks (9.5), and fourth in run stops (24) among qualified edge defenders. He also finished 11th in average depth of tackle versus the run (1.8) and 10th in Pass Rush Productivity rating (8.7), turning in a strong all-around season that led to general manager John Schneider handing him a much-deserved three-year, $45 million extension prior to the start of the 2023 season.

But since Nwosu tore his pectoral muscle in a Week 7 win over the Cardinals last season, with him missing all but seven games total after signing his new contract, Boye Mafe and Derick Hall have emerged as two of the best young pass rushers in the NFC in his absence. The two have combined for 67 pressures, 11 sacks, and 13 quarterback hits, posting quality numbers while making steady improvements as run defenders as well.

Veteran Dre'Mont Jones hasn't been as effective corralling quarterbacks with only three sacks, but he leads Seattle's edge rushing group with 38 pressures and nine quarterback hits, giving the team a strong trifecta even without Nwosu.

Considering the emergence of Mafe and Hall, who both remain under contract through the 2025 season on rookie deals, Nwosu may be playing for more than just helping the Seahawks try to cross the finish line as NFC West champions. With the organization facing some significant salary cap hurdles going into next season and his contract offering easy outs in the final two years of the deal, how he plays over the next five weeks could determine whether or not he's with the team in 2025.

Sep 10, 2023; Seattle, Washington, USA; Los Angeles Rams running back Cam Akers (3) stiff arms Seattle Seahawks linebacker Uchenna Nwosu (10) during the second half at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-Imagn Images | Steven Bisig-Imagn Images

According to OverTheCap.com, Nwosu has no guaranteed money remaining on the last two years of his extension, and while releasing him would be somewhat prohibitive before June 1 with a $13.016 million dead cap hit, making such a move would still open up north of $8 million for next season. Opting to do a post-June 1 designation would create more than $14 million, though the dead cap hits would be split over two seasons going that route.

In the event Nwosu doesn't round back into his pre-injury form down the stretch or in the worst case scenario suffers another injury, Schneider and the front office could have a difficult decision to make, especially with Mafe set to be eligible for an extension next spring.

At the same time, however, if Nwosu comes back with a vengeance and plays like he did in 2022, an already surging Seahawks defense has the potential to be even better with him starting alongside Leonard Williams, Jarran Reed, and Mafe. When he's right, he's a top-10 caliber all-around edge, and with Mafe and Hall only contributing two sacks combined in the past five games, his return could provide a needed spark for the pass rush that proves to be the difference between winning the division and missing the playoffs completely.

While coach Mike Macdonald acknowledged Seattle will ease Nwosu back into action coming off his latest lengthy absence, Nwosu will be happy to be back on the field regardless of workload and he's confident he will return to his playmaking ways to further bolster a thriving defense.

"One thing I've been doing my whole career is making plays. So, that's one thing I'm looking forward to doing when I get back out there, just making plays," Nwosu said.

Set to turn 28 years old later this month, Nwosu still should have plenty of good football left in him. Seeing him bounce back to his disruptive 2022 self would make it a lot easier for Schneider and company to stomach Seattle keeping him with a $21 million cap hit next year or even potentially consider a restructured deal to retain him.

But for the time being, Nwosu isn't worrying about what could be an uncertain NFL future. After spending more than enough time on the sidelines, adopting the one game at a time mindset of the coaching staff and his teammates, he's eager to do whatever the Seahawks ask him to do with the sole goal of winning the division and creating an opportunity for the team to do damage in the postseason.

"We know the rest of the schedule is pretty much do-or-die from here. We've got all these division games, not necessarily division, but in the division, NFC games left. It all comes down to trying to win each and every one, starting with the one this weekend. Another divisional playoff game on the road, so we've got to bring our best game and take it game by game."

More Seahawks News

Ken Walker III, Michael Dickson Questionable For Seahawks, Cardinals Rematch

Seahawks Add P Ty Zentner to Practice Squad

Seahawks Searching For Answers as Short Yardage Woes Persist

Seahawks Prepare For Quick Turnaround vs. Cardinals

Seahawks OLB Uchenna Nwosu Activated From IR