Oft-injured pass rusher shows commitment to Seahawks despite pay cut

For one Seattle Seahawks pass rusher, staying in the Emerald City is worth taking less money.

Dec 4, 2022; Inglewood, California, USA; Seattle Seahawks linebacker Uchenna Nwosu (10) and linebacker Cody Barton (57) react against the Los Angeles Rams during the second half at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images | Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

Seattle Seahawks edge rusher Uchenna Nwosu has had a string of bad luck as of late, and that's underselling it.

After a 9.5-sack season in his first year with Seattle back in 2022, Nwosu has played just 12 of a possible 34 games over the past two seasons. He suffered a pectoral injury early in 2023, then suffered a knee injury in the final 2024 preseason game that continued to hamper him all year.

Nwosu signed a three-year $45 million deal with the Seahawks in 2023, but two years later, he's sadly been unable to stay on the field.

Oct 30, 2022; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Seahawks linebacker Uchenna Nwosu (10) celebrates following a sack against the New York Giants during the fourth quarter at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images | Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images

With his cap hit looking like more and more of a problem, the Seahawks reportedly approached Nwosu with a choice: take a huge pay cut, or be released. He chose the former, reportedly signing a reworked contract that will pay him $8 million this season while he counts for $11.85 million against the cap. However, he can earn most of what he lost back by hitting certain incentives.

Nwosu may have been able to earn more money on the open market, but chose to stick with the team that's stuck by him. When asked about Nwosu's choice, Seahawks general manager John Schneider reportedly said "he wanted to be with us," an answer that should make fans happy.

It sounds like John Schneider offered Uchenna Nwosu the chance to leave (i.e., be cut) if he preferred to see whether he could get a better deal than the 2y, $19.5M restructure he did with the #Seahawks. Schneider: "He wanted to be with us."

— Chris Cluff (@CHawk_Talk) March 27, 2025

The Seahawks have lost a lot of longtime players this offseason, with Tyler Lockett, Geno Smith and DK Metcalf being the most notable examples. Even with Nwosu's injury concerns, he is still a solid pass rusher, and hearing him say he wants to stay in Seattle is nice.

The 28-year-old will have to work his way back onto the field, as Schneider confirmed he underwent offseason knee surgery recently. Once he does make his way back, though, he could very well play with a fire rearely seen before.

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