Seahawks Free Up Nearly $10 Million Thanks to Injury-Prone Veteran’s Major Pay Cut
Uchenna Nwosu is Seattle’s top edge defender, but injuries have consistently kept him off the field.
The Seattle Seahawks may have most of their key pieces in place, but they’re still making moves in free agency. The team has reportedly been in talks with interior offensive linemen like Teven Jenkins and Dillon Radunz, as well as veteran wide receiver Michael Gallup.
One challenge they face is limited salary cap space after signing Sam Darnold, Cooper Kupp, and DeMarcus Lawrence to hefty three-year contracts. However, they got some relief recently when outside linebacker Uchenna Nwosu agreed to a restructured contract that includes a significant pay cut.
According to Over the Cap figures, this move frees up more than $9 million in cap space for the Seahawks.
Since joining from the Los Angeles Chargers two years ago, Nwosu’s time in Seattle has been plagued by injuries. While he was a standout during the first half of the 2023 season, he has missed 22 of the last 34 games due to injuries.
When healthy, Nwosu has the potential to be a game-changer for Mike Macdonald’s defense. Seattle’s run defense was notably stronger when Nwosu played in 2023, but his season was cut short after a pectoral injury. He also suffered another injury during the 2024 preseason that kept him out until Week 5, where he then injured his thigh and missed the next seven games.
While a full, healthy season from Nwosu would be ideal, the Seahawks have prepared for the worst by bringing in DeMarcus Lawrence, who is expected to start on the opposite side of the defensive line with Dre’Mont Jones no longer on the team. If Nwosu gets hurt again, Boye Mafe is likely to step in.
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