Uchenna Nwosu Signs Lucrative Contract Extension with Seattle Seahawks
RENTON, Wash. — Uchenna Nwosu signed a free-agent contract with Seattle in March 2022 to prove he’s one of the best at his craft. Then he had the best season of his career.
Now he’s paid like one of the best in the business.
On Monday afternoon, Nwosu and the Seahawks agreed to a three-year contract extension worth up to $59 million with $32 million guaranteed. The base value of the outside linebacker’s deal, according to reports, is $45 million in new money over three years. By average annual salary on that new money, Nwosu is among the top 15 highest-paid edge defenders in the league. Using the total value of Nwosu’s new deal, his annual average is among the top 10.
He and the team made it official Monday afternoon, days before Seattle took the field for its first training camp practice at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
“It felt good,” Nwosu said Wednesday morning. “Felt really good for my family, myself, for the team.”
Nwosu is 26 years old and entering his sixth NFL season. These are the prime years of his career. The Seahawks are betting that he’ll be at the peak of his powers in the coming years. That would appear to be a safe bet based on how Nwosu played in 2022.
A second-round pick of the Chargers in 2018, Nwosu spent a significant chunk of his rookie contract behind Pro Bowl pass rushers Joey Bosa and Melvin Ingram. Seattle signed Nwosu to a two-year, $19 million free-agent contract in March 2022 believing that the USC product would flourish as a starter.
Last season, Nwosu posted career highs in sacks (9.5), sack rate (7.6 percent), quarterback hits (26), pressure rate (14.9) and forced fumbles (three). He was, by far, Seattle’s top edge rusher and was voted a Pro Bowl alternate. He also defended the run at a high level, producing tackles for loss and no gain at a rate that rivaled some of the most talented players at his position.
Nwosu attributes some of the success he had last season to the latitude he was granted by the coaching staff to take calculated risks on the edge: shooting gaps, slipping blocks and having the freedom to live in the backfield while still operating within the confines of the scheme.
“It’s basically not having any handcuffs on,” Nwosu said. “Whatever you see, just go out there and be the best you can. Pete (Carroll), he gives me a lot of freedom to be the player he knows I can be, which is a playmaker. I like that about this defense a lot, and I hope to continue it this year.”
Nwosu still has more to prove. He wasn’t the solo sack leader on the Seahawks last season; he shared that crown with Darrell Taylor. There were 19 NFL players with at least 10 sacks last season; Nwosu wasn’t one of them. Eight edge defenders received at least one All-Pro vote; Nwosu didn’t.
But more important to Nwosu is the fact that Seattle’s season ended several games short of the Super Bowl. In four seasons with the Chargers, Nwosu never made it beyond the divisional round. On top of the individual accolades, Nwosu is hell-bent on being a key cog on a defense that helps unseat the 49ers as division champs.
“Winning the NFC West, making some Pro Bowls and All-Pro, that’s what I’m on right now,” Nwosu said.
Nwosu said his agency broached the idea of a potential extension at the end of the season. Seattle has a history of agreeing to contract extensions ahead of training camp, a practice that occasionally allows them to sign the player to a team-friendly deal. Nwosu had the option to play out the final year of his contract, have another strong year, potentially hit the market and command a larger payday. But he had no interest in taking that route because of the connection he feels to the city and the franchise.
“I want to be here,” Nwosu said. “I don’t want to live out the possibility of going somewhere else. The culture here, the young team here, Pete, the connections with my (USC) people I see here all the time, it feels like a home here. … Why would I want to chance going somewhere else when I’m right at home right here?”
In conclusion, Uchenna Nwosu’s contract extension with the Seattle Seahawks solidifies his position as one of the best edge defenders in the league. After a breakout season in 2022, Nwosu proved his worth and earned a lucrative deal worth up to $59 million. The Seahawks are confident in Nwosu’s abilities and believe he will continue to excel in the coming years. With his sights set on winning the NFC West and earning individual accolades, Nwosu is determined to help lead the Seahawks to success. His decision to stay with Seattle demonstrates his loyalty to the team and his belief in their culture and potential.