Seahawks’ K.J. Wright on free agency, coming back from 2018 knee injury
Apr 19, 2019, 6:01 PM | Updated: 6:05 pm
(AP)
Seahawks’ linebacker K.J. Wright entered free agency for the first time in his eight year career in March — but fortunately for both Wright and the Seahawks, that trip didn’t last long. Wright joined Danny, Dave and Moore on 710 ESPN Seattle Friday to talk about what it felt like to be a free agent, his decision to re-sign with Seattle, and what it was like to have his best performance of an injury-plagued season in the playoffs.
Clayton: What we learned about the Seahawks this week
“It did feel like I left, and that whole stretch from January to March, I kind of separated myself, because I was like, ‘It may not happen,'” Wright said of free agency. “But I’m back in the building and they found a way to make me happy…
The linebacker signed a two-year, $15.5 million deal with Seattle one day day after the start of free agency. Wright was originally drafted by the Seahawks in the fourth round of the 2011 NFL Draft, making him one of Seattle’s longest-tenured players (in addition to wide receiver Doug Baldwin).
“It was interesting. I believe it’s good for each player to have an opportunity to just test it (free agency) and see what’s out there,” he said. “It didn’t let me down; it would have been great if I wasn’t coming off of injury, but things happen and it is what it is.”
A knee injury sidelined the 29-year-old Wright for a large part of the season. He appeared in just five games in 2018 (after missing a total of five starts over the previous seven years) but told Danny, Dave and Moore he felt good about ending the season with a strong performance against the Dallas Cowboys in the wild card round of the playoffs. Wright had eight tackles and his first interception of the season in that contest.
“To play in that type of game, with the season that I had just battling injuries, that was really good for me personally,” Wright said. “I’m thankful that I could end the season on a good note.”
Listen to Wright’s full interview in the audio clip embedded above or on Danny, Dave and Moore’s podcast page.