Why Seahawks could release Uchenna Nwosu this offseason

With free agency beginning next week, edge rusher is one of the biggest question marks for the Seattle Seahawks.

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Boye Mafe’s rookie contract is expiring, which has him set to become a free agent for the first time in his career. Five-time Pro Bowler DeMarcus Lawrence still has two years left on his contract, but he’s heading into his age-34 season and reportedly has been considering retirement, according to ESPN’s Brady Henderson.

And then there’s Uchenna Nwosu, who looms as a potential salary-cap casualty.

Nwosu matched Leonard Williams and Byron Murphy II with a team-high 7.0 sacks this past season and had a game-sealing 45-yard pick-six in the Super Bowl. But he’s set to carry the Seahawks’ third-largest salary cap hit for 2026 at $19.99 million, according to Over the Cap.

That may be more than Seattle would be willing to pay, especially given Nwosu’s recent injury history. The 29-year-old veteran missed 11 games apiece in 2023 and 2024 due to a trio of injuries, which led to Nwosu taking a pay cut as part of a reworked contract with the Seahawks last offseason.

During Seattle Sports’ Bump and Stacy on Friday, NFL Network’s Gregg Rosenthal added further credence to the possibility that the Seahawks release Nwosu for salary cap purposes.

“I think they might end up cutting Uchenna Nwosu here to open up some more money,” Rosenthal said. “And I wouldn’t be surprised at all if they are in the edge market (in free agency), because there’s some interesting edges out there (and) I just think that’s a position they’re always going to be spending on.”

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