Macdonald: Nwosu ‘not necessarily close’ to returning for Seahawks

RENTON – As the Seattle Seahawks opened training camp on Wednesday, veteran edge rusher Uchenna Nwosu spent the afternoon watching from the sidelines.

Bump: Riq Woolen is Seahawks player with most to gain – and lose

That was expected after the Seahawks placed the 28-year-old Nwosu on the physically unable to perform list last week as he continues to recover from offseason knee surgery.

But after practice, head coach Mike Macdonald indicated Nwosu may not be leaving the sidelines any time soon.

Asked how close Nwosu is to returning, Macdonald’s answer didn’t sound particularly encouraging.

“We’ll see,” Macdonald said. “We’ll see. We’re going into the season probably – throughout the rest of camp and then we’ll go from there. … We’ll just hold onto the timeline right now. But we’re not necessarily close.”

Back in March, Seahawks general manager John Schneider hinted at the possibility of Nwosu opening the season on the PUP list.

Players on the PUP list can return at any time during training camp and the preseason. But if they remain on the PUP list after rosters are cut down to 53 players on Aug. 26, they must miss at least four games before being eligible to return.

“The doctors are excited, but it’s going to be pretty close (on) his recovery,” Schneider told Seattle Sports’ Wyman and Bob on The John Schneider Show in March. “Is he going to be a PUP player candidate? Or will we be there without (him) and we just ride it for a couple weeks?

“It’s way too early to tell, but what we know about Uchenna is he’s still a young man. That guy’s a dog. He’s nasty. He’s a leader. He’s all about the work. He’s awesome. He’s great for the defense.”

Since racking up a career-high 9.5 sacks during his first season with the Seahawks in 2022, Nwosu has struggled to stay healthy, missing a combined 22 games over the past two seasons due to a trio of injuries.

Nwosu missed 11 games in 2023 with a season-ending torn pectoral muscle, the first four games of 2024 with a sprained MCL and then another seven games last year with a quad strain.

Following the slew of injuries, Nwosu agreed to a reworked contract this offseason, according to OverTheCap.com. He reportedly agreed to a $6.99 million pay cut for 2025, which means he now has two years and $19.51 million left on his contract. His previous contract was a three-year, $45 million extension that he signed in July 2023.

With Nwosu’s status uncertain, the Seahawks could look to add an edge rusher ahead of the season. Aside from Nwosu, their other top edge rushers are Boye Mafe, Derick Hall and four-time All-Pro free-agent addition DeMarcus Lawrence.

More on the Seattle Seahawks

• Huard: Why a Seattle Seahawks trade for star pass rusher seems unlikely
• Jake Bobo could have tough fight to keep Seattle Seahawks roster spot
• Camp preview: Breaking down Seattle Seahawks’ defensive position battles
• Camp preview: Breaking down Seattle Seahawks’ offensive position battles
• How much pressure is Seattle Seahawks QB Sam Darnold under?

Related

Insider shares insight on Seahawks’ ‘intense negotiations’ with star CB WitherspoonSeahawks PUP list up to 5 with expected RB moveFormer Seahawks LB Jordyn Brooks signs extension with MiamiRoster Moves: Seahawks sign former Eagles CB, waive TENFL insider gives positive update on Nick Emmanwori’s statusESPN starts layoffs tied to NFL Network acquisition, memo says