Key Seahawks player may miss start of 2025, GM says
Mar 20, 2025, 6:03 PM
The Seattle Seahawks added to their group of edge players in free agency, but they may be starting the upcoming season without one of their key returners.
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Outside linebacker Uchnnea Nwosu had surgery shortly after last season and his status for the start of the 2025 campaign is uncertain, general manager John Schneider told Seattle Sports’ Wyman and Bob during The John Schneider Show on Thursday. Schneider didn’t disclose what Nwosu had surgery on.
“The doctors are excited, but it’s going to be pretty close (on) his recovery,” Schneider said. “Is he going to be a PUP (physically unable to perform list) 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.”
The update comes after Nwosu took a pay cut as part of a restructured contract that lowers his salary cap for 2025 to roughly $9.3 million, according to Over The Cap.
After playing his first four seasons with the Los Angeles Chargers, Nwosu enjoyed a breakout campaign with Seattle in 2022, setting career highs across the board with 66 tackles, 12 tackles for loss, 9.5 sacks and three forced fumbles. His efforts earned him a new three-year, $45 million extension, but he’s had difficulties staying on the field since.
Nwosu, a seven-year pro, missed the final 11 games of the 2023 campaign with a torn pectoral muscle. He started last season on the injured list and missed four games after suffering a sprained MCL on a cut block in Seattle’s final preseason contest. The USC product played just 20 snaps in his 2024 debut before exiting with a torn quad that caused him to miss the next seven games. He also dealt with a wrist issue last season.
In the two seasons since his extension, Nwosu has totaled 30 tackles, five tackles for loss and 3.0 sacks in just 12 games.
The 28-year-old Nwosu has two years and $19.51 million left on his contract.
The John Schneider Show airs Thursdays at 4 p.m. up to first day of the NFL Draft. Watch the video at the top of this story for this week’s full interview. Listen to Wyman and Bob weekdays from 2-7 p.m. or find the podcast on the Seattle Sports app.
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